eir little hospital, besides spending a month in
Nanking visiting the hospitals there.

The following year the little hospital was presented with what was probably
its first, though by no means its last, "merit board." One of Dr. Stone's
letters gives an account of this event:

"Two days ago we had quite an occasion. A child had been sick for a
long time, and the best Chinese physicians pronounced him
incurable. Then it was that they gave us a chance. He is recovering
and the parents, wanting to show their gratitude, gave us a 'merit
board,' thinking in this way they would 'spread our fame.'
Accordingly a day was selected to present the board to us, and we
prepared tea and cakes for those who would come. On the day
appointed at 2 P.M., we heard a lot of fire-crackers, rockets, and
guns, and a band playing the flute and bugle at the same time. The
'merit board,' consisting of a black board with four big carved and
gilded characters in the centre, and with red cloth over it, was
carried into our guest hall by four men, and set on the centre
table. The characters complimented us by a comparison with two
noted women of ancient times, who were great scholars. I
acknowledged the honour with a low Chinese bow, and a tall, elderly
gentleman returned me a bow, without a word being spoken by either
of us. Then I withdrew, and he took tea with two of our gentlemen
teachers. The company stayed to see the board put up on our wall."

As the fame of the young physicians grew and their practice steadily
increased, they found themselves greatly hampered by lack of a proper
building in which to carry on their work. In 1898 Dr. Stone wrote back to
America: "Our tiny hospital is crammed full. An observer might think that
we carried home but a slight idea of hygiene. Our hospital measures on the
outside 28 by 21 at Chinese feet (our foot is one inch longer than yours)
and we have been compelled to crowd in twenty-one sleepers. The building
being so small and not protected from the heat of the sun by any trees or
awnings, by evenings it is fairly an oven, which is certainly not a very
desirable place for sick people. We are looking forward all the time for
signs or signals from the women of America to build our new hospital, but
not a letter comes to bring us this kind of message. Still we are thankful
for the hope of building some time."

This hope was realized almos