we hope to find the missionary to-night. The
first was yesterday's work and the second we hope to gain to-day." Again,
"Last night on the car we met a gentleman whom I know through my sister
Anna, and after a few minutes' talk he wants to give me his camera, 5x7,
for hospital work. Isn't that splendid?" Or, "This morning we went into a
flower-seed store and what do you suppose the proprietor did but to give us
the seeds, a big list of all kinds we wanted, and then offered to add a few
more varieties. We are having lots of fun here."
Dr. Stone met with no less enthusiasm in public meetings than in her
contact with individuals. One of her hostesses tells of her remarkable
success in arousing genuine interest in her work: "She spoke at churches
very often while she was with us, and not once did she fail to get what she
asked for. She did not ask for things in general but for definite
things,--pillows for the beds, lamps for the gateway, etc. She is
irresistible."
The same friend tells of the glee with which Dr. Stone, whose English is
perfect, delighted to learn modern slang phrases. After practising them in
the bosom of the family she would sometimes innocently introduce them into
her addresses, invariably bringing down the house thereby. At one meeting,
after telling a most remarkable story, she remarked, "You may think this is
a whopper, but it is true!"
Reports of the meetings at which she spoke contain such items as this: "The
pastor of St. James Church offered to duplicate all money given in the
collection when Miss Hughes and Dr. Stone spoke. Six hundred and eighty-two
dollars was the result. A gentleman present offered one hundred dollars for
a speech from Dr. Stone in his church. The speech was made and one hundred
and eighty-two dollars put in the treasury." Other items read: "At the
district meeting a new auxiliary came into being in ---- Church. No one
could resist Dr. Mary Stone's persuasive tones as she went up and down the
aisles asking, 'Won't you join?' She told the people how much she needed a
pump in Kiukiang and forthwith the pump materialized." The _New York
Herald_ gave a long and enthusiastic report of her work, ending with the
words: "'Am I not fortunate? And I am so grateful to be able to help a
little!' is the modest way she sums up a work of magnitude sufficient to
keep a corps of medical men busily employed."
Everywhere this little Chinese woman made friends. The words of one of her
host
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