[Location not readable] Dec. [?] 1879 [not clear, assumption based on context]Dear Dr. Tupper,
I write again because I do not know exactly how to make my arrangements. If I am to get off at the time mentioned in yours of 10 inst. I want to go to Winchester Tenn. by the tenth of Jan. from which place I will make a start for Sanfrancisco. I can hardly meet Mr. Simmons nearer than St. Louis, but I have written him to know what day I shall get to St. Louis. I think it much best for several good reasons for me to go through Nashville and it will also be my most direct route from Winchester. Mr. Simmons will hardly go by Nashville. I also think I can have company to St. Louis. I have been looking for the "Journals" thinking they might give definite news. Please answer this at once and as I am anxious to hear you will please direct this time to Huntsville Ala. I am twelve miles from Huntsville, but our mail is not regular at our little country office, and I will have some one bring your letter out to me. If you write me that I am to go as mentioned before, any business letters or any mail may be sent me to Winchester Tenn. after the tenth on which day I expect to start there. I am doing all I can to be ready and do earnestly pray that I may very soon get to my work. I have been teaching nearly three month but my school has been small and I have used most of the proceeds in preparing as far as I could my outfit for leaving. It would be necessary for me to receive means before starting in defraying my traveling expenses. I mention this because I thought I ought to. If it should be that I could not get off at the time mentioned, by all means let me know at once, though I pray that we may not be disappointed this time.
Truly, S. Stein
Canton, China. March 18th, 1880Dear Dr. Tupper,
As the steamer leaves in a few days, I write to let you know of our safe arrival in Canton. We left Sanfrancisco the seventh of February and reached here the eleventh of March. Our voyage was pleasant though Mrs. Simmons and myself were sea sick for about three days. I do not think I ever saw people look happier than our passengers did when we came in sight of the Japan coast and again when we were in sight of the China coast. We stopped at Yokohama from Monday night the first of March till Thursday morning. A severe snow storm kept us on board the steamer all day Tuesday. We spent most of Wednesday looking among Japanese curiosities and we called to see Mr. Brown and Miss Sands, missionaries sent out by the "Missionary Union." I did not like the idea of being drawn around by a Japanese in one of those Jinrikinshas, but since getting here and being carried through the streets in a sedan chair, I must confess that I much prefer the Japanese way of traveling. It is well that we came as early as we did for brother and sister Graves were very much needing rest. They left us last Monday for America, but I think none of you can realize how it grieved them to leave their work. It was a touching scene Sunday at the chapel when the Chinese bade them farewell. Mrs. Simmons and I attended Miss Whilden's school Sunday morning. Many of the women who are Christians seemed very glad to see us and an old blind woman took each of us by the hand and said she was so glad we had come and that she prayed for the Heavenly Father to bless us. How thankful I will be when I learn enough of the language to be able to talk to these people about Jesus! Would that many others could be here preparing for the work, for "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few." I have been out with Miss Whilden once, visiting among the women. She seems to very much enjoy reading and talking to them about the Saviour and their soul's salvation. It certainly must be a delightful way to spend one's life time! Pray for me that I may be able to win many precious souls to Christ. Yours truly.
S. Stein.
Canton, China July 31st, 1886
Dear Dr. Tupper,
I have been meaning to write to you for several weeks [?] but when there has been a [?] time I have felt so tired that it seemed I could not undertake the writing of letters. This is Saturday morning and I am making the writing of this one of my first duties.
I see under Amended Rules Art. 1st- that it is my duty to send you an account of my work quarterly. This should have been sent at the close of last quarter, one month ago. The work is so arranged that each day has its own work and there is need of but little change. If you remember, my schools did not do well in the early part of the year and I had feared that some of them would have to be discontinued altogether, but I am thankful to report that after all they are doing better and although my teachers are mostly inexperienced ones they all profess to love our Lord and [?] are helping to lead the little ones to Him. There are four of these schools and the attendance varies from ten to fifteen. I divide my working time as follows. Monday forenoon is given to study and the afternoon I visit the women at the hospital. Tuesday morning I sometimes get to study one or two hours before starting to my school: it depends upon how the tide is and how long I may expect to be in reaching it. At this school there are always a good number of heathen women to whom I may talk as long as I can stay after I have finished with the children and often some of them listen with interest while I talk to the girls. I get home nearly at night from this school for it is quite a distance. Wednesday I do not go to any school but study in the forenoon and visit in the afternoon any family who may have invited me or in whom I am especially interested. If for any cause I do not go out I am to be congratulated on having a day for study. Thursday morning I go to another school almost as far as the one attended on Tuesday and there I find even more heathen women than at the former place. They come through curiosity but we make use of the time to tell them of Him who died that they might live. Friday after a short time for study I visit two schools. They are not so far away, only about two miles and I frequently walk to them and they are near each other. Not so many heathen women come to these as to the others and often there is time for me to visit several families before time to come home. Some visiting is done according as there is time on the other days but as it gets late the [?] are not so apt to ask us in. Saturday unless to accept some special invitation I stay at home and usually after a little study consider the day as a kind of holiday in which I can write letters or attend to anything pertaining to home. But we are having and have had for weeks some very hot weather and often by Friday night I feel tired out then just as far as possible I make Saturday a rest day. You know that Sunday cannot be a day of rest to us here [four words too faint to read] that there is a nice old Christian woman living with me now. The mission employs her as a Bible woman to work with me. She had read Matthew and Mark only and had had no particular experience in work and I took her believing I could teach her and train her to be a useful woman for she had the name among her own people of being an earnest Christian. In one month with me she has learned to read the whole of Luke excepting the last two chapters often selecting for her reading to the women the chapter she has learned with me before going out. She goes with me nearly all the time and spends her time talking to the women near the school or at the school just as he may find opportunity while I am attending to the children's lessons. Perhaps you will wonder where the time for teaching her comes in. I often go over the chapter with her once then while I study she studies and whenever she comes to a character she does not know she asks what it is and then while we go down the river in the boat together I can hear his(?) if there has not been an opportunity before. I was pleased not long ago when after listening to a sermon she said that was good to hear. I want more of the women to hear that and the very next time we went out she took up the subject and went right over the preacher's sermon to a number of women. That school which I attend on Tuesdays is the first one opened in China . In it are two little girls who were there four years ago. The others are all new. The school was at one time stopped during the [war?] times but whenever it has been open one of these girls has attended; the other not so regularly. One of them has memorized and repeated to me the whole of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The other not quite so much. I can scarcely ask these girls a question concerning the plan of salvation but they can answer at once. I am not sure but I think they are about thirteen or fourteen years of age. But they are not Christians. Oh! sad thought! My soul cries out after those girls. What good will their learning to them if their souls must be lost! They remind me of some girls in the homeland. They know what they ought to do but they stand back.
One of these girls at least and her mother have been the special object of prayers by Christian people at home for a long time. If we could but see the children of heathen families owning Christ it would be joy indeed. I know it is my duty to work faithfully and have faith in God as to results and I have but I do long to see more conversions. Pray the Lord to bless all our efforts in trying to lead souls to Him. I want the souls of every one of my dear pupils. Were I in the homeland with so many unconverted girls, I should pray for and expect their conversion. Why not here in this heathen land? May God help us to be faithful to each other and to Him and may we at the last great day find all the souls for whom we have labored gathered safely home into our Father's house.
S. E. Stein