Kiukiang, China,

June 27th, 1876.

My Dear Sister Rose:

Your long and good letter of May 2d reached me a few days ago. Though your letters are few and far between, they are prized very highly when they do come, as they have so many things in them of interest to me. All the little scraps of information and gossip you put into them make them so much more attractive, and seem to bring me many thousand miles nearer home than in reality I am.

The article entitled "Through Tribulations" was sent by me to the Advocate in the month of November, 1874, just after the incidents narrated in it had taken place. I had given up all expectation of seeing it published, and was quite surprised when it appeared. If you have on file a letter which I wrote to you on Nov. 20th of that year, you will find in it a reference to the article in question. As I had taken up so much time in telling the story for the paper, I did not have patience to go over it again in a private letter; for my statements would have simply been a repetition of the story which I supposed you would see in the Advocate. But those events have all gone by, and only last week I took a delightful trip by boat to that same town where we were mobbed, and spent a couple of days at the chapel which we have opened there. I expect to send a short letter to the Advocate by this mail, giving an account of the visit. The Chinese around here are very friendly towards us, and we have good and attentive congregations. It is a great privilege to tell them the story of redeeming love, and to see the interest with which they listen. If we only had perfect command of their horrible language, we might hold them in our chapels for hours. To give you one instance of the difficulties of the language -- there is a word which means either heart, faith, a surname (i.e. "Mr."), bitterness, to hunt, to wake up, or one's natural disposition, according to the tone in which it is pronounced and the connection in which it is used. This word is pronounced very much like the word sin, only it is something between sin and shin. By trying to pronounce it you may succeed, but in all probability will not. There are many other Chinese words a great deal more difficult for a foreigner than this one.

I am glad to hear such a good report my "mar" Fan, and herewith extend my congratulations. I am afraid, however, that she is not the kind of mother to train up a son in the way he should go, especially if that way happens to lead around a pair of closed bars instead of through them. But she ought to be informed that children who are not trained aright, are almost sure to bring misery on their parents in their old age; and if the parent's example is bad, the child's will probably be worse. As the Chinese proverb says, "When old people are not upright, they teach their posterity to be rogues." If my "mar" does not heed this saying, put it at her in Chinese -- "Wei lao pu jun, jiao hwai tzu sun." Perhaps she will take more heed to it. As for the young colt who has under such favorable (or unfavorable) auspices made his appearance on this sublunary sphere; if by his conduct he shows himself worthy of a name, by all means let him have it. Tom, Dick, or Harry, good, bad, or indifferent, it is all the same to me. Don Quixote's gallant steed was named Rosinante, but perhaps Sancho Panza will answer as well. A name commencing with Rosina is not indeed strictly appropriate to a colt born in this day and age of the world, and in a family of Dutch descent. However, let the little rascal be styled something as soon as possible, and not go around with his head down as though he were ashamed of being so long without a sobriquet,

I am glad to know that I have come into possession of a small fortune, along with the rest of my family. Five or six dollars is not picked up every day, and when a man comes to inherit such a sum he ought of course to consider how he shall dispose of it. But here I am naturally at a loss what to do, the responsibility being so great that I feel as though I ought to have the benefit of legal advice. However, as a lawyer would probably charge double that amount for his opinion, I will assume the responsibility myself and let the legal fraternity alone. If you can start a bank with it, or invest it in railroad stock for me, you are welcome to do so. (But for goodness' sake, don't put it into any Credit Mobilier stock). Perhaps you might build an Insane Asylum, or a theological seminary, like Daniel Drew, and have it called after me. Seriously speaking, however, I do not feel as though I had any claim on the money, and if I have in the eyes of the law I hereby relinquish it entirely. You may use the money in any way which you please, and I shall be perfectly satisfied. And I also relinquish all claim (if anybody regards me as having such a claim) on all colt or colts, of whatever gender, name, or species, which my "mar" Fan regards as her progeny; and said colt or colts may be disposed of in whichever way shall seem to be the most profitable, and the proceeds invested for the benefit of the family. You need all you can get at home; here I have more than I need. Bro. Morgan (R. D.) writes me that he and his wife get only $550 a year as salary. Here I, a single man, get $625, and could get $700 if I would accept it, as $75 have been added to our salaries this year. And yet I have $140 out at interest at 10 per cent, and took a trip this spring which cost me $150; and still I have plenty to live on, and never have known since I came to China what it is to be embarrassed for want of money. So you will do me a very great favor if you say nothing more about that money or colt or anything else being mine. It is not mine, but yours (the family's), and you must regard it as such.

If you can give me Cousin Rose Leach's address, I may find time to write her a letter. I cannot write unless I know where to write to. I am in the enjoyment of excellent health and good spirits, and hope to be to stay in China ten years longer before I need to go home. I feel that my life work is here, and that I could be of no good anywhere else.

Please remember me to all the friends -- in particular, to Bro. A. Field, Bro. Grimshaw, Bro. Jas. Varner and Mrs. Mollie Reiniger. Is Bro.Wyatt in Scioto Co. yet, or has he moved away? When are you going to get married? How did Joseph come to be elected Clerk of the Tp. before he was 21 yrs. of age? Or is he 21 already? -- I have forgotten.

Lovingly your brother,

A. Stritmatter