Page 146 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 146
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
the back part of the house. Over the front porch was a sweet scented honeysuckle that helped to fill
the air with fragrance, and the house, which they called ‘Weeroona’ meaning ‘Haven of Rest’, always
seemed to be just that to me. It drew us all - the whole clan - like a magnet, and they were rarely
without some of their children or grandchildren in and out.
Grandma and Grandpa
Mercer’s home
in Maurice Street,
Mount Panorama
From then on we lived in Bayswater, a suburb of Perth. Father bought a property in Wisbeck Street
which became our home until after we were all married and my father and then my mother died. The
house was then sold. When I was seventeen my youngest sister Muriel was born.
It was after the move to Wisbeck Street that I commenced at the Perth Modern School where I
remained for the next two years. Mod was at West Perth on the far side of Perth from Bayswater, so I
had a longer distance to travel each day, but I made friends with others who came on the same trains
and it became fun to travel back and forth each day. Nell Makin lived in Bayswater and I knew her
well, and we chummed up with twins who lived at Midland Junction, some eight miles further out than
Bayswater. Jean and Pearl Sloman had come to Mod from the Midland High School, so we were all
new and strange together. Jean, Nell, Pearl and I became a foursome who did everything together.
It was a good friendship which has lasted through till now
By the time I finished at Mod I was seventeen and that year was one of the most eventful in my life. I
was a very restless and unsettled teenager at that time. I had many friends in the Church and out of it,
and was involved in all the Youth Group activities which included lots of parties and picnics where we
had fun together. Smoking and drinking and dancing were taboo, but we found our fun in other ways
and on the whole had a good time. Yet in me there was a growing feeling of discontent. I threw
myself into all the games and other activities that went on, and then came home and got into bed with
a deep sense of dissatisfaction even though I assured myself we had had a good time. I asked myself
“What’s the matter with me? Christianity is supposed to make us happy, but I’m not happy and I don’t
know what to do.” I looked at Mother, busy, hard working and often so tired with all she had to do for
her big family, and yet showing a quiet serenity and peace in her life that I knew came from God. Why
wasn’t I like that? And how could I get like that? I read my Bible (sometimes!) and prayed
(sometimes!) but I was still dissatisfied.
I spent the summer holidays on the farm with Win, my cousin and friend who was one year older than
I, and enjoyed that as always; being teased by my cousins, galloping round the paddocks on
horseback with Win and the boys as they went to water the sheep or do other chores, or with Win and
Auntie in the big farmhouse kitchen, preparing meals, baking cakes, churning the cream into butter,
146
Amy Moore
the back part of the house. Over the front porch was a sweet scented honeysuckle that helped to fill
the air with fragrance, and the house, which they called ‘Weeroona’ meaning ‘Haven of Rest’, always
seemed to be just that to me. It drew us all - the whole clan - like a magnet, and they were rarely
without some of their children or grandchildren in and out.
Grandma and Grandpa
Mercer’s home
in Maurice Street,
Mount Panorama
From then on we lived in Bayswater, a suburb of Perth. Father bought a property in Wisbeck Street
which became our home until after we were all married and my father and then my mother died. The
house was then sold. When I was seventeen my youngest sister Muriel was born.
It was after the move to Wisbeck Street that I commenced at the Perth Modern School where I
remained for the next two years. Mod was at West Perth on the far side of Perth from Bayswater, so I
had a longer distance to travel each day, but I made friends with others who came on the same trains
and it became fun to travel back and forth each day. Nell Makin lived in Bayswater and I knew her
well, and we chummed up with twins who lived at Midland Junction, some eight miles further out than
Bayswater. Jean and Pearl Sloman had come to Mod from the Midland High School, so we were all
new and strange together. Jean, Nell, Pearl and I became a foursome who did everything together.
It was a good friendship which has lasted through till now
By the time I finished at Mod I was seventeen and that year was one of the most eventful in my life. I
was a very restless and unsettled teenager at that time. I had many friends in the Church and out of it,
and was involved in all the Youth Group activities which included lots of parties and picnics where we
had fun together. Smoking and drinking and dancing were taboo, but we found our fun in other ways
and on the whole had a good time. Yet in me there was a growing feeling of discontent. I threw
myself into all the games and other activities that went on, and then came home and got into bed with
a deep sense of dissatisfaction even though I assured myself we had had a good time. I asked myself
“What’s the matter with me? Christianity is supposed to make us happy, but I’m not happy and I don’t
know what to do.” I looked at Mother, busy, hard working and often so tired with all she had to do for
her big family, and yet showing a quiet serenity and peace in her life that I knew came from God. Why
wasn’t I like that? And how could I get like that? I read my Bible (sometimes!) and prayed
(sometimes!) but I was still dissatisfied.
I spent the summer holidays on the farm with Win, my cousin and friend who was one year older than
I, and enjoyed that as always; being teased by my cousins, galloping round the paddocks on
horseback with Win and the boys as they went to water the sheep or do other chores, or with Win and
Auntie in the big farmhouse kitchen, preparing meals, baking cakes, churning the cream into butter,
146
