Page 176 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 176
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
would appear ahead of us, and soon the shouts of innkeepers and the chatter of voices, the cheery
glow of the fires being stoked under the cooking pots, and the welcome smell of meals being cooked,
made us know we had arrived. Percy’s dad and Dr. Xiao would quickly decide the best inn and
negotiate the price and very quickly bowls of hot water were being rushed to us, and what a relief it
was to wash faces and hands with the steaming towels, and then get out of our mudcovered socks
and shoes and soak our tired, dirty feet in a restful interlude before the meal would be ready. Time
enough to wash the socks and scrub the shoes after that was all finished. With our bodies clean and
our stomachs full, we lost no time in tumbling into bed to sleep the sleep of complete exhaustion till the
first light of dawn brought us to the start of another day’s journey.
Almost at the end of the mountain part of our trip, we came to Fengxiang where we were joined by a
party from Gansu who were also going through to Shanghai. Mr. and Mrs. Tom Moseley of the
Christian & Missionary Alliance Mission, and old friends of the Moores, were on their way to Shanghai
to spend Christmas with their two children who were at Chefoo Schools. They were escorting Ivy Dix
of Adelaide, who was on her way for her first furlough. She had been through some nasty
experiences with bandits and had also just recovered from a serious illness, so her Superintendent in
Gansu had been glad to put her under the care of responsible people like the Moseleys. We all joined
forces and travelled together from then on, hiring a truck between us to take us the rest of the way to
Xi’an.
SHANGHAI, AND OUR WEDDING DAY 9 January 1934.
It was early December before we reached Shanghai and the familiar compound at 1531 Xinzha Road.
The Chefoo party were already there and excitement was intense as Bobby and Betty Moseley rushed
out to welcome their parents, and Doug Moore, a big six footer in his final year at school, gave his
mother a big hug before welcoming the rest of the family. We found ourselves very much the centre
of an admiring group of Chefoo children, partly because Percy had made a name for himself in sport
when he was there and the older ones still remembered him, and partly because Doug was a much
admired long distance runner and spent a lot of his time while in Shanghai keeping himself in trim, by
long runs round and round the compound.
After consultation with all concerned, and especially with Miss Jeanie Anderson, the Scottish
housekeeper, it was decided our wedding day would be 9 January so as to get all the Christmas
celebrations over first. The next six weeks were hectic and our social life became increasingly busy.
The Moores knew everybody and we were inundated with invitations to meals or afternoon teas by
their many friends. The George Andrews, Esther’s brother, had their home in the French Concession
of Shanghai, so we saw a lot of him and Fanny, his wife, and I found myself caught up in a warm,
loving, close family circle. Doug was happy to accept me as another sister and announced one
morning that no other girl in the world would have done for Percy like I did. He wouldn’t like to see
Percy have any other girl, not even Jess or Marj!
I asked Marion Carleson, an American girl whom I’d become friendly with in Language School and
who was now working at headquarters, to be my bridesmaid, and of course Doug would be Percy’s
best man. With none of my own family there, I asked Graham Hutchinson, a fellow Australian whom I
had known in Melbourne when he and Elsie were on their first furlough, to act as my father and give
me away. He was working at this time in the Financial Department, and they had their own flat in the
administrative building. They had no children of their own, but they took me under their wing and
176
Amy Moore
would appear ahead of us, and soon the shouts of innkeepers and the chatter of voices, the cheery
glow of the fires being stoked under the cooking pots, and the welcome smell of meals being cooked,
made us know we had arrived. Percy’s dad and Dr. Xiao would quickly decide the best inn and
negotiate the price and very quickly bowls of hot water were being rushed to us, and what a relief it
was to wash faces and hands with the steaming towels, and then get out of our mudcovered socks
and shoes and soak our tired, dirty feet in a restful interlude before the meal would be ready. Time
enough to wash the socks and scrub the shoes after that was all finished. With our bodies clean and
our stomachs full, we lost no time in tumbling into bed to sleep the sleep of complete exhaustion till the
first light of dawn brought us to the start of another day’s journey.
Almost at the end of the mountain part of our trip, we came to Fengxiang where we were joined by a
party from Gansu who were also going through to Shanghai. Mr. and Mrs. Tom Moseley of the
Christian & Missionary Alliance Mission, and old friends of the Moores, were on their way to Shanghai
to spend Christmas with their two children who were at Chefoo Schools. They were escorting Ivy Dix
of Adelaide, who was on her way for her first furlough. She had been through some nasty
experiences with bandits and had also just recovered from a serious illness, so her Superintendent in
Gansu had been glad to put her under the care of responsible people like the Moseleys. We all joined
forces and travelled together from then on, hiring a truck between us to take us the rest of the way to
Xi’an.
SHANGHAI, AND OUR WEDDING DAY 9 January 1934.
It was early December before we reached Shanghai and the familiar compound at 1531 Xinzha Road.
The Chefoo party were already there and excitement was intense as Bobby and Betty Moseley rushed
out to welcome their parents, and Doug Moore, a big six footer in his final year at school, gave his
mother a big hug before welcoming the rest of the family. We found ourselves very much the centre
of an admiring group of Chefoo children, partly because Percy had made a name for himself in sport
when he was there and the older ones still remembered him, and partly because Doug was a much
admired long distance runner and spent a lot of his time while in Shanghai keeping himself in trim, by
long runs round and round the compound.
After consultation with all concerned, and especially with Miss Jeanie Anderson, the Scottish
housekeeper, it was decided our wedding day would be 9 January so as to get all the Christmas
celebrations over first. The next six weeks were hectic and our social life became increasingly busy.
The Moores knew everybody and we were inundated with invitations to meals or afternoon teas by
their many friends. The George Andrews, Esther’s brother, had their home in the French Concession
of Shanghai, so we saw a lot of him and Fanny, his wife, and I found myself caught up in a warm,
loving, close family circle. Doug was happy to accept me as another sister and announced one
morning that no other girl in the world would have done for Percy like I did. He wouldn’t like to see
Percy have any other girl, not even Jess or Marj!
I asked Marion Carleson, an American girl whom I’d become friendly with in Language School and
who was now working at headquarters, to be my bridesmaid, and of course Doug would be Percy’s
best man. With none of my own family there, I asked Graham Hutchinson, a fellow Australian whom I
had known in Melbourne when he and Elsie were on their first furlough, to act as my father and give
me away. He was working at this time in the Financial Department, and they had their own flat in the
administrative building. They had no children of their own, but they took me under their wing and
176
