Page 49 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 49
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
from Lanzhou to Shanghai. George and Fanny were given permission to absent themselves for a few
days so that George could be the Best Man, and Jim and Alf came from Shanghai for the Christmas
holidays to join their parents there. The only one missing was Arthur who was still in England. Sixty
years later he still remembered that he was the only one not at his sister's wedding.
Mr. Hoste, who had prayed so earnestly for Arthur Moore's conversion, had a share in the service, but
the one who performed the ceremony and pronounced them man and wife was Mr. Hardman who had
led Arthur to the Lord. Twenty six years later he did the same for Percy and me.
THE START OF A FAMILY
Whether they had a honeymoon or not I don't know, but by the time they arrived in Lanzhou weeks, if
not months later, Esther knew she was pregnant. It was probably at that time that their whole future
had to be rediscussed. For Arthur Moore as a single man with no attachments, to take a long trip to
Dihua where Mr. Hunter was, and to be so far away from medical care, was one thing. But it was
quite another thing to go there with a wife and young children. To Arthur's disappointment, his
designation was changed, but he never lost his interest in that distant city or the work that George
Hunter was doing there.
On 15 October 1909 Esther gave birth to their first child, a son whom they named George Percival.
He was named George after Esther's father and Percival after Arthur's brother. The midwife who was
the district nurse at that time, was to be with Esther when the baby was born. She was sent for in
what seemed to be good time, but travel being what it was in that part of the world, she was not able
to get there till after the birth had actually taken place. Esther herself was a midwife and knew what
to do, so with her instructions and the help of medical books, George Andrew delivered his grandson.
There were difficulties with the placenta, and years later Esther told me that one of her most vivid
impressions of that night was of drifting in and out of sleep after her baby was born, and seeing the old
Chinese woman servant sitting by her side, holding on to the umbilical cord lest it slip back before the
placenta came away.
SETTLING IN TO LIFE IN LANZHOU
In her book "Through Jade Gate" Miss Mildred Cable describes Lanzhou.
“Lanzhou is reached through a maze of narrow gullies. It is beautifully situated on the
swiftly flowing Yellow River and is backed by the Blue Lotus Hills. Its streets are wide
and crowded and its population cosmopolitan. A splendid iron bridge has replaced
the old bridge of boats which until quite recently spanned the great flood. The
Borden Memorial Hospital was on the opposite side of the river from the main CIM
compound, and the CIM-run Boys' School was at the foot of the Blue Lotus Hills.
During the summer months the journey from Lanchow to Peking could be
accomplished in about thirty days by rafts floated on inflated goat and bullock skins
roped together. In winter the river is frozen over and can be crossed on foot."
For the next year the Moores remained on in Lanzhou where they were short staffed, and Arthur was
asked to take charge of the Boys' School. He did some teaching himself every morning from 9 till
10:30, then worked in the dispensary for several hours. In the afternoon he preached in the
49
Amy Moore
from Lanzhou to Shanghai. George and Fanny were given permission to absent themselves for a few
days so that George could be the Best Man, and Jim and Alf came from Shanghai for the Christmas
holidays to join their parents there. The only one missing was Arthur who was still in England. Sixty
years later he still remembered that he was the only one not at his sister's wedding.
Mr. Hoste, who had prayed so earnestly for Arthur Moore's conversion, had a share in the service, but
the one who performed the ceremony and pronounced them man and wife was Mr. Hardman who had
led Arthur to the Lord. Twenty six years later he did the same for Percy and me.
THE START OF A FAMILY
Whether they had a honeymoon or not I don't know, but by the time they arrived in Lanzhou weeks, if
not months later, Esther knew she was pregnant. It was probably at that time that their whole future
had to be rediscussed. For Arthur Moore as a single man with no attachments, to take a long trip to
Dihua where Mr. Hunter was, and to be so far away from medical care, was one thing. But it was
quite another thing to go there with a wife and young children. To Arthur's disappointment, his
designation was changed, but he never lost his interest in that distant city or the work that George
Hunter was doing there.
On 15 October 1909 Esther gave birth to their first child, a son whom they named George Percival.
He was named George after Esther's father and Percival after Arthur's brother. The midwife who was
the district nurse at that time, was to be with Esther when the baby was born. She was sent for in
what seemed to be good time, but travel being what it was in that part of the world, she was not able
to get there till after the birth had actually taken place. Esther herself was a midwife and knew what
to do, so with her instructions and the help of medical books, George Andrew delivered his grandson.
There were difficulties with the placenta, and years later Esther told me that one of her most vivid
impressions of that night was of drifting in and out of sleep after her baby was born, and seeing the old
Chinese woman servant sitting by her side, holding on to the umbilical cord lest it slip back before the
placenta came away.
SETTLING IN TO LIFE IN LANZHOU
In her book "Through Jade Gate" Miss Mildred Cable describes Lanzhou.
“Lanzhou is reached through a maze of narrow gullies. It is beautifully situated on the
swiftly flowing Yellow River and is backed by the Blue Lotus Hills. Its streets are wide
and crowded and its population cosmopolitan. A splendid iron bridge has replaced
the old bridge of boats which until quite recently spanned the great flood. The
Borden Memorial Hospital was on the opposite side of the river from the main CIM
compound, and the CIM-run Boys' School was at the foot of the Blue Lotus Hills.
During the summer months the journey from Lanchow to Peking could be
accomplished in about thirty days by rafts floated on inflated goat and bullock skins
roped together. In winter the river is frozen over and can be crossed on foot."
For the next year the Moores remained on in Lanzhou where they were short staffed, and Arthur was
asked to take charge of the Boys' School. He did some teaching himself every morning from 9 till
10:30, then worked in the dispensary for several hours. In the afternoon he preached in the
49
