In Just Girls: The Abigail Hart Scott Memorial School, Swatow, written by Helen H. Fielden with an introduction by Lida S. Ashmore, the students of the Abigail Hart Scott Memorial School are described as ordinary but deeply valued girls: “sweet, attractive, happy,” sometimes “naughty” or “mischievous,” yet ultimately girls “to be loved and won for the Master.” Rather than functioning mainly as a fundraising appeal, the pamphlet reads like a personal record of student lives. One student, “Beautiful Jade” from South River, came to school alone after refusing an arranged marriage that would have made her a second wife. When her family stopped supporting her financially, she stayed by performing whatever work the school could offer. Two sisters, “Fine Phoenix” and “Worthy Phoenix,” supported themselves through crocheting after their father abandoned the family, while teachers hoped the younger sister could continue into high school because of her academic promise.
The pamphlet also highlights graduates who carried the school’s mission forward. Mrs. Lim returned as a teacher and assistant while raising four children, and Miss Helen Pue pursued further education at Ginling College after teaching elsewhere, with expectations that she would later become a leader of the school. Another student, “Better Jade,” served as the school organist for services. In its conclusion, the pamphlet argues that these girls were not only students but future Christian leaders and homemakers for a modernizing China. More importantly, the stories reveal how the school operated through close personal relationships, with Sanderson and Fielden deeply involved in each girl’s family struggles, finances, education, and future opportunities.
(Visuals Sourced From Yale Divinity Library)