We are not sure who exactly made up the “Friends of the Carleton Mission.” Through the last few lines, we see Reynolds implore for prayers and money, indicating the likelihood of the friends being donors. Reynolds tone throughout this letter is overtly religious, more so than her other correspondences. To what extent does her expected audience shape her writing?

“Dear Friends of the Carleton Mission;

I have waited so long to write you of my work because I have been waiting till it should be nicely started.

When I reached Peking I found that the lady who had been teaching the children of the Duchess Jé, had given up the work as she had great difficulty in procuring her salary. The Duke is in rather a low financial condition and at once secured the services of a Chinaman, who knows a little English, because he could secure his services for four tacks whereas the Empress Dowager pays him eighty tacks for the childrens’ English education, so the Duke is seventy four tacks ahead.

The Empress Dowager knows nothing of this and they are careful that she shall not. My work has been rather slow about starting up in the government schools here the pupils are furnished food and spending money, so it is hard for them to get accustomed to paying for their English. The missionaries here in the compound, who best understand the situations, advised me as to prices and I charge; seventy five cents silver, an hour for single pupils. Fifty cents each an hour for class under five; and have just advertised a class over five and under eleven, forty dollars (silver) a month for the class, five have already applied and I think there will be more. All these are if I come to my study and if I go outside … 

… to teach, the price would be according to the position of the pupil, never less than one dollar (silver) an hour, beside expense of conveyance to and from the home.

At present I have one individual pupil, a class of two and the other class which is forming. I expect from this time on to be self supporting and hope to be more than that.

Of course the missionaries are anxious for me to get work in some families of rank as it will give them an opportunity to get into such homes and they assure me that, what will come in twice, what they want is some one here ready for it. 

The demand for English is certainly increasing.

I have a Sunday School class …

… every Sunday morning to which my pupils come and are reading the book of John. They are none of them Christians and when I think of the possibilities it makes me feel very helpless that I know God’s word will [unclear] return unto him void, and remember that Christ said “and I if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.”

I am so glad there is a Carleton mission! I do wish every one who is [unclear] on foreign missions could live as I do among the whole sordid, energetic missionaries and all the work they are doing. 

It is nothing short of fascinating …

There are five Oberlin graduates, one Hamilton, one Cornell N.Y. and one S.D. University, in this little compound and I know from the way they work and live they were bright, jolly students. 

I cannot think of a position at home that would be so satisfying in every way as the work of a missionary.

As one of the gentleman wrote home to a college classmate – “there is no place in China too small for the biggest fellow among you.” 

The Board has come to see that they must make their workers comfortable and there are very few deprivations except that it takes “home” letters a long time to come and is seems a long way from home, tho it doesn’t seem …

… nearly as far as it did before I made the journey. 

The best part of it is the feeling of satisfaction one must have in knowing they are he is a co-worker with God; in seeing the way in which the work is received by the people, often, and the transformation worked in them and having the the companionship and inspiration from the lives of the other missionaries.

Not as many years ago my idea of what missionaries were like was very different, the ones I know do not get into ruts, they are active and so growing , there work is always changing because they with people and no two are alike. 

I am sending to the Y.M.C.A a report of the Emily Ament schools in Peking, a little day …

… school in the northern part of the city, I hope you may all have a chance to read it. I sent them sometime ago an appeal for the North China Mission which is equally interesting. 

Next week is to occur, the ordination of a Chinese Christian Pastor and some of those already ordained are heading beautiful lives of self sacrifice and helpfulness. 

A sort of home missionary society was organized recently, where the farmers, many of them ground down by taxes, pledged every tenth sack of grain toward the support of a pastor if they might only have one. 

After one gets accustomed to the people it is so easy to love them and enjoy them for they are very loveable. Many of them and have …

… all the dignity of any true lady or gentleman.

It is the wretched conditions of many homes and the change that Christianity works in them which appeals to one most for who is not interested in a home, where love it is. 

I wish you could see the little children in our Stelles’ kindergarten where they are learning to control their teachers as well as use their little hands, bright little mischiefs! But I don’t know where to stop, my enthusiasm will subside after while? Perhaps, but those, who have been here longest love their work and the people most. 

I hope there can be a Carleton representative on the field as soon as possible and that if the Amer Board send out a deputations, Miss Evans will be one of the members so that she can go vack and tell you lots that I havent, and in a much better way than I can.

Please don’t forget that these missionaries are humans and meet with discouragements and seeming failures and they need your prayers as well as, if not more than your money, and they never forget to pray for the work in the homeland. 

And do not forget to pray for…

… me and my work or rather your work and I shall try to truly represent the Carleton mission in the spirits of love and service,

Sincerely, 

Mary Reynolds

Peking, China, 

March 28 – 1905