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Show THREE LITTLE LITYLE MAID MAIDS I , By JOS JOSEPH pn W V . LaBINEWhen LaBINEWhen LaBINE LaBINEWhen When the leaves were turn turn- turnmg turning turning - ing mg yellow in m the autumn of of1908 1908 , three little httIe maids m in mfloWlIlg inflowing inflowing floWlIlg flowing silken gowns marched marchedup up the stairs of a weather- weather weatherbeaten weatherbeaten weather-beaten weather beaten - beaten Victorian building bUlldmg m in mMacon inMacon inMacon Macon , Georgia , and breath breath- breathlessly breathlessly breathlessly - lessly confronted the regis regIs- regIstrar registrar registrar - trar of Wesleyan college , old- old oldest oldest old oldest - est chartered woman's womans ' col college colloge college lege loge in m the worldTemporanly worldTemporarily world worldTemporarily Temporarily Temporanly taken aback abackthe abackthe abackthe the registrar quickly regainedhis regamed regained regamedhIS regainedhis hIS composure and flIpped flIppedopen flippedopen flippedopen open the pages of a great greatledger greatledger greatledger ledger In the great book bookthe , the three little httle maids m in msCrIbed inscribed inscribed sCrIbed , one after the other , , I these names ' E Ling Lmg Soong ' Ching Chmg Ling Lmg Soong ' May Ling Lmg Soong ' Father Charles Jones JonesSoong JonesSoong JonesSoong Soong Shanghai , China Chma ' Then armed with certlfi certifi certlficates certificates certificates cates of registration , the thethree thethree thethree three little httle maids chmbed climbed chmbedmore climbedmore climbedmore more stairs marched down downa a long corridor corndor toward theIr theIrroomsand theirroomsand theirrooms rooms-and rooms and - and toward a place placein In history as one of the great greatest greatest greatest est trios of women in the thechromcles thechronicles thechronicles chromcles chronicles of mankmdToday mankindToday mankind mankmd mankindToday Today with China Chma fighting for her hervery hervery hervery very life hfe as a free and mdependent independent mdependentdemocracy independentdemocracy independentdemocracy democracy the enrollment of the thethree thethree thethree three Soong sisters at Wesleyan Wesleyantahes Wesleyantakes Wesleyantakes tahes takes on many aspects of a tUrnIng tUrnIngPOint turningpoint turningpoint POint in history For when the three threeI 1 I ttle the Chinese Chmese maids registered at an anAmencan anAmerican anAmerican Amencan American college the h story ofChma ofChina of , China Chma began re shaping itself to fit fitan fitan fitan an American Amencan pattern pattcrn patternIt pattcrnIt It was a process which had been beenhead beenhead beenhead head ng toward a climax : for 1or a full fullquarter fullquarter fullquarter quarter century centuryIn In the 1880s the father of the three threeSoong threeSoong threeSoong Soong girls Charles Jones Soong SoongarrIved Soongarrived Soongarrived arrIved in 111 the United Umted States as a apoor apoor apoor poor relation relatlon come to serve an ap apprenhceshlp apprenticeship apprenticeship prenhceshlp prenticeship with a wealthy uncle uncleill unclein unclem ill in Boston BostonFortunately Fortunately for China bowever however boweverCharles howeverCharles howeverCharles Charles Soong found a way out outLookmg outLooking outLookmg Lookmg Looking about for an American Amencan so soluhon solution solution luhon lution to his problem he found it ill in illthe inthe inthe the very best tradition tradltlon of the Bay Baystate Baystate Baystate state He ran away to sea be < f rtff-pSx rtff pSx yvffifi - g gr r 4 4't 't t ' wr wrs s r t tE E Ling Charles Soong s second seconddaughter seconddaughter seconddaughter daughter as she appeared during duringschool duringschool duringschool school days at Macon Ga Today Todayshe Todayshe Todayshe she Is married to Dr H H Kung Kungpremier Kungpremier Kungpremier premier of China an American Amencan unl unlversdy unlversity university versdy versity graduate and a descendant descendantof of Confuciusginning Confucius Confuciusginning ginning gmning as a cabin cabm boy on a steam steamshIp steamship steamship shIp plying plymg the coastwise channels channelsbetween channelsbetween channelsbetween between Boston and Savannah GaIn GaIn Ga GaIn In the sleepy lush civ 1 I zat on of ofthe ofthe ofthe the American Amencan deep South Charles CharlesSoong CharlesSoong CharlesSoong Soong found something somethmg k ndred CharlesI to tothe tothe tothe I the slow but determined determmed 1 fc fe of the theI theagncultural theagricultural theagricultural I agncultural agricultural China Chma Chmah wh \\h h \ ch had gIven : hIm givenhim b rth Soon the little Onental Oriental Onentalcabm Orientalcabin Orientalcabin jackettor Jacketfor cabm cabin boy tookofI tookoft took off ofI oft his white Jacket for the last t me and enrolled as a astudent astudent astudent student at Duke Doke university umverslty to the Orientwren OrientWhen Orient OrientWren Wren When Charles Soong returned to toChma toChina toChina Chma China as a publisher of Bibles one oneof oneof oneof of his first fint social proects projects ] was to tofound tofound tofound found the Chinese Young Men s sChrlst sChrist sChrist Chrlst Christ an assocIationAnd associationAnd association associationAnd And as his three daughters and andhis hIs son grew Charles Soong re resolved resolved resolved solved to bring brmg them up in theAmerican the theAmencan theAmerican Amencan American way wh ch had so pro ' foundly protoundly profoundly influenced mfluenced his own life In Inthe Inthe Inthe the returningto returnmgto care of a miss onary returnmg returning to the United Umted States he sent his hisfour hisfour histour four Soongto chIldren-the chIldren the children - the boy T V Soong to Harvard the three girls glrls to tostaunch tostaunch tostaunch staunch WesleyanThe old Method st Wesleyan The three Soong sisters slsters spoke spokemany spokemany spokemany many t mes of their hope thit th'1.t th1.t th1t that ' . Chma China Chmamight Chinamight Chinamight might some day become a great re republ republ I Ipubl publ c like the United Umted States And Andin Andin ' 111 in 1911 they saw the th . first of theIr dreams theirdreams whenCh for Ch na come true when Ch na becime bec'1.me bec1.me bec1me became ' . a republ c e under the insp theinsp red leader of one of history 5 s 5great sgreat sgreat great republicans republlcans Dr Sun Yat sen The senThe enthus asm of the second Soong secondSoong sister Ching L ng at th s sevent sevent sevent event is st at 11 Ii remembered at Wes Vies Icy leyan Wesleyan WesIcy Viesleyan an Classmates oay nay s > ay that when i@s @ 'm m ' 9 / v a 4 ' z , F Fy Ft Fy1 , y t 5 ' y1 y1j j , , A rA ) r rt ? t ; MM ii * g ; : ; f ; * w As a student studcnt at Wesleyan little bttle Chmg Chung Ling exclaimed e'tclalmed etclalmed ' over the sne- sne suc- suc snecess success suc success - cess of Dr Sun 1 . 1-it-sen 1 it sen lit-sen lit 1.t-scn 1.tscn 1.t 1t scn ' . - - - China Chll1a s George Gcorge Washington Washmgton ' . Later she mar mar- marned married married - ried ned him helping helpmg infuse the democratic democrahc American Amencan spirit splnt into China Chum s 3400 400 000 000 people first news came of Sun Yat sen s ssuccess ssuccess success Ching Ling Lmg c cl ] mbed onto a achaIr achair achair chaIr to pull down the old Impenal Imperial ImperialDragon ImperialDragon Dragon from her wall and put m ill in ItS itsplace itsplace place the flag of the new Repubhc Republic Republicof Repubhcof of China Chma Throwing the old banner bannerto bannerto bannerto to the floor she exclaImedSun exclaimedSun exclaimed exclaimedSun Sun 1 \ ) . at sen has achieved one of ofthe ofthe ofthe the most glorious glonous deeds in 111 the hIs hIstory history history tory of the world worldShe She Was RIghtHer RightHer Right RightHer Her enthusiasm was almost pro prophet prophet prophet phet c for just lust four years later little littleChing littleChing littleChing Ching L ng became the bride bnde of Sun SunYat SunYat SunYat Yat sen and as his w wife e was able ableto ableto ableto to aid h m m ill in his mission of mfus infus mfusmg infusing mfusing mg ing the democrat c American Amencan splnt spirit splntmto spiritinto spiritinto mto into Ch na s 400 000 000 peopleThe peopleThe people peopleThe The historic histone significance slgmticance of the theAmerican theAmerican theAmerican American education of the Soong SIS SISters sisters sisters ters became even more profound profoundwl profoundwI wI wl en the eldest E Lmg LIng marned married marriedDr marriedDr Dr H H Kung hung h mself an Amen Ameni Amencan Amenican Amencan can university unlverslty graduate as well as asa asa asa a descendant of Confucius and to today today today day the premier of ChmaWhen ChinaWhen China Chma ChinaWhen When her sisters returned to ChI ChIna China China na May Ling Lmg transferred to Welles Wellesley WellesIcy Wellesley ley Icy college in Massachusetts to be benear benear benear near her brother at HarvardThat HarvardThat Harvard HarvardThat That 1 ttle May Ling would ever everbecome everbecome become more famous than her two twoIllustnous twoillustrious twoillustrious Illustnous illustrious s sters seemed almost an anImposs anrmposs animposs Imposs rmposs billtyBut bilityBut bility billty bilityBut But in 1927 at one of the mnumer mnumerable mnumerable innumerable able gatherings at the Soong house houseMay houseMay houseMay May Ling Lmg met a slim shm young leader leaderof leaderof leaderof of the Chinese Chmese Republ cans ChIang ChiangKai ChiangKai Kal Kai shek who had just concluded d a aspectacular dspectacular spectacular campaign to unite Chi China China China na solidly sohdly behind behmd the pnnc prmc print pies of ofSun ofSun ofSun Sun Yatsen YatsenChiang Yat senChIang sen senChiang Chiang Kai Kal shek fellin fell in 111 love wIth wIthMay withMay withMay May Ling Lmg Their courtsh p was an anlmpetuous animpetuous animpetuous lmpetuous impetuous and a strange one For ForInterspersed Forinterspersed Forinterspersed Interspersed with love making were weremtermmable wereinterminable wereinterminable mtermmable interminable discussions of econom economICS economics economics ICS of China Chma s h story her future futureof futureof futureof of great reforms and great plans plansDuring plansDuring plansDuring During the courtship May Ling con converted converted converted verted Chiang Kai Kal shek shck to Chr sti 5t1 , - - - amty anity He qu < . tkly .kly kly ckly became one of the themost themost themost most de devout . out members of the South South- Southern Southern Southern - - ern Methodist church Then May MayLmg MayLmg MayLmg Lmg and Chiang Kai Kal shek were weremarnedand weremarriedand weremarried marned-and marned and married-and married - and the most glorious dec decade decade decade ade m In all China Chma s 5 000 years be-- be be- began began be began - - ganChma ganChina gan ganChina China Chma s New L LifeHer Life LifeHer e eHer Her first step was to found the theNew theNew theNew New L Life e movement one of the most mostsensational mostsensational mostsensational sensational reforms ever conceived conceivedm conceivedin m in China Into this new ne\l ne l nest \ orgamza organza organizat orgamzat organzat t on Madame Chiang and her two twos s sters gathered all the leadmg leading leadmgscholars leadingscholars leadingscholars scholars and savants of ChinaWIth ChinaWith China ChinaWith With breath taking rap dity dlty the theNe theNe theNe Ne v Life movement broke ground groundfor groundfor groundfor for vast housing projects for the thelong thelong thelong long neglected Chinese Chmese workmg working workmgclasses workingclasses workingclasses classes Outside Shanghai Shanghais sInter sInternahonal s Inter International International nahonal national Settlement on Chineseo Chmeseo Chmese Chinese o vned vied land sprang up a great cIvIc cIvIccenter civiccenter civiccenter center centerlth \ with \\lth lth \ museums lIbranes libraries lIbraneshousmg librarieshousing librarieshousing housmg housing projects theaters and andparks andparks andparks parks a living lIvmg symbol of the great greatness greatness greatness ness planned for aU all all , , , of ChmaBy ChinaBy China Chma ChinaBy By 1937 the progress of Madam MadamChIang MadamChiang MadamChiang ChIang s New Life movement had hadassumed hadassumed hadassumed assumed the speed of a race-a race a raceagnm raceagrim race - - agrim gnm grim . race in 111 which the generallssl generalissi generalissimo generallsslmo mo and May Ling strove to com complete complete cornplete plete their modern zation zatlon zatron before beforetheIr beforetheir beforetheir theIr envious neighbor struckThen struckThen struck struckThen Then came war-a war a war - a war wh ch stu students students students dents of the Orient bel eve was be begun begun begun gun purely to retard the progress progressof progressof of the awakened China Much that thatMay thatMay thatMay May Lmg Ling and Generalissimo Generahsslmo Chiang Chiangand Chiangand Chiangand and the Soong sisters had done was wasdestroyed wasdestroyed wasdestroyed destroyed Hospitals umversltles universities umversltleschurches universitieschurches universitieschurches churches housing projects all allwere allwere allwere were ruthlessly destroyed But Butenough Butenough Butenough enough survives to form a new foun foundatIOn foundation foundation foundationWhen datIOn datIOnWhen When it is over the three httle little httlemalds littlemaids littlemaids malds maids . who v.ho vho registered at an Amen Amencan Amencan Amencan can college 30 years ago may have havea a new chance to rebuild rebwld China on a asound asound sound and enduring endurmg plan - an anAmencan anAmerican anAmerican Amencan American plano plan 0 o Western \ Newspaper I\ewspaper I ewspaper \ Union - ! I 1 1 G Gi GI t [ i r I rf f ! c cf f * ' f/ f ff , / ' f ' ' \ 1 . k kr kvdR , r ! t t'J -'J 'J J - ' ' ' ; vdR f F I Y YiPtt 4 4 I II Ii I t tc ti iPtt \ i i , 1 c 1t d SA ' . , , t ' a ' " ' war ward t - - - - . 1\Iay 1 Iay May \ Ling 1\ho 1 ho who \ fnghtened frightened "elle elle Wellesley " ley collcge college Chmcse Chinese by S\\lnglng S lnglng swinging \ \ 1 'i i ' . ' curved sllmltar scimitar over her head Is CI Cl now Madame Cluang Chiang Kai ! { al shek slick wire wife of ma s leader In the current currentar \\ar ar war \ of deCense defense ago1lnst against nese nose She desencs deserves the invad ng ing .Japa Japa . her rank as one of tbe the tbeorld \\orld orld world \ s most nol1.ble nol1ble notable . Women |