Beyond the stone arches : an American medical missionary doctor in China, 1892-1932

Advance Praise for Beyond the Stone Arches "Now the world can share the life of this great man. In its intimate detail, this is a fascinating story that serves as a valuable introduction to the people of a country so important to us today."–Walter Cronkite "A fascinating look at China from the point of view of an American medical missionary, this absorbing life of a quiet hero rings with authenticity and sheds light on the turbulent years from the late 1800s to 1932 that will be a revelation for most Western readers."–Adeline Yen Mah, author of Falling Leaves "This is a proud man's story of a father who lived a life of a medical missionary in China for forty years–a life of service, sacrifice, joy, and fulfillment. The pages turn easily and quickly with humor, care, and love. It's a jewel of a book that will remain with you forever."–Jim Lehrer, The News Hour "A small gem. Edward Bliss embarked, against great odds, on a remarkable range of activities aimed at improving the livelihood of common people. He was a veritable one-man Peace Corps. His is an inspiring story that warms the heart and enriches the soul."–H. T. Huang, author of Science and Civilization in China "It took three years for Edward Bliss, M.D., to ascend the Min River in a convoy of three river junks in 1893, averaging fourteen miles a day. This was his first trip to Shaowu, which became his home for forty-two years, a tumultuous and dangerous time and place. His son tells the story of his father's life and work in fascinating detail, drawing on a trove of letters and extensive interviews with his father."–Donald MacInnis, former Methodist missionary and China Program Director, National Council of Churches/USA Beyond the Stone Arches......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgments......Page 8 Author’s Note......Page 9 I Feel I Have Fallen among Friends......Page 12 Below Nanping Are the Worst Rapids of All......Page 18 Strange How Clearly We Remember Long Past Events......Page 24 The Most Fool Thing I Ever Did......Page 32 I Found a Lifetime of Teaching Dead Languages Would Be Exceedingly Dull......Page 37 I Think I Always Have Been One to Get Off the Beaten Track......Page 43 At Night We Crawl into Our Cages......Page 49 Just Imagine That!......Page 54 It Is Good to Feel Needed......Page 59 A Strange Thing Happened on the Way to the Dispensary......Page 65 There Must Be Some Peculiarity in the Atmosphere......Page 68 A Great Way to Take a Tonic......Page 73 There Is No One to Consult, Only the Great Physician......Page 79 We Are Safe Here......Page 84 I Have Realized That Any Mail Might Bring Me News of Some Sorrow......Page 86 One Building Here Must Have a Lot of Patience......Page 89 How Good to Think of Being Home!......Page 94 I Have Come Home!......Page 97 There Is Still Hope!......Page 101 I Believe Now in Falling in Love......Page 108 There Was Plenty of Ventilation......Page 111 I Had to Move Warily to Avoid Gossip......Page 114 . . . Announce the Marriage of Their Daughter......Page 118 At Home after November the First, Shaowu, China......Page 123 Yes, I Played a Cornet......Page 126 Now We Are Three......Page 128 I Regret That We Did Not Put Up Houses Better Suited for the Chinese......Page 133 In This Way I Can Multiply Myself into Several......Page 136 They Are Highly Refined, Educated in Convents, I Suppose......Page 139 Come See the Clouds!......Page 142 I Am Growing Stronger All the Time for My Work......Page 145 There Are a Good Many Things Indicative of a Change......Page 149 Black Monday......Page 153 Marco Polo Climbed Here......Page 157 I Am Preoccupied with Cows......Page 161 We Aren’t Supposed to Solicit . . . but . . .......Page 168 Sometimes in a Certain Sense Discouraged......Page 172 Now I Am Back Home Again......Page 185 We Must Help Them Extricate Themselves......Page 188 Now I Sleep Soundly at Night......Page 192 The Need Is Beyond Belief......Page 198 Rather Young to Send on Such a Long Journey......Page 204 On Christmas Day, as I Was Finishing My Pudding......Page 210 In the Morning I Found Havoc Everywhere......Page 217 Something in the Future Was Not Enough......Page 220 So That He Would Know There Was Something Here Worthwhile......Page 224 I Hope You Have Not Formed an Exaggerated Idea of the Importance of My Contribution......Page 232 Jianning Has Fallen......Page 235 The Red Army Is at the Gates......Page 238 Epilogue......Page 241 Index......Page 248 "The words of David Livingstone express my feelings better than any words of my own. God had an only son, and He was a missionary and a physician. A poor, poor imitation of Him I am, or hope to be. In this service I hope to live; in it I wish to die." Edward Bliss, 1892 In 1892during the latter days of the Qing Dynastya 26-year-old Massachusetts native embarked on a dramatic journey to an outpost in feudal China. The mans name was Edward Bliss, and it was in the impoverished walled city of Shaowu that he fulfilled his dream of becoming a medical missionary and emerged as a true American hero. In this inspired and riveting read, distinguished journalist Edward Bliss Jr.the son of this original Peace Corpsmantells the remarkable story of a courageous pioneer who selflessly risked his life to serve others. With the refreshing intimacy of a memoir and based in large part on letters Bliss wrote home, Beyond the Stone Arches takes us back to the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which saw an outpouring of missionaries to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Filled with drama and exhilarating anecdotes, Beyond the Stone Arches imparts the complete story of an American missionary: from Blisss happy childhood in Newburyport, Massachusetts, to his rigorous days at Yale University, to the remote Chinese city where he battled malaria (which twice nearly killed him), plague, torrential floods, and, finally, the encroaching Communist armies to help make the world a better place in which to live. Bliss continued to heal the sick, toil as a farmer, deliver babies, and work to eradicate the rinderpest virusall for the "glory of God and dignity of man"until the early days of Mao Zedong when a Communist army descended on Shaowu. This intimate glimpse into the life of Edward Bliss also provides a rare impression of the obstacles faced by missionaries in the feudal Chinese culture. A rare tribute, Beyond the Stone Arches is a luminous portrait of an exemplary figure, a man whose extraordinary life story offers us insight into how to face adversity in our own time. In 1892-during the latter days of the Qing Dynasty-a 26-year-old Massachusetts native embarked on a dramatic journey to an outpost in feudal China. The man's name was Edward Bliss, and it was in the impoverished walled city of Shaowu that he fulfilled his dream of becoming a medical missionary and emerged as a true American hero. In this inspired and riveting read, distinguished journalist Edward Bliss Jr.-the son of this original Peace Corpsman-tells the remarkable story of a courageous pioneer who selflessly risked his life to serve others. With the refreshing intimacy of a memoir and based in large part on letters Bliss wrote home, Beyond the Stone Arches takes us back to the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which saw an outpouring of missionaries to Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Filled with drama and exhilarating anecdotes, Beyond the Stone Arches imparts the complete story of an American missionary: from Bliss's happy childhood in Newburyport, Massachusetts, to his rigorous days at Yale University, to the remote Chinese city where he battled malaria (which twice nearly killed him), plague, torrential floods, and, finally, the encroaching Communist armies to help make the world a better place in which to live. Bliss continued to heal the sick, toil as a farmer, deliver babies, and work to eradicate the rinderpest virus-all for the "glory of God and dignity of man"--Until the early days of Mao Zedong when a Communist army descended on Shaowu. This intimate glimpse into the life of Edward Bliss also provides a rare impression of the obstacles faced by missionaries in the feudal Chinese culture. A rare tribute, Beyond the Stone Arches is a luminous portrait of an exemplary figure, a man whose extraordinary life story offers us insight into how to face adversity in our own time. - from the inside flap In 1892 Edward Bliss packed up his family and embarked on a journey that took him to a remote outpost in feudal China, where he served as a medical missionary until the early days of Mao Zedong. Bliss battled malaria, plague, floods, and encroaching communist armies to help make the world a better place. He healed the sick, worked as a farmer, delivered babies, and bred cattle - all for the 'glory of God and dignity of man.' In 1892 Edward Bliss packed up his family and embarked on a journey that took him to a remote outpost in feudal China, where he served as a medical missionary until the early days of Mao Zedong. This biography, written by Bliss' son, tells the story of this missionary's remarkable career.