STORY OF AN AMBITIOUS GIRL.

Evening Star, Issue 10212, 14 January 1897, Page 4

STORY OF AN AMBITIOUS GIRL.

It is always interesting to hear of obstacles surmounted and the path of success climbed, but it is especially interesting when this is achieved by a woman and a pioneer. Such is the history of Leonora Howard, a young Canadian, who, in spite of poverty and a meagre education, persisted in obtaining a medical education, and so fitted herself for medical mission M-ork. Her home—a small farm-house in Kingstoa—was so poor and crowded with brothers and sisters that the girl could not be spared from domestic duties to attend school, but in the intervals of sweeping, mendiDg, and work on the farm the young girl managed to study a few books thoroughly. In the course of time she evinced a desire to study medicine. What put the crotchet into her head puzzled her father and mother, and tbey laughed at what they thought was a mere, vagary—a fleeting fancy that would pass away as does smoke from a burning pile. But Leonora was persistent in her demand for enlightenment on this the greatest subject that comes under the consideration of mankind the world over. Its importance in the affairs of men she probably did not fully realise, but her half-formed mind had been brought under the spell of its influence. Its wonderfully interesting details had charmed her. Oue day she astonished her parents by announcing that she intended entering a school for medicine, if the school could be found that would admit her. The , objections were strong in themselves, but feeble 88 thpy encountered the resolute will of the girl. She applied for admission to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, situated in Kingston, and an institution that, though it had not the hospital f foil) ties and oon«quent advantages of aotual praotice furnished by other Canadian medical colleges, yet was noted for the fine reputation of its teachera and for the standing of many of Hb graduates, throughout the Dominion. Her application was met with a point blank refusal. She demanded a reason, and it was given her—the same that had been assigned in many a parallel oase before hers—that yttung men and young w6men could not, consistently with the laws governing the relation of the sexes, sit in the one room and look on while dead human bodies in various stages of disease were being dissected, and listen while certain subjects, the mention of which in Joint society is prohibited by all classes that observe common decency, were being discussed. This was the reason, but there was given another by the public—that the men were jealous of the encroachment of the lesser sex on a profession that centuries of custom had declared belonged to them and them alone.

In her distress the girl thought of Dr Donald Maclean, now a prominent surgeon in New Yoik, and at that time professor of surgery in the medical department of the University of Michigan. The dock r, without knowing anything of the young woman, but simply with the intention of playing the Good Samaritan, consented to assist her into the class at Ann Arbor, provided she could satisfy him that she had a measure of ability, and that per longing for medical learning was genuine and enduring. Joyfully she packed ber little trunk with the few belongings that could be gathered together and started for Michigan town. Dr Maclean was not favorably impressed by her appearance, but an hour or two of conversation with the crude product of Canada convinced him that she was at least worthy of a trial. So be secured her admission to the class. Her debut in the company of bright, well-dressed young men and women at first only excited ridicule. Tall, rawboned, angular, awkward, red-headed,* freckled, dressed in a fabric of cheap quality that sat none too welt on her figure, totally | out of touch with metropolitan and university etiquette, .this young woman entered the class, the object of attention, the butt of sarcasm. But still she had that bright mind before her, and not many months had elapsed before her mates and her teachers wero made fully aware of the fact. For the society of the rest she cared nothing. Night and day she studied, and hei discerning power did the rest. The result was that she graduated from the medical school in 1876. She went out as a medical missionary to Tientsin, China, which is the residence of Li Hung Chang. Lady Li, as she was generally called, the wife of Li Hung Chang, had been ill for Some time, and had failed to get relief from Chinese physicians. She called in the services of Miss Howard, who resided for a time in her home. Her medical care brought relief to' Lady Li, who was very grateful, and bestowed many presents on her. Li HungCbang himself was so appreciative of her services that, when he found that she wished to establish a missionary hospital, he gave a considerable sum for its endowment, and secured, liberal gifts from other Chinese officials. Miss Howard afterwards married an English missionary named King, and is still living at Tientsin. She is a modest, quiet woman, thoroughly devoted to her profession and to her missionary work, and is greatly respeoted by all the foreign residents of Tientsin. i '

The latter-day history of this lady is not so well known as is the rest. The supposition is that she is' happily living with her husband in Tientsin, and that she' is .the mother of a family, . Certain it is that if she

instill »liyo her wealth must W oMuWet-1 able,foMh*ia««gard«d^oiw of tht bWii if act «fte Best* authorities on medioine inl the whole of that vast empire.—' New*¥ork-