Now an ardent advocate of natural feet, she often tells of her trials as
a pioneer of the movement in Fuhkien province. "That I have the
distinction of being the first girl who did not have her feet bound, is
due to no effort of mine," she says, "for the neighbour women used to
say, 'Rather a nice girl, but those feet!' 'Rather a bright girl, but
those feet, ' and 'Those feet, ' 'Those feet' was all I heard, until I
was ashamed to be seem." -from "Dr. Hü King Eng" In 1909, American
missionary Margaret Burton traveled to China, where she met and
befriended many professional women-but when she returned home, she was
stunned to discover that many of her fellow Americans had no idea that
such educated, accomplished women were to be found in Asia. So she set
out, in this 1912 book, to introduce Westerners to a few extraordinary
Chinese women, pioneers who defied longstanding cultural traditions-like
the forced hobbling of foot-binding and the second-class status of
women-to blaze new trails of achievement as doctors and missionaries.
This is a fascinating look at women who succeeded against the longest of
odds. American writer MARGARET ERNESTINE BURTON (b. 1885) also wrote The
Education of Women in China (1911) and The Education of Women in Japan
(1914).