SEE SUSANNE

Gladys Aylward the 19th century London parlour maid had but one burning ambition, to go to China as a missionary. While the other girls would take the few bob they earned and spend it in the local pubs in search of romance and possible suitors Gladys would take all the money she earned and put it towards the price of a one way rail/sea ticket to "somewhere" in China. She had been turned down by the China Inland Mission as not having the neccessary qualifications.
She had made postal contact with aging British missionary Jenny Lawson who was in need of a young assistant, Mrs Lawson told her if she could make the journey to Yengcheng in the remote Nancheng region she would be recieved. Soon after Gladys arrived Mrs Lawson took a fall and tragically died so that Gladys herself became responsible for the inn they had set up for travelling mulers.
The story of the Mandarin's first visit to Gladys when with great pomp and ceremony she was appointed foot inspector to all the surrounding villages of the province of which the Mandarin was the local potentate is told in the book "A LONDON SPARROW" by Phylis Thomson here is a brief account of her second encounter with him.
Gladys was summoned to the Mandarin's palace, when she arrived she was informed that the correct manner on meeting the Mandarin was to bow from the hip and remain bowed until formally greeted. Gladys bowed from the hip but after counting to six and not recieving the formal greeting she straightened up and politely enquired the reason for the summons, she felt sure she discerned a small flicker of a smile pass across the Mandarin's face.
Apparently a riot had broken out in the prison with men running around screaming and killing each other, the soldiers had lost control and were afraid to enter, at first she failed to see what this could have to do with her, then it dawned on her that the Mandarin was requesting that she go in and restore order and find out the cause of the disturbance. Gladys Aylward was flabbergasted, "if the soldiers with their weaponry were too frightened to intervene what do you expect from a 5ft female "foreign devil"? surely she would be killed on sight.
The Mandarin regarded her gravely and said "but how can you be killed? you have the living God dwelling inside you, you have been telling every one in all the villages and towns." GLADYS AYLWARD knew that the choice she had was to go in or else she would have to go home to the relative peace and luxury of England a failed missionary.
When she arrived at the prison compound, she was ushered in through the outer wall by the anxious prison govenor and given the key to the inner wall, she could hear the fearful screams and shrieks from within of men who had lost all control of themselves, the governor beat a hasty retreat as she stepped into the prison yard.
The scene that met her eyes was of blood and gore the dead or wounded prisoners lying all around, and in the middle of all this a prisoner with crazed eyes and a meat axe. She heard a shrill voice shouting "how dare you behave like this, it is absolutely disgraceful" the voice sounded rediculously like an english school miss berating her naughty children, she realized that the voice was her own. Gladys walked towards the prisoner with the axe carefully avoiding looking down at the blood soaked bodies on the ground "give me that axe at once, and all of you form up in line until it can be decided what is to be done with you, give me that axe!" meekly the prisoner did so, and the others formed up into a line behind him and the crisis was passed. She ordered them to appoint a spokesman "how can I understand what you are saying when you are all shouting and screaming at the same time.?"
Once a spokesman had been appointed she learned their grieviances and promised to bring them to the governor and bring reform which she did. This is how Gladys Aylward earned her name change from "foreign devil" to "virtuous one."