The Church of England Mission had for some years maintained a school for
the daughters of the Chinese Christians in Foochow; but a few years after
Mrs. Ahok's return from England they began to feel the urgent need of
another school, where girls from non-Christian families could be educated.
When Mrs. Ahok's advice was asked, she heartily approved of the plan and
advised that it be attempted, offering to rent her home to the Mission for
a school building, and promising also to help in the teaching. Moreover she
was invaluable in interesting her non-Christian friends in the school, and
it rapidly grew from four to forty-five, with such prospects of future
prosperity that the house next door to Mrs. Ahok's was also rented, and a
new dormitory and dining-room were built.

Girls brought up in non-Christian homes are of course very different from
the daughters of Christian parents, and Mrs. Ahok warned the missionaries
at the outset that they would be very difficult to manage, and herself drew
up the school rules. Her services were of the greatest value, both in this
school and in the School for High Class Girls established by the Church of
England Zenana Society a few years later, of which she was made the matron.
"She makes the girls love her, and her influence over them is good," wrote
one of the teachers. "A fortnight ago some money was stolen out of a
drawer. I was very sad about it, and the girls were urged to confess, but
until yesterday no one spoke. Yesterday Amy told Mrs. Ahok that she had
taken it and asked her to tell me." Again she wrote: "Mrs. Ahok makes a
very good matron of the school, and an excellent hostess to the many
visitors who come to see the school. Whenever an opening is given Mrs. Ahok
and I return the call, and usually get good opportunities of delivering the
message."

Testimony is also borne to Mrs. Ahok's effective work among the mothers of