Janet was born in Changsha. February 1929. at the Liebenzell Hospital. A few hours after Janet's birth. Grace experienced a heart attack - a clot of blood in the heart. Word came to Charles that his wife was in critical condition. His heart sank as he contemplated what he would do with six children and no wife. Meanwhile. Grace. in great pain. prayed to God to spare her for Charles' sake. She later recounted that as she lay in bed and looked to the comer of her room. she saw a white figure who gently motioned to her to be quiet. saying she would be all right. With those words. she remembers relaxing and going off to sleep. with her pain subsiding. It was 24 hours later that she breathed normally again. God had graciously answered both their prayers. For the next 43 years she had no heart problems. Dr. Keller was Superintendent of H.B.I. he and his wife Beth had no children and understandably became very fond of Charles' family. A special pleasure for Charles was the extensive use he was able to make of the large English library Dr. Keller had assembled. The yearly publications from Yale and Princeton. together with a steady stream of new books. were shared with him. H.B.I. was going well and Frank. now age 60, was interested in turning the work over to Chinese leaders. The October 1929 financial crash in the U.S. put a strain on the high standards and related expenditures of the Institute. Charles and Grace continued their work in teaching together with additional responsibilities. This involved Charles as Treasurer of H.B.I. and Grace teaching piano. organ and choir to blind young women at the Liebenzell Mission nearby. supported by Christians in Basel, Switzerland. The following year in 1930 bandits were again marching through Hunan. Their motto, "divide the land and distribute the spoils." was painted on the Roberts' dining room wall, when the family had escaped to their home in the mountains in 1931. Charles tried to prevent looting and destruction of H.B.I. as the city was being vacated. As the armed rebels came into the city. he quickly ran down to the river edge and boarded the British gunboat, H.M.S. Sandpiper. Being a British citizen, they gave him protection. While having the evening meal on board ship, Charles asked the Captain where he lived in England. He replied, in a small village in Devon. Charles. who had spent his boyhood in Devon. wondered what village. The Captain said 'you won't know. it is small. It is Lew Trenchard". Both were stunned. Both had studied at the same little red school house where the Captain said he also attended. In the middle of China on the Siang River, there was a "Devon" reunion. 11
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