China and the West

Letter from Evelyn Dewey to Frederick A., Elizabeth Braley, Sabino, & Jane Dewey
[April 5, 1920?]
Dear Fred, Elizabeth, Bino and Jane,
I suppose you want to know what the state of plans are. Just before dad left for Nanking on Friday he cabled to Cloumbia for another leave of absence and he and mama seem to want to stay if that comes all right...
Quite a number of things have been going on lately on account of dads departure, Chancellor Tsai gave a dinner at the u, small with just his particular gang and very good food and dad gave a dinner for all the officials he knows and some of the profs at the u at a Chinese restaurant and Saturday we went to dinner with a very nice young Chinese couple and they had some people in to dance afterwards, about the most human party I have been to here, excepting when I go to see Lucys pet Chinese couple, but they never entretain. Friday after seeing dad off with most of the rest of China we went to the summer palace and the Western Hills, some place, the Western hills means the bottom sloap of a mountain range that goes around two sides ot Peking, there are no trees, but all sorts of other queer things.
Yesterday mama and I went shopping all day long like two crazy women, tho as usual the result in bulk was not not much, tho she did get a lovely rug with horses all over it and waves and trees, which she found about a month ago and has been bargaining for ever since, and we picked out an enourmous fur coat, which we are going to get some one to go and look at with us tomorrow, this one is good, the selection of furs here is very small, but this kind seems quite pretty and durable, then you have to get it made up and comes it the question of style, when they will surely ruin anything you get. The furit trees are all in bloom and the willows out, and the sun it very hot when it gets a chance, on the whole the weather is better than our spring, but there is the same uncomfortable alternation of hot and cold. The sunlight and general appearance of things is like Italy. Peking in a funny dive, life seems very dull and quiet in spite of having a good deal to do, I suppose it is because about 80% of the people we see do not interest us or us them. The regular social life is the dullest round of calling and calling and then calling again, and there is an awful lot of gossip and intrgue and the people are not worth it, I havent even seen anything that was gay yet, but then I havent done my duty, but spent my time batting around seeing things since I wasnt going to stay anyway. The few Chinese we know seem like much more real folks and it is easier to have easy relations with them.
At last I think we will get into a reception of the presendents, as Mr. Plimpton asked us to go to the Y.W.C.A. one on Wednesday, we were going to spend the day on a boat in the canal, alias sewer which flows thru these parts, but I would rather rubber at the pres, I think. Over the week end we are going to a temple in the Western hills, now owned by the Y.M.C.A, at least I trust we are, mama is not a bit anxious, but I guess we can bully her into going.
Had the best Chinese dinner, ever Saturday night, the food is simply lush, and I dont mind reaching to the middle of the table and helping myself with chop sticks to a bite at a time, its funny how undisgusting eating out of a common dish seems when everyone does it. You have a little saucer for a plate and if you dont eat all of each course you are lost for the night as you can never get more than a bite of anything that follows without mixing it up with the left overs you dont like. Fortunate there are a couple of courses that always come in clean bowls. All dishes are left on the table and of course using chop sticks and eating soup from the middle of a large table everything dribbles and the whole thing is one mess. You really dont have to eat the soup woth chop sticks ans spoons are supplied…
Eve.