China and the West

Letter from Evelyn Dewey to John Dewey
[April 10-16, 1920?]
Dear Dad,
Well I hope you are not as sorry as I am that the cable came. I see that the Nanking students have joined the strick, does that mean that you are having a vacation.
Mrs. Lamont came to call on ma the morning after she got here and has been to lunch to meet Suh Hu [Hu Shi] and has been shopping to look at Mrs. Chens silks, but on the whole seems to be tearing around like a chicken without a head, shopping mostly and getting everyone to bring out there things and look up things for her and then not buying anything, so certainly dont lift your finger about the head dress. She has a most unsympathetic personality and is absorbing everything that lies about.
Liu has been getting very impertinent and strange and mama has just fired him, also the ricksha boy who was spending most of his time in the kitchen, she has acquired a boy whose sole accomplishmnet is honesty who is coming immediately and Mrs. E. is looking about for a real person, I only hope the cook will stay and be good, but I suppose not. I am all for getting away from here and hope we will by the first, but no bites for the apartment have turned up yet and mama does not seem to enjoy sightseeing so she wants to stay on here. My cold continues to flourish which does not add to my pleasure here. Suh Hu [Hu Shi] told me the other day that he was probably going to teach in summer school in Nanking, if they have an educational department going there why dont I get a job there too, he says it lasts six weeks, will you please enquire a bit and find out what kind of school they have and if they would be much embarressed if I should ask for a job, I would lecture on new and exp[e]rimental practises in schools at home, and could make it last just about six weeks, then I would put off sailing for a couple of boats and we could all go to Mongolia for a nice trip the end of the summer. I would write direct to Mr. Tao but thot if the prop is utterly absurd I would save them the embarressment of answering. The cook says he must go too he would like to stay but would loose too much face, so there you are. Hu told mama the other day that it was their plan to have you stay a good part of the cold weather next year in Canton, which would be nice. I trust that I am going to get a translator at last from the customs college. We went to a very nice dinner at the Fus the other night very jolly and elaborate food. The men tried to prevent it but the ladies sat at one table and the men at another all except mama and Geogre Wen sat her down between Hu and Tsai. But after dinner the men walked into the room and broke up the ladies party, after which the Chinese speaking group repared in mixed form to the Fu bed room and sat about and roared and had a wonderful time, Miss Bodon-Smith allowed she had never seen anything like it before…
[Evelyn Dewey]