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Show Foochow, China, May 1936. Dear Friend.* I am covered with shame and sorrow that I have for so long been unable to write to you. An American doctor once said to me, apropos of his having a cold, "Any one who has a cold is either a fool or a pig". The doctors said mine was flu, so perhaps I can be forgiven. Our winter's travel, to Shanghai and Nanking in the interests of the school finances, January 27 to February 29, subjected us to many germs, much unwonted cold including four separate snowstorms, much rainy weather, and a number of occasions when we were tremendously overfeasted. Thereafter, back in Foochow, for two weeks I went round quite briskly getting my classes started again, back papers looked over, (for one class had done nothing but write in my absence,) and the fragments of my Sunday evening discussion group collected. In general I had my world rotating again and ray closed and chilly house livable, and was even bragging, to myself at least, "See how well you are getting on! Not sick abed this time, as you were after the last trip! As soon as the work is caught up a little you can rest up and you'll be as good as new!" But pride goeth before a fall, and I was discovered one Friday night to be wheezing-"Very well, tomorrow's Saturday, I'll stay in bed a day or two-nothing more till Sunday night." Dear Margaret Tucker M.D. dropped in just before noon, and listened with growing interest to that spot in the back where men used to wear those useless buttons on their coats, and said, "If you could come over to the hospital we could look after you better": for she was just taking Dr. Dyer over there, and wanted her patients all in one place. So I was off on ten minutes notice, thereby dislodging Josephine Walker's birthday supper at our house; and for three weeks I was steamed and listened to and X-rayed and toasted and steamed some more, in spite of a saturated atmosphere outside, and had infra-red rays and ultra-violet rays, and some criticism of my behavior, and April fourth came home somewhat limp and subdued, to lie round here another three weeks. This, you observe, is by way of accounting for a letter-drawer that was empty at New Year time, with a resolve to keep it so registered outside it, and now it is full again, and too much use of my hands is discouraged. So please forgive me for leaving your letters so long, and for using the printer to get word round to you all without too long a wait. Several interesting things happened while I was off duty. The new hospital in process of building to the west is still open to the street beyond, therefore all and sundry come in to "look-see" and remain to prey, alas. Though there is a good high wall between those grounds and these, the timbers there can be leaned against that side of the wall, and a pair of bare feet mounts very easily to the top and drops over in the dead of night. Our one gateman is in a pocket down by the front gate, and anyhow he is asleep. And even in the daytime, how is he to know which of the foreigners has called in a |