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Show they were both better and cheaper that any foreign materials that I could find. (Pleasure registered on alt faces.) And of course, I always buy Chinese tea because I consider it better than any other kind. (Increased delight.) But when I was trying to find kettles for use in my kitchen, 1 found some that were made in China, some from Germany, and some from England. The ones which had been made in China were too thin. They were so light-weight that they would not wear well. The best ones were the ones from Germany. So I bought German kettles. In my dressing-room the mirror is from Bavaria." And so on. By the time we finished even the boy on the front row was ready to revise the statement. Then I said, "What about Japanese things? Do the Japanese make any good things? You haven't been buying Japanese things for more than a year. Is it because their things are not good?" I was pleased that they were fair enough to recognize that it was all from another cause and they were ready to say that the Japanese make many good things. It seems to me that it is very worth-while to help the boys to think fairly and honestly at such a time as this. And there are a good many opportunities for keeping before them the idea that they will be able to help their country best by working hard to prepare themselves for entering constructive lines of work. The silk, paper, and leather industries need experts. Projects for good roads, irrigation, and forestation are to be developed. And in medicine there is a great field for service. But we don't always discuss such matters. One morning I went into the room and said, " I t looks like snow this morning. Do you like snow?" There were many "Yes-es" and only one "No",-this "No" coming from the smallest lad in the class, In the argument which followed the boy who adopted the affirmative brought forth reason after reason,- each argument being answered by the small one. Finally this pleasant idea was expressed. "I like snow because all the poets write about i t , " To this the small boy, who is really one of my best students, replied, "I don't like snow because it kills the flowers and I'm a soft-hearted man." Such a declaration of manhood I considered an adequate finish to that conversation so we proceeded to the proper lesson for the day. There are certain activities in which the Red Ink Bottle has no share. On Saturday afternoons it sits here on my desk blushing in an embarrassed manner because it is so completely left out of proceedings. "Do you have a stamp dictionary?" asked one of the boys. (And I see no reason why that isn't as good a name as any for Scott's Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue.) Balboa not only discovered the Pacific Ocean but he also started this stamp club. In one of my classes we were reading the story of his discovery and in that connection I mentioned the green U.S.A. stamp with a picture of Baiboa on it. At once it was very evident that certain boys had a special interest in stamps. The upshot of it all was that enough boys wanted to organize a stamp club so that we had to divide into two groups which meet at my house on alternate Saturdays. I still keep up my touch with some of the Bridgman girls in a very happy way. Once a week I teach a cooking club of twelve girls, They are developing into wonderfully good, dependable little cookie makers. Before Christmas we had bright red candy boxes made. These the girls filled with stuffed dates and a delicious nut and fruit concoction. On Christmas these boxes were given to the mothers who couldn't have had as much joy in receiving them as the girls very evidently had in preparing them. Recently under the auspices of the Peiping Association of High Schools a song contest was held. Not only mission schools but also government schools were represented in the eighteen schools |
