Finally the Boy (that never-failing fri in need) unpacked a case, discovered in it a moveable date block and himself got into the habit of setting it fresh daily; it is true he sometimes passes through' the living room in the afternoon and finding a spare minute on his hands, employs it by changing the three cards ready for morrow. Thus yesterday in writing some letters after dinner Iwas led by his error into predating all my communications to the distant friends in Shanghai or Hongkong, but after all whut does it matter? My correspondents will not observe the mistake, for there is no chance, alas! of my chits reaching them next morning all fresh and packed in ice" as Elia loved to receive bir letters. Generally speaking T now feel up-to-date in Takow, in proof of which I remember the Ist September, and we shall celebrate it by an organised hunt after snipe.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.