Christmas, as many others have doubtless remarked, is
my annual letter from my graceless niece. I wonder what it will be and-any day now miny bring with I a ther happen Phe firat I have by me navy, with two others written at intervals aix yeara, They ato very diferent. And I'am wondering what the next will be, covering four pages with a lar The frst is a lengthy abie Sold hand, i ~My Dear Auntie (it runs), Thank you very much for the nice doll you sent me. I have caled her Emseralda, Tam sory her hare cat off last night and one leg while Page 2 was stroking it but Tommy gave her a luvely funarel this morning with one of his goldfish that died because it ate to much mincopi BMummie let me have Mineopie Page 3
Christmas diner this but I didn't die, I think T shall eserkervat her again because she is 0 nice. Tommy taught me that word. I idve her Page 4 awfuly. It is reaming to-day but' it was fine yesterday. I hope it is aal tomorrow. I hep you are quite With lots of love, from Jeanie.
The Second Epistle The second is only three. pages. The fine euro of the handwriting is gone, it sprawls and wriggles over the page as it will and lands many blots before it can end, Dearest Auntie, (It wriggles.)
Thanks most awfully for the ripping pen you sent me. I went to riy" plate to. get my parcels Christmas morning and there st was {in my cup, the pen I mean not the plate for don't think that would think it is simply iplovely one. been having a ripping the these hois and its been rear fun having Wilda to. stay with us. Wasn't it marvellous my" passing my exam, Miss Seton, the Head you know, congratulated' me like. any. thing and said she hoped this would Ielp to fossiize the small but grow-ug' acquaintance between me™ and learning! Mum and Dad were awfully surprised, at me passing ream and even Tommy has to admit he n't the only one in the family with brat We've been having perfectly rotten. weather but I hope it. will clear up again before the term ts, "Hilda, me and Tommy built now man yesterday but the head fell off on Tommy just as we finish-di. Tt was, very funny and Hilda and me can't see. why he is 90 bad tempered about, it. It wasn't our fault altogether, I hope you are quite well. Tommy fand me have just had colds but we fare alright now. Hilda and I are going to roast chestnuts now, so no more now, sincerely your niece, Jean.
P.S. Do you think you could lend five bucks for a bit as Mum won't advance any more pocket money and I'm very short, Do be a sport!
The Perfect Article By the third letter that ts left! the number of pages has dwindled to two. The writing has changed again too, and has a touch more of uniformity in its wild sprawl.
Darlingest old Thing (it begins).
T've been having a perfectly heavenly time. Its been simply too Jwonderful. I mean we had simply ets and lots of people to stay with us and it was simply too perfect. [Of course it was a pity Father and Mother would have that awful old Colonel and his wife as well but then they always. will, though T Jean't think what they sce in them, h's simply terrible and she is just ghastly, I mean to say they are both too simply awful. But then Mother always is too old-fashioned for words. She was horrified the other day' when Hal and I spent perfectly devine evening in the attic when nobody found us, but he says his parents are just as bad. 1 don't think she likes Hal but really. he is simply too sweet for words, I Jmean he's simply marvellous." Jdon't Like Dave any more, so Hal and I decided we'd just get engaged, Afterall he's nearly nineteen and a half and T have been nineteen for three weeks now. Mother is always saying she doesn't know what I shall come to and Dad says he hopes iti be my senses ina year or two, don't know what they mean. 1 shall be married to Hal thea. Hal Jwants me to go out with him now. Come round and bemoan the young: Jer generation with Mother soon, Cheerio, old dear, yrs, PS. Thanks most awfully for the' duchy little brooch you sent me. think it is simply. too sweet for words. Iam so sorry Tal broke the pin off yesterday when I waa. looking at it."
A PLEASING EXHIBITION AT B.W.A, Paintings of Chinese Landseapes By Miss MacCurdy an opportunity to ind design, bat a chane RE: MacCurdy is the exhibiting Most of the work which is being shown has been done. in China where Miss MaeCurdy has spent the past 15 years in missionary york. She is attached to the American Presbyterian Mission, though she is by birth a Canadian and. before coming to China lived in Toronto. As Miss MacCurdy herself express. her life to painting, had she not decided to become a missionary. She studio dart in Toronto and in Now 'York at the Art Students' League, following which she went to Europe for two years and visited most of the well-known galleries of the continent and continued her work in various art centres. One winter was spent in Palestine, where, at Jerusalem, her father was in charge the ' American School of Archaeology, and one painting done in Jericho by Miss MacCurdy is hung at the current exhibition. She Cairo and Luxor, and an example of her impres sionistie work is-to be seen in a pastel study of Karnak, included in the present exhibit.
Miss MacCurdy returned Canada in the autumn of 1912 and the following spring came out to China as a missionary. From that time on her art was a calling which she could follow only in the summer months, the winter being entirely taken up with evangelical work in Hwai Yuen, Anhwei, a station which was evacuated during the carly part of the year. C.nsidering the brief span of time the artist could devote to painting the amount prising indeed, and it is, moreover varied in treatment' and' subject.
The relationship between nature and of man's work as seen in old trees hovering close to Chinese temples is brought out constantly i the artist's work, as it was this 1
Tue Tanieux witch Never Gors Ovr These smart litle costumes aspect of beauty which never failed to arrest her attention. In fact, it has been her experience that some of the Taoist Monasteries in China where she has visited and worked have a definite cult of nature worship. All temples are sugges tive of man's spiritual strivings according to Miss MacCurdy. Thus she has concentrated in many pie-tures on the beautiful design of temple rots over which the designs of tree branches. pla Other work shows Tsingtao's harbour, and there are some pastels of the sacred Tai Shan. Of special Interest locally might be a study of Jessfcld Park and another the mountainside of Kuling caught
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.