Dearest Kataryn:—We are back to normalcy. Winter has lived up to its advance notices and is here at last. To an Iowan it doesn't seem much to write home about; I but it's the best Shanghai can do jand with our present heating equip-mont we'd hardly have the heart to ask for a sensational drop in the As it is, every available fur coat is secing active service. One girl from California is wearing one ever the other and a sweater for good measure.
We've had a light frosting of snow that lasted till it struck the streets and now there's a gray snow blur in the air, but no materializations. However there's been enough to make the Chinese happy, for they say snow before their Chinese New Year ensures a successful year. Some of the good luck for 1921 must still be wandering round the Chinese Post Office undelivered, for floods, famines} and bad business and political conditions seem the outstanding features of the year. But think how much worse it might have been if it hadn't snowed Soar.
Wo are still sleeping outdoors on our little balleony, although our housemates say they expect to find two icebergs in our little cots il the frost descends a little lower. The only thing that worries us the soot that all but buries us as we sleep. Shanghai seems to burn nothing but the softest of coal just as it imbibes the hardest of drinks and every chimney contributes te the smuttiness of the city. When we wake up we look as if we'd been out at a masked ball and had forgotten to take off our blackamoor make-up.
This town is as bad as the far-famed Pittsburg and one could as appropriately say: "Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow; she took that lamb to Shanghai—and you ought to see the darned thing now!" It's quite usual for polite young men in trams to remark blushingly to some strange young damsel: 'Excuse me; but there's a flake of soot on your left cheek'? and then sit by ready to render first aid while she scrubs away at it furiously.
A regular pall of smoke hangs over the city when the air is heavy, and flags get grimy in no time. I can't figure out how the laundry is done. Perhaps the summer's crop of fans is requisitioned and small boys fan the floating smuts, As far as I can find out there are no laws against smoke except in the trams of the French Concession, and those are disregarded in true American style.
Spoinep py TRE Cocuie.
But maskee soot streaks, Vd rather go round looking like magpie than have to go back to self-stoked furnaces. Every. time I get homesick I remind myself that at home mother would have to call little brother Jimmy at least six times before he'd get up to shake down the furnace, and then the house would be harly thawed out before I left for the office. I all but wrote home te have them get a coolie to attend to the fires, but that's something the free and equal citizens of Towa. Center wouldn't stand for. I admire the sentiment yet, nevertheless, and—notwithstanding I'll tell the cock-eyed world that one of the sweetest things in life is to Jie snug and warm in bed and watch the toiling minion kindle a rousing fire in our tiny fireplace and reinforce the. sambo with the less romantic but no less welcome oil-stove, I'm spoiled, Kathryn, thoroughly ruined for a life of toil I fear.
Sight-secing has lagged a bit, but I'm improving my mind with books on China any way. "Four feet on a fender" is a good motto for these chilly days. My latest discovery is the Municipal Concerts given by the city orchestra. They are really wonderfully. good and if seats cost $3, $2, and $1 T suppose there would be standing room only, When they were actually free the real music lovers, mainly Russian and other Europeans, crowded the hall, with a few English and even fewer Americans, Now that a charge of 50 cts. is made it shuts out many who enjoyed them before and yet isn't expensive enough to make it popular with the typical Shanghai rounder, Tre Fripay Jazz, The most dashing thing, however, is to go to the popular Friday con: certs followed by dancing, "These are absolutely trea, and tea is served at usual eaterer's rates, It sounded to me like a perfectly plausible good time so T suggested making up a party and dropping in sometime after the office. T had forgotten that this was Shanghai where simple pleasures are no pleasures at alli but T was reminded at once by the raised eyebrows and the chilly "Impossible!" "Why not?" TI quizzed. "Tt isn't being done" said they. Now you can't say that to an Towa girl, even if you did come from New York where you enjoyed the social advantages of Coney Island. I just had to go then.
Monty said it would jeopardize our social position. T saids mine would stand it, and I think it haa. Any way a courageous young adventurer recently imported from Oregon tock me, and we had a wonderful time. As far as I could see there were plenty of people there quite as nice as we were, and as for conduct, it could give some other places points on quietness, T''ll not be saying that a sociably minded person couldn't extend her circle of acquaintance considerably by frequenting these dances, but what's formality among friends? Needless to say Monty and T are less engaged than ever, Here's Happy Chinese New Year you,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.