Striking Paper Read to the American Woman's Club At a meeting of the Literary Department of the American Woman's Club last Friday afternoon, Mrs- R. P. Roberts read a paper on_ the "Literature of the Han Period," which marked the beginning of modern Chinese history and witnessed many changes in style and material, The beginning of the period was anything but auspious because of the ill-starred work of the First Emperor" in burning the Classics. After his death and that of his son, however, a period of comparative peace began in China and an effort was made to undo the mischief done by him. Materials of writing changed and the camel's hair brush and strips of cloth and silk came into use in place of the old bamboo tablet and stylus, During the first century A. D. paper was invented One effect of the renaissance in literature was the invention of much that was unauthentic. As rewards were offered for the discovery of hidden classics, many forgeries resulted and students of the Han period became expert in the construction of ancient classics. At least two of the Thirteen Classics are admitted to be of Apocryphal origin, the "Li Chi" or Book of Rites and "Hsiao Ching" or Manual of Filial Piety.
Mrs. Roberts proceeded from a general survey of the period to mention of particular individuals who made it. famous. Li Ling, the renegade, and Ssu Wu, his patriot contemporary, were mentioned, as was also the famous letter which is still extant and which is given to Chinese students as a model, written by Li Ling. The preparation of biographics formed a favourite branch of literary labour in those days. The "Biographies of Eminent Women" written by Liu Hsiang of the first century B. C. is still the first work of its kind. Wang Ch'ung (A. D, 27-97), a brilliant writer of the time, is said to have picked up his education at bookstalls. He had a superbly retentive memory and a keen mind and did not hesitate to expose even Confucius and Mencius to free and searching criticism.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.