At the meeting of the Literary Department of the American Women's Club last Friday, it was voted to make Mrs. Francis Ayscough an honorary member of the department in' recognization of her invaluable service.
The papers of the afternoon gave the historical background of the Han Dynasty, Mrs. P. R. Bake-man giving the former or Western Han history. Summarizing the proceeding Tsin dynasty, she said its importance may be measured by the fact that all Chinese people with the exception of the Cantonese claim to be sons of Han. In the Han Dynasty the leading place was given to Confucius, the calendar was reformed, and the Sages were returned to their former place of honour. "Liu Pign (or Kau Ti as he is more often called) was succeeded by his wife, and she in turn by Wun Ti, who softened the harsh laws, instituted old age pensions, listened to the grievances of the people and reformed the coinage. Under another illustrious emperor, Wu Ti, the dynasty reached the zenith of its power and was greatly enlarged,.inoluding at that, time Cochin China and North Korea.
Kuang Wu Ti restored the dynasty under the name of the later, or eastern Han Dynasty, its fortunes being chronicled by Mr. H. S. Dickerson. His brilliant reign left the dynasty firmly established, and his successor, Ming Ti, ruled with wisdom and clemency, and Sanctioned the introduction of Buddhism. It was during his reign that 2 dyke 30 miles long, for the relief of the Yellow River, was built. The most notable institu. tion was in the reign of Ling Ti, who established the system of exa-ruinations in the Classics as a qualification for government employment.
After the papers, Mr. Clarles Kliene told in a most interesting way the story of Meng Chuang Nu, her Sorrow at the Great Wall."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.