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Page 2 - to Col. Hecker, dated Tientsin, Oct. 13th 1910

The more I see of the Chinese people the greater is my respect and esteem. Some day they will again be what they were centuries ago - world-leaders in many ways.

In a shipment which I am now forwarding from here, I am sending a small sculptured stone figure of Hotei, the God of Happiness, which is intended as a New Year offering to the Yondotega Club. You will doubtless attend the New Year dinner and may I ask you to present it to the Club at that time, with my compliments. Stephen will unpack it and turn it over to you. If you for any reason do not attend the dinner will you kindly ask some other member, using your own choice - to introduce Hotei in our club and baptize him with a case of the oldest and driest the Club cellars contain, at my expense. Hotei will smile with you all just as his brothers in flesh do with me here. I had hoped to send for our New Year dinner a roasted pig such as I sampled here last year, but alas, he proves to be a much rarer bird than I knew or dreamed and cannot be duplicated. So, [[strikethrough]] Will Barbour [[/strikethrough]] as usual must continue to wear the belt - he has no peer as a farmer, even here, where farming was a science before the creation of the world.

I was pleased to learn from your letter of August 30th that Mrs Hecker is bearing up so well under her long suffering that she was expecting ere long to get out again and o enjoy your yacht. Thank you for your attention to the Alger Sullivan check and other matters, I trust that you are keeping very well and that you are having good yachting and fishing. To you and yours and enquiring friends all good wishes.

Always sincerely yours
C.L.F