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164

library that I promised for the next issue of the "New Mandarin".

In the afternoon I gave my first art lecture of the season. We seem to have made a mistake in repeating some of our courses. This term I have only three or four in my bibliography course, while in art there are only a dozen. And such a dozen - One old dame with a long face who knows nothing at all about art and will know nothing more when we get through with her, a Y-Dub who is working on a PhD for the commercial value it will have for her, a fat feminist in a sloppy purple sweater on leave from an inland mission station to study with us for three months and also working for a PhD, a few PUMC and mission nurses who are simply taking the course, and one woman who knows something about art and is able to appreciate it when she sees it. The fat sloppy one said that this was"such a nice course because all they did was to look at pretty things"- she seemed quite disappointed when I gave my first lecture chiefly on the philosophy of painting and without any illustrations. I'm giving four instead of three this time, and will be able to give things a little better. Last time I was too crowded for time; this time I have to repeat so often to be sure of somprehension that I doubt if I will get much further. Next year each course will be offered once and once only during the year. We will give our general art course in the fall, and at the same time I will give my bibliography. In the winter I shall give a special course on Chinese painters, ten lectures on that art alone. Today I gave one of the worst lectures ever. I could not get into the swing of the thing and was slow, repetitious and muddly. I'll have to snap out of it for the next lecture even if there is a dumb-bell class. 

Dorothy had two or her former pupils in to tea with Louise. So for the day. 

Wednesday, 10 February
It is getting near to Chinese New Year, so there are several things to be done. We had lunch at a Chinese restaurant with a crowd and a menu got together by the Burgesses. There were good individuals in both but the ensemble was not entirely attractive. After lunch we walked through the Eastern Peaceful Market and then bought some red paper inscriptions to paste