University of Nanking - Linguist Yearbook (Nanking, China)

Page 91 text:

88 THE YEAR Doctor Price was er preaehin' from er pulpit high, Exhortin' us sinners up to de skyg Ebery time he'd hit us again, Doctor Hutcheson yelled Amen ! The spirit of the negro was shown through plantation melodies and negro spirituelles, closing with the haunting phrase, Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart. The result of the evenings hilarity was not only four hundred hearts made lighter by laughter, but more than five hundred dollars added to the budget of the Foreign Hospital. December eighteenth. Dress rehearsal of the Christmas play! Certainly the shepherds were gorgeous! The first shepherd wore Bobby's Roman scarf for a head dressg Dr. Earl's bathrobe made a lovely wise man's gown, solnebody's Master's hood put the final touch to Mr. Bear's costume as Rabbi. The ensemble was excellent, even though one Bethlehem woman carried a waste basket on l1er shoulder in lieu of a water jar. And the Chinese they spoke was remarkable. We hoped the teachers would understand it, even if we didn't. December nineteenth to twenty-first. There are several days at Language School, We're likely to remember. I'll tell you now of two of them ' Which happened in December, The first I'd like to tell you of Was Examination .Day- Not a pleasant memory, I think li hear you say. But it really wasn't quite as bad As we had thot 'twould be. Tho if we hadn't studied. V We would have been up a tree! V We had to write a story, As read by Mr. Wong. It only had one hundred words S0 it wasn't Very l0Ilg.

Page 90 text:

THE LINGUIST 87 the service of the morning, the history of the Language School and of the personality around which it grew. Mr. Gillette spoke of Mr. Keen as a friend. 31450 was pledged toward the fund. The committee was ready with il list of books to bc ordered immediately. Future classes will also have the pleasure of helping to establish this growing memorial. December sixth. The Linguist is beginning to seem a reality. Today the staff had a Satisfactory husincss meeting, followed by a most satisfying 'tChinesc Chow at the University Middle School. Pete Richardson had consider- able difficulty in manipulating his chopsticks, resulting in writer's cramps and an unappeased appetite. but we have faith in his ability to improve, if enthusiasm has any merit. December seventh. Some of us took part in the original play 'fUncle Remus and Aunt Jemima at Home, given for the benefit of the Nanking Foreign Hospital. The Community Center was crowded with the town's four hundred foreign- ers. They had been told to expect a good laugh, and they got it. Aunt Jemima, a typical blacky inammy, was giving Uncle Remus a buffday dinnahfi The conversation of the guests was full of local hits which were thoroughly enjoyed by the audience. Some of Uncle Remus' remarks which he accompanied on his guitar follow: Doctor Bowen wanted to have some fun. So he got him a dawg, an' he got him a gung All day long hc shot an' shot- Onc magpie was all he got. Doctor Hoover got him a dentist's kit. He hung out a sign an, on it writ. I'll fix yo, teeth without any pain ',- .Brudcler Annanias come to life again ! Of all good razors you can bet De best- of all hit am Gillette: lf it wasn't so barberousf' hit'd be funny- He shaves you clean an' takes yo' money.

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THE LINGUIST Of course we used phonetics In writing our Chinese. A composition we had to write, One hundred words, if you please The second day we had exams. Two things we had to dog To make a speech in Chinese, And to read some Chinese too. And then exams were over, Such happy folks were we. For all things now were ready For our annual Christmas Tree' At two o'eloeli our guests arrived. It was a pretty' sight, To see the teachers with their wives, And the kids in colors bright. The first thing on our program Was a little Christmas play, Given by the first year students, Of the very first Christmas Day, When the Wise men and the Shepherds To an humble stable came. To see the Baby Jesus, And to praise His holy Name. Then the teachers took the platform And invited us to see, The eleverest of littlc plays- You should have seen Mr. L00 Then the beggar and the amuh Were very, very fine-A Indeed, all the characters VVere splendid in their liIl0- And when the play was over. We had o11r Christmas TF00- Then all the little children Were as happy as could be.