Letter from Dr. Alfred E. Stearns to Hon. Sao K. Alfred Sze, December 20, 1926
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Dr. Alfred E. Stearns to Hon. Sao K. Alfred Sze, December 20, 1926
Subject
Letter from Dr. Alfred E. Stearns to Hon. Sao K. Alfred Sze, December 20, 1926
Description
Typed letter sent from Dr. Alfred E. Stearns to Sao K. Alfred Sze about Stearns' guardianship of Chinese students and his current wards. Explains he doesn't charge for taking care of the students unless the students live with him for an extended period of time. Provides the Sun children as an example. Promises to treat Tsai's children the same. States both children are with him and are pleasant to have. States the Tsai children will likely vacation with Dr. and Mrs. Nye. Provides updates on the Sun children, Arthur, Charlie, Tom, and Mary. Thanks Sze for sending the gift from Mr. Sun.
Transcription
December 20, 1926
Hon. Sao K. Alfred Sze
Chinese Legation Washington, D.C.
My dear Mr. Sze:
Thank you for your letter of December 15th, which reached my desk a day or two ago.
Only a few days before I received from Admiral Tsai a most interesting and instructive letter and the chock for $2,000. to which he refers in his letter to you. This sum has already been deposited to the account of the two children, one-half to each.
As to a fee for my guardianship. if such it may be called, I certainly am unwilling to accept a cent for what I consider a privilege. From the time when one of your predecessors. Sir Liang Chentung, placed several of his wards under my care, I have had the opportunity of serving in this capacity for about fifty Chinese students, and I have never charged anything for what little I have been able to do.
Then the Sun children came to live in my home it became necessary for me to readjust my domestic arrangements to a considerable degree, for with the four Suns and their two friends, Quincy Sheh and Frank Lin, added to my own family, I had a pretty large group on my hands. At that time I undertook to estimate as closely as I could what the added expense of having these youngsters in my house and several of them for a time at my table amounted to, and this expense was duly apportioned among them. So far as I could tell then or have been able to estimate since, the charges covered no more than the additional expense to which I was put by their presence. At vacation periods, when my wards have often returned for their holidays, I have made similar charges when they were with ME for more than brief visits. Whoa they came for two or three days only, as frequently happened, I regularly made no charge.
I am giving you these details only that you may make Admiral Tsai feel comfortable about the arrangement which I am sure he will when he understands that I am glad to treat his children exactly on the same basis as the others who have been with me heretofore and some of whom are still in my charge. In Admiral Tsai's case the task is doubly pleasant because his two children seem especially responsive and amenable to suggestion and advice. Helen is really quite a remarkable girl with a very level head on her shoulders. Her present school principal tells me that she stands out distinctly above all the rest of the girls in the school both in character and ability. Both of the children are with me for the present, or rather are staying at the Phillips Inn next door to my house, since I have no one in charge of the house this year. Helen arrived Saturday and I drove to Lowell this morning to meet her brother Alfred and bring him to Andover. They have not quite decided what to do for the rest of the vacation but will probably visit for a few days at least a Mrs. Nye in South Weymouth, who with her husband passed a number of years in China and claims an acquaintance with Admiral Tsai himself. Mrs. Nye has been very urgent in asking the children to pass their vacations with her, raid from inquiries which I have recently made among friends of mine in the same town I have every reason to believe that this is a good home for the children to enjoy.
The Sun children seem to be getting on well. Arthur is at present employed by the Metropolitan Water Company of this state; Charlie is doing splendidly at Amhest College; Tom has come through his first term as a freshman at Middlebury College, Vermont, with a good record; and Mary whom I saw only two weeks ago when I was at Elmira for a Sunday appears to be in good health and spirits, though she tells me that she finds some of her work, notably Biology, especially hard.
The box with the lacquer vases from Mr. Sun which you were good enough to forward reached ns safely several days ago. I noticed that one of the vases was broken but as the pieces seem to be inside I am still hopeful that the damage can be repaired. I shall write Mr. Sun of course, and thank him personally for the gift, which is deeply appreciated by me; and I will see that the two other pieces for the other members of the household are held until these travelers return.
With holiday greetings and the best of wishes for the coming New Year, believe me
Very sincerely yours,
Hon. Sao K. Alfred Sze
Chinese Legation Washington, D.C.
My dear Mr. Sze:
Thank you for your letter of December 15th, which reached my desk a day or two ago.
Only a few days before I received from Admiral Tsai a most interesting and instructive letter and the chock for $2,000. to which he refers in his letter to you. This sum has already been deposited to the account of the two children, one-half to each.
As to a fee for my guardianship. if such it may be called, I certainly am unwilling to accept a cent for what I consider a privilege. From the time when one of your predecessors. Sir Liang Chentung, placed several of his wards under my care, I have had the opportunity of serving in this capacity for about fifty Chinese students, and I have never charged anything for what little I have been able to do.
Then the Sun children came to live in my home it became necessary for me to readjust my domestic arrangements to a considerable degree, for with the four Suns and their two friends, Quincy Sheh and Frank Lin, added to my own family, I had a pretty large group on my hands. At that time I undertook to estimate as closely as I could what the added expense of having these youngsters in my house and several of them for a time at my table amounted to, and this expense was duly apportioned among them. So far as I could tell then or have been able to estimate since, the charges covered no more than the additional expense to which I was put by their presence. At vacation periods, when my wards have often returned for their holidays, I have made similar charges when they were with ME for more than brief visits. Whoa they came for two or three days only, as frequently happened, I regularly made no charge.
I am giving you these details only that you may make Admiral Tsai feel comfortable about the arrangement which I am sure he will when he understands that I am glad to treat his children exactly on the same basis as the others who have been with me heretofore and some of whom are still in my charge. In Admiral Tsai's case the task is doubly pleasant because his two children seem especially responsive and amenable to suggestion and advice. Helen is really quite a remarkable girl with a very level head on her shoulders. Her present school principal tells me that she stands out distinctly above all the rest of the girls in the school both in character and ability. Both of the children are with me for the present, or rather are staying at the Phillips Inn next door to my house, since I have no one in charge of the house this year. Helen arrived Saturday and I drove to Lowell this morning to meet her brother Alfred and bring him to Andover. They have not quite decided what to do for the rest of the vacation but will probably visit for a few days at least a Mrs. Nye in South Weymouth, who with her husband passed a number of years in China and claims an acquaintance with Admiral Tsai himself. Mrs. Nye has been very urgent in asking the children to pass their vacations with her, raid from inquiries which I have recently made among friends of mine in the same town I have every reason to believe that this is a good home for the children to enjoy.
The Sun children seem to be getting on well. Arthur is at present employed by the Metropolitan Water Company of this state; Charlie is doing splendidly at Amhest College; Tom has come through his first term as a freshman at Middlebury College, Vermont, with a good record; and Mary whom I saw only two weeks ago when I was at Elmira for a Sunday appears to be in good health and spirits, though she tells me that she finds some of her work, notably Biology, especially hard.
The box with the lacquer vases from Mr. Sun which you were good enough to forward reached ns safely several days ago. I noticed that one of the vases was broken but as the pieces seem to be inside I am still hopeful that the damage can be repaired. I shall write Mr. Sun of course, and thank him personally for the gift, which is deeply appreciated by me; and I will see that the two other pieces for the other members of the household are held until these travelers return.
With holiday greetings and the best of wishes for the coming New Year, believe me
Very sincerely yours,
Creator
Dr. Alfred E. Stearns
Publisher
Phillips Academy
Date
December 20, 1926
Rights
All Rights Reserved By Phillips Academy
Language
English
Type
Manuscripts. Correspondence.