Letter from C.Y. Sun, Shanghai, to Alfred E. Stearns May 27, 1930
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from C.Y. Sun, Shanghai, to Alfred E. Stearns May 27, 1930
Subject
Letter from C.Y. Sun, Shanghai, to Alfred E. Stearns May 27, 1930
Transcription
Shanghai, 27th. May 1930
Dr. Alfred E. Stearns
Phillips Academy
Andover, Mass. U.S.A
My dear Dr. Stearns,
Your most kind and interesting letter of April 7 and 21 reached me, and I most heartily thank you for going so very fully, and with so much sympathy, into the problems relating to the educating of my children. I have just come to Shanghai for a much needed rest and change after a very sad and trying time at home for many months back. After a long spell of illness, with one sickness upon the top of another, I lost my 3rd daughter. We had the very best attention for her including night and day nurses, but she wished me near her most of the time. The constant attention required of me when I was in poor health myself, and the fact that I was the only member of the family that knew there was no hope for my daughter's recovery, just wore me down, and I had no time, or even thought, for anything else. This is the reason I did not feel able to even try to meet Dean Goodrich. It was not Mary’s fault, for she did write me that the Dean was coming to China, but I was entirely taken up with my sick daughter to the exclusion of every other thing, indeed I quite forgot all about Mary’s letter. I am sure you will understand, and if you get a chance to explain to Dean Goodrich, please tender his my apologies, I very much regret that the special circumstances prevented me from making arrangements to meet him. And it would be a favor if nothing was said to Mary or Tommy. It is of course possible that the news of my daughter’s death will filter through to them, but my thought opportunity for him to do some hard work in preparation for his coming course at Yale. I have given due consideration to your very kind and thoughtful words about Tommy’s popularity, with the danger of his taking on so much of American ideas & ways so as to possibly hamper his future readjustment to the life and atmosphere in China. A father naturally appreciates very very much all the kind things you tell me of the large place Tommy has made for himself in Middlebury College, but he will soon be thinking of leaving all his kind friends there and meeting the new conditions among strangers at Yale. This will be a new angle in mixing with men and should work out for good. Now, as to your suggestion that I might think over the possibility of Tommy taking a year at home in China before pressing on with his further studies in America. From a practical point of view, I do not think it feasible, for the pull of family-ties, and probably his own disinclination to tackle his further studies after a year's break, would, I am sure, mean the end of his ever going back to America. And, after all, will his waiting for another year or so in America to undertake his specialized studies make much difference to the question of his readjustment to his life and work in China? Tommy is young enough to successfully face this question after his Yale course of special study. All things considered, I feel he should carry on from Middlebury to his Yale course and attain to proficiency in the work he is going to specialize in on his return home. I trust my viewpoint on this meets with your acceptance, for like you, I have tried to look at the problem all round, keeping in mind particularly Tommy’s future when he sets out to find his feet in China.
I thank you for your statements of account for Mary & Tommy and covering the period from October 8, 1929 to April 21, 1930.
I am very glad to hear that you think the necessary repairs can be made to the blackwood-stand. Please have this done at my expense, and I shall be glad to hear from you that the repairs have been done in entirely satisfactory manner.
It is not easy for me to express my gratutude, as I would like, for these two letters of yours, so clear and asympathetic and yet well covering the whole ground. I always feel that I never succeed in expressing what my heart feels of very grateful thanks for your large personal interest in my children.
With kindest regards and most cordial good
wishes,
I am, Yours very sincerely,
C.Y.Sun
Dr. Alfred E. Stearns
Phillips Academy
Andover, Mass. U.S.A
My dear Dr. Stearns,
Your most kind and interesting letter of April 7 and 21 reached me, and I most heartily thank you for going so very fully, and with so much sympathy, into the problems relating to the educating of my children. I have just come to Shanghai for a much needed rest and change after a very sad and trying time at home for many months back. After a long spell of illness, with one sickness upon the top of another, I lost my 3rd daughter. We had the very best attention for her including night and day nurses, but she wished me near her most of the time. The constant attention required of me when I was in poor health myself, and the fact that I was the only member of the family that knew there was no hope for my daughter's recovery, just wore me down, and I had no time, or even thought, for anything else. This is the reason I did not feel able to even try to meet Dean Goodrich. It was not Mary’s fault, for she did write me that the Dean was coming to China, but I was entirely taken up with my sick daughter to the exclusion of every other thing, indeed I quite forgot all about Mary’s letter. I am sure you will understand, and if you get a chance to explain to Dean Goodrich, please tender his my apologies, I very much regret that the special circumstances prevented me from making arrangements to meet him. And it would be a favor if nothing was said to Mary or Tommy. It is of course possible that the news of my daughter’s death will filter through to them, but my thought opportunity for him to do some hard work in preparation for his coming course at Yale. I have given due consideration to your very kind and thoughtful words about Tommy’s popularity, with the danger of his taking on so much of American ideas & ways so as to possibly hamper his future readjustment to the life and atmosphere in China. A father naturally appreciates very very much all the kind things you tell me of the large place Tommy has made for himself in Middlebury College, but he will soon be thinking of leaving all his kind friends there and meeting the new conditions among strangers at Yale. This will be a new angle in mixing with men and should work out for good. Now, as to your suggestion that I might think over the possibility of Tommy taking a year at home in China before pressing on with his further studies in America. From a practical point of view, I do not think it feasible, for the pull of family-ties, and probably his own disinclination to tackle his further studies after a year's break, would, I am sure, mean the end of his ever going back to America. And, after all, will his waiting for another year or so in America to undertake his specialized studies make much difference to the question of his readjustment to his life and work in China? Tommy is young enough to successfully face this question after his Yale course of special study. All things considered, I feel he should carry on from Middlebury to his Yale course and attain to proficiency in the work he is going to specialize in on his return home. I trust my viewpoint on this meets with your acceptance, for like you, I have tried to look at the problem all round, keeping in mind particularly Tommy’s future when he sets out to find his feet in China.
I thank you for your statements of account for Mary & Tommy and covering the period from October 8, 1929 to April 21, 1930.
I am very glad to hear that you think the necessary repairs can be made to the blackwood-stand. Please have this done at my expense, and I shall be glad to hear from you that the repairs have been done in entirely satisfactory manner.
It is not easy for me to express my gratutude, as I would like, for these two letters of yours, so clear and asympathetic and yet well covering the whole ground. I always feel that I never succeed in expressing what my heart feels of very grateful thanks for your large personal interest in my children.
With kindest regards and most cordial good
wishes,
I am, Yours very sincerely,
C.Y.Sun
Creator
C.Y. Sun
Publisher
Phillips Academy
Date
May 27, 1930
Rights
All Rights Reserved by Phillips Academy
Language
English
Type
Correspondence