The Unexpurgated Diary of a Shanghai Baby

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Authors: Elsie McCormick
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that many.
June fourth
    Rain. Auntie excited about man who had invited her to party at Carlton.
    â€œHis friends are very prominent,” said Auntie, trying yellow georgette against sunburn.
    â€œSo are his ears,” said papa, looking up from pink sheet.
    Auntie didn’t say anything then, but remarked later that the only trouble with dancing at Carlton was that nobody kept in step because they were all busy trying to see who everybody else was with.
June sixth
    Not much doing today. Boy busy putting mothballs in pockets of papa’s winter suits and taking out change. Nothing left but coppers, as mama had been there first. Papa said at tiffin that moth-balls might keep moths away from clothes, but they also keep everybody else away after suits were resurrected in the fall. Also that for weeks afterwards, he found himself giving mothballs for fare in tram. Hope they don’t put my wooden elephant in moth-balls, as may cut more teeth during summer.
June sixth, later
    Mama told papa that family had invitation to dinner dance for end of the week. Papa said dinner dance was great economy, as boy always put down soup or other course just before music began and then took it away during dance, before anybody had chance to damage it. Mama told him he shouldn’t try to sit out, as every time he did it, it meant that lady had to sit out too, but papa replied that he was going to step on allladies’ toes early in evening so that they would be glad to let him eat dinner.
June seventh
    Nice day. Went for ride to Hongkew Park and saw Jap baby in front of sukiyaki house kept by Jap papa. Pointed at Jap baby with chin like houseboy and then made face. Baby squalled and Jap papa came out of next-door shop where he was having shoes half-soled by carpenter. Wiped Jap baby’s nose with Japanese poem on towel. Didn’t see me, as amah had sighted another Chinese lady who didn’t know story of foreign lady’s new third husband and had put perambulator in high.
June eighth
    Weather still good. Mama asked Auntie if she had good time at cafe last night in new dress that tailor had copied from window on Nanking Road. Auntie said she would have had better time if seven other ladies had not also copied dress, but that anyway she had enjoyed seeing next door girl sit out dances and had also noticed five ladies dancing with their own husbands. Papa said maybe next door girl had something wrong with foot, but Auntie remarked that it was probably because she is pigeon-toed in features.
June ninth
    Weather pretty good. Mama told papa that, if he doesn’t screen lower part of house pretty soon, she will have to eat dinner with feet in pillow-case.
    â€œIf you would only eat dinner with your head in a pillow-case, I’d have more quiet in which to enjoy food,” papa said.
    Mama remarked that when he enjoyed food, nobody else had any quiet, didn’t hear more as amah came in just then to give me bath with laundry soap.
June tenth
    Nice day. Auntie very excited. Said Bertie had almost proposed to her at Carlton, but was interrupted by having to go across room to see friend.
    â€œHe has a regular path worn around the Carlton from getting up to see friends when the Chinese boy brings in the arithmetic,” said papa.
    Auntie said papa didn’t seem to know that Bertie was valuable office man and that he is an expert on the touch system.
    â€œI’ll say he is,” said papa, “He touched me for ten dollars once and it’s still absent.”
    Mama said she loved romance and asked Auntie what Bertie had said.
    â€œHe told me that he would cling to me as long as aricsha coolie does to a straw hat.” said Auntie clasping hands and looking at fly on ceiling.
    Papa said that if Auntie wanted to be certain, she would make Bertie promise to cling to her as long as he does to five dollar bill.
June eleventh
    Rain. Sat on floor while papa dug dark clothes out of trunk and said things as he

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