2
1st. Sunday. Showers. Chilly.
3
Song Do home. Such changeable or changing weather! Well did a Chinese poet say: 九十日春睛景少 一千年事亂時多.
4
Left Song Do 3:04 p.m. train with 文姬 and 恩姬 for Seoul.
6
2nd. Monday. Gloomy. Chilly.
7
With Mr. 元洪九 called on the Director of the Provincial Educational Bureau to find out whether or not a teacher who has taught for five consecutive years in a school would be regarded as qualified.
8
At 12:30 went to the official residence of the Governor General for lunch, given in honor of Dr. Gulick, the well known pro-Japanese clergyman from America. He is on a lecturing tour on the subject of the Warless World. Dr. Avison tried to arrange a meeting for him in Seoul, but Koreans wouldn't care to hear him.
10
3rd. Tuesday. Pretty. Mild.
13
4th. Wednesday. Gloomy.
16
5th. Thursday. Sunshine and cloud. Easterly wind.
17
Song Do home. Quite chilly in the morning.
19
6th. Friday. Sunshine and cloud. Chilly.
20
Song Do home. Chilly and cloudy morning. Bright sun from 2 p.m. on.
22
7th. Saturday.Gloomy. Chilly.
23
Song Do home. Decidedly chilly. A little shower in the morning. Had a call from Mr. Ryang and Kim Dong Sung.
24
Began raining about 10 p.m.
25
Some days ago the promoters of the so called 民立大學期成會 held their general meetings in Seoul and passed resolution to raise ￥10,000,000(00/100) in three instalments. Four million yen are to be raised at once. When I said to Ryang, "They(the promoters) are very courageous," he replied "Or rather outrageous." We Koreans are certainly a bunch of fools adopting and aping the fine phrases and grandiose titles borrowed from other peoples without considering the fact that a little David can never wear a soul's armor.
27
8th. Sunday. Beautiful. Chilly.
28
Song Do home. From the earliest hours of the morning a torrential down-pour of rain―stopped after dawn. Very windy.
30
9th. Monday. Bright. Chilly.
31
Left Song Do 11:55 a.m. train for Seoul with wife and children.
32
The meanest beast in the animal kingdom is the selfish man; but the selfish woman is worse than him.
34
10th. Tuesday. Beautiful. Mild.
35
Seoul home. Hear that a few days ago two young men called on cousin 致昭 about 10 a.m. in his "sarang." They announced themselves 共産黨 or Communists and demanded ten thousand yen with loaded pistols pointed at cousin. Cousin gave them about ￥80.00 which he had just on his person. They left him saying that they would expect him to give the sum named inside a week.
37
11th. Wednesday. Sunshine and cloudy. Changeable.
38
Mailed letter and bill of exchange ￡100/sterling to 致旺.
39
Genial and pretty the whole a.m. From about 2 p.m. windy and positively cold. Left Seoul 4:45 p.m. for Song Do. A tedious journey―the crowd smoking away pipes and cigarettes as if their wretched lives were depending on smoking.
41
12th. Thursday. Beautiful. Cold.
42
Song Do home. The first term of the H.C. School was inaugurated this morning at ten with nearly 700 boys. The chapel too small for half of that number. Everybody had to stand jammed one against the other.
43
Everything about religion may get old―its theology, its creeds, its rituals, its temples; only one thing can never get old: that is, prayer or the spirit of prayer.
45
14th. Saturday. Pretty. Chilly.
46
Office as usual. Left Song Do for Seoul 3:08 p.m. train.
48
15th. Sunday. Beautiful. Mild.
49
Seoul home. Worshipped at 宗橋 Church as usual.
50
Koo Ja Ok tells me that the Directors of the Central Y. decided to close down the Higher School Course which the Hak Kwan had been carrying on during the last year or two. They had expected to have about 1,000 boys this year; but only 150 got enrolled, thus making it impossible to keep up the school. The worst part of this school, work of the Y. is that a debt of ￥6,000(00/100) is the only result which it has to show. When I took charge of the General Secretary's office in 1915, one of the knottiest problems was the Middle School. It ran the Y. into heavy debt every year. Everybody from Dr. Underwood down said it must go, but no one dared to touch it―as the question was a bundle of patriotic sentiment, prejudice and interest. The funny thing was that the "Patriots" who were loudest in their advocacy of keeping up the Middle School as a nursery for patriotism didn't give a sen to its maintenance. I sacrificed my popularity to rid the Y. of this white elephant. They called me a traitor etc. The school was resuscitated a year or so ago. It again landed the Y. on a big debt. The truth is that Y. has no business to fool with school work without an assured income for it.
52
16th. Monday. Cloudy. Mild.
53
Mailed a letter to Helen.
54
Left Seoul 12:15 train for Song Do arriving at 3 p.m. Rain began about 4. Attended the tea party which Mr. and Mrs. Snyder give to the teachers 4:30 p.m.
57
Song Do home. Rain all last night and this morning. Rain all day.
59
18th. Wednesday. Cloudy.
62
19th. Thursday. Cloudy. Chilly.
63
Left Song Do for Seoul per 9:05 a.m. train. On reaching home found 璋善 and 琦善 both suffering from bad cold. Positively cold.
64
At 3 p.m. went to Chosen Hotel to attend a teachers conference convened by the Governor of the Province.
66
20th. Friday. Pretty. Cold.
69
21st. Saturday. Pale sun and cloud. Chilly.
72
22nd. Sunday. Pretty. Windy.
73
Seoul home. Worshipped at 宗橋 Church. One 苦學生 so called whom I helped before time and again on condition he would not bother me again, followed me from the Church to home begging for ￥25.00. The meanness and cheekiness of some of these self-supporting(?) students so vexed me that I became awfully nervous and pessimistic. Cousins 致昭, 致晠, 致昞 with three of 致昭's boys came on their way to 獎忠壇. I went with them but the outing was spoiled by another of these "self supporting" students who followed me from home to 獎忠壇. I felt wretched from nervousness. This fellow demanded ￥25.00.
75
23rd. Monday. Pretty. Mild.
76
Left Seoul 12:12 p.m. train for Song Do. Misses Myer, Molk and another young lady were on the same train. Two young men, Mr. Moss and Mr. Cunningham came with them. They surprised me by smoking cigarettes face to face with the ladies. I once thought gentlemen didn't smoke before ladies. This must be another of the by-products of the Great War. America is certainly getting civilized, all right.
78
24th. Tuesday. Beautiful. Mild.
79
Song Do home. Our hills and garden are beautiful with azalias and "canaries." I prefer the naturalness of my garden to the too artificial Japanese gardens or the too scientific American parks.
81
25th. Wednesday. Beautiful. Mild.
82
Song Do home. Dr. Takahashi, the School Inspector came to the Higher Common School about two p.m. He certainly did inspect. He seemed to know his business and no wonder because he had been the principal of the Government Higher Common School in Seoul and in Taiku for over ten years. I took him home after 4 p.m. and entertained him with a little refreshment. He complained that the teachers―Korean teachers―whom he saw teaching this afternoon didn't teach in Japanese.
83
Received a loving letter from Bishop Candler. Oh, how I wish I could see him once more!
85
26th. Thursday. Beautiful. Warm.
86
Song Do home. Office as usual. The English Edition of the Osaka Mainichi says "that Count 宋秉畯 told the Minister of Imperial Household Affairs that the Crown Prince(of Japan) should visit Chosen, now that he has been to Taiwan, otherwise the Chosenese are likely to feel disappointed"!!! Now, who lied, the Minister, or the Mainichi or 宋秉畯? Except possibly, very few Koreans who may hope to get some kind of profit from such a visit, there can be no earthly reason why the Korean people should feel the least bit disappointed at not seeing the Prince.
88
27th. Friday. Pretty. Warm.
89
Left Song do for Seoul 9:05 a.m. train. Arriving home about 12 found everybody well. With wife and children took lunch at Y.M.C.A.
91
28th. Saturday. Rain. Warm.
92
Seoul home. Rain. Lunch at Y. restaurant with wife and children.
94
29th. Sunday. Cloudy. Mild.
95
Seoul home. Rain now and then. Wife gave me a pretty gold ring. I appreciate this act of thoughtfulness very much. Not that I care for the ring, in itself, but as a token of affection it is simply invaluable to my heart. Pray she give me many an agreeable surprise like this from now on!
98
Showers on and off in the morning. Left Seoul for Song Do with Washington. Sunshine afternoon.
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