Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Firecracker Land - Pictures of the Chinese World for Younger Reader

Firecracker Land - Pictures of the Chinese World for Younger Reader

Ayscough, Florence

Paperback

Travel Writing

Currently unavailable to order

ISBN10: 1406705586
ISBN13: 9781406705584
Publisher: Dodo Pr
Pages: 364
Weight: 1.02
Height: 0.81 Width: 5.50 Depth: 8.50
Language: English
FIRECRACKER Pictures of the Chinese for Younger Readers By FLORENCE AYSCOUGH With Illustrations by LUCILLE DOUGLASS THE JUNIOR LITERARY GUILD AND HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANT NEW YOItK MCMXXXII XTP THE YANGTZE KIANG COPYRIGHT, 1932, BY FLORENCE AYSCOUGH ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INCLUDING THK RIGHT TO REPRODUCE THIS BOOK OR FARTS THEREOF IN ANY FOftM CAMBRIDGE PRINTED TO JOHN HODDEN, ESQ, You, Sir, in your days of youth and strength have met with dangerous times your intelligence, bright as sun and moon, Is an aid to the administration the courageous vigor of your bearing is a very real comfort to the people. Altars of State to the Spirits of Earth, to the Spirits of Grain, arc now restored The tangle of calamity, the fierce fighting, have ceased if it be not you, Sir, who has done this thing TK Fu Th jfutobiogr phy of a Chinese Poet ABOUT FLORENCE AYSCOUGH who wrofff the book By LUCILLE DOUGLASS who drew the pictures WE SAT In Florence Ayscoughs upstairs study at St. Andrews, In New Brunswick., looking through the broad window laced with branches, across the Bay f Plentiful Fish. I had found her there at her desk, a vivid figure in scarlet and purple the colours which she has made peculiarly her own and of which she has woven brilliant patterning across her allotted space in the tapestry of life-Her profile showed clear-cut against the dark frame of a mirror in which was reflected the brilliant green of the leaves outside, dancing in the sunlight. The neck lace of opals she wore sent back this brightness in myriad shafts of colon r, making a perfect setting for the por trait I had come to paint. The colours fairly sang the colours on my palette answered, but over my soul settled the shadow ofutter inadequacy. Ah I ex claimed, paraphrasing Li Tai-po, who has referred to 6 the bitterness of writing poetry I feel the bitterness of painting portraits One can put on canvas the finely modelled features carved in broad planes, as if sculptured from marble the black hair, with its peculiar dusky purple quality, folding itself into a frame for the face, but it is another matter to fix the lightning shift of expression that har monizes with her quickly moving mind like the play of light and shade on the surface of the mirror. X INTRODUCTION Before my eyes rose innumerable pictures against innumerable backgrounds. In place of the mirror and its gay reflections, I saw her sitting in front of the Moon Fireplace in her Grass Hut on the Yellow Reach, where so often I literally sat at her feet and listened while she read her newest translation or talked of the Chinese culture which forms the background of her life. Sometimes it was the theatre of which she is so fond and which we often attended together, accompanied by the Number Two Boy, who translated for us. Again, it was the intimate happenings of the household for Mrs. Ayscough always takes the keenest interest in all those who touch her life, how r ever casually. Her range of in terests ran the gamut from the larger concerns of war relief to the home for Chinese girls who were salvaged from unspeakable misery and hardship and cared for until suitable marriages could be arranged for them. She is peculiarly sympathetic with young people. One incident comes vividly to my mind. Pavlova was giving a series of performances in Shanghai, Mrs. Ayscough had a birthday party for me, taking us later to see the famous dancer. Pavlova wasimpersonating the French dolL Looking at her exquisite dance, it seemed to me such a pity to be grown up and disil lusioned, and I said to Mrs. Ayscough When 1 see that, I long to be ten years old. How I wish every child In Shanghai could watch that doll come to life. It would be like seeing a miracle Instantly her face lit up. They shall see itP she exclaimed. No sooner said than done. An early morning visit to Pavlova. A conference with the manager of the theatre INTRODUCTION xi A matinee was arranged. The schools were notified. The house was filled with eager faces...

Also in

Travel Writing

View All