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We now come through the porch and enter the verandah. This is an open one, and very cool and pleasant in the middle of the day. We look into the dining room where the animals are fed, and there they are, throwing in the rice with their chopsticks at a fine rate. There are two rows of square tables, and they sit on bamboo stools, and eat out of very curious plates. Their food costs but very little, although they eat a great deal of it. Two meals a day is all they require; but then they lay in a good stock while they are at it. The feeding times are a quarter to eight and half past four.
We now turn the corner of the verandah, and just glance at the rooms of the upper servants, masters, etc. At the end of the verandah is my bath room, with a jolly large bath in it where I perform my ablutions. Before the verandah is the play ground, where the pupils having done dinner are now at play. They have such a strange way of playing that if we look for a long time we shall not understand it.
So I will now take you through the bath room, up my private stairs, which I never use except to go down from the dressing room to bathe. By turning to the other side of the plan you will see where we have come up into the dressing room. Here hang all my clothes, and I have all the apparatus one can desire. I had it painted afresh. There is a large strong box, where I can keep clothes, etc.
We now come out on the verandah, and enjoy the view. The trees are so high that they reach the verandah and form a pleasant shade. This is my own private verandah. We will now enter by the large glass doors into my parlour; a very neat little room which I have had newly painted, and set out very neatly. The floor, like every other floor in the college is painted. The Chinese are excellent imitators of marble; and they paint it so naturally that it looks like square slabs of variegated marble let into the ground; dark, and whitish alternately. There is a large mahogany book case or secretary, with cupboards underneath; as many arm chairs as I like out of the library. Two easy chairs were lent me for an indefinite period by Mr Beach, who is going to Tien Tsin. One is an old fashioned one, with a spring cushion, and back, and a reading stand and candlestick which move in a socket in the arms, in any direction. The other is a very easy one, and well lined with wadding. There is a neat fire place, brass fender, marbled mantle piece, etc. A fine portrait of the Bp hangs over it; other pictures in frames hang round the room. It