3. Average of sixty private society-dinners.
4. Average of thirty to fifty invitations to charitable, musical, uncharitable, and non-musical colonial gatherings.
5. Average of a hundred and fifty social afternoon calls.
6. Average of thirty requests for contributions to Japanese publications.
7. Average of a hundred requests for pecuniary contributions from all sources.
8. Average of four requests per month for speeches or outside lectures.
9. Average of a hundred calls from students “wanting” things—chiefly to waste the professor’s time.
This is only about half the list. I say “No” to everything—softly, of course. Otherwise how should I exist, breathe, even have time to think?—much less write books? Oh dear, oh dear!—What a farce it is! When they first started, they wanted the professors to wear a uniform of scarlet and gold. (I am sure about the gold—not quite sure about the scarlet.) The professors kicked at the gold,—luckily for themselves!
Ever affectionately,
Lafcadio.