Unofficial letters of an official's wife [by] Edith Moses.

UNOFFICIAL LETTERS OF

MANILA, December 24, 1901.
TO-DAY we said an revoir to Governor Taft and
his family. They left on the Sheridan for San
Francisco, and the Filipinos are lamenting their departure. " We have never had a good governor
who was not taken from us," an old Filipino friend
said to me to-day as we were returning from the
transport. Many deputations and committees of
Filipinos have waited on the governor during the
past week. He did not wish to go away without
seeing them, so the last days have been exhausting.
As he went on board the transport he looked pale
and worn, but he was in good spirits, and was able
to stand up and shake hands with the hundred or
more friends who came to say good-by. If the
government knows what is best for the Philippine
Islands, Governor Taft will remain in office as long
as his services can be retained, for he has a rare
gift of attraction for, and sympathy with, the native
population. At the same time he has the wisdom to
govern them wisely.
MANILA, December 26, 1901.
CHRISTMAS was not a very lively fiesta with
us, for Auria was ill in bed. With the exception of a box of lemons from San Francisco, our
Christmas presents did not arrive, but I bought a
little artificial German tree, hung all kinds of decorations on its stiff wire branches, and under it
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