美國外交官中國來信之 太后初心（53）

致愛女

北京，美國公使館 

1903年6月21日

我們收到太后賞賜的一個黃色錦緞盒子，內裝兩塊黃色玉佩，這是送給我們小外孫女的禮物。我和你父親今天將它們寄給你。這實在太出乎我的意料了。剛給你說過在15號的覲見中太后熱忱都祝賀了我，現在這麼體貼地派人送來禮物，對這件喜事表示重視。每塊玉佩都完美無瑕，但我珍視的是太后對我們小寶貝的關心。有意思吧－－這可是太後頭一回給外國小朋友送禮物呢。(We have received from Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, yellow silk boxes containing two beautiful jade ornaments for our little granddaughter, and we forward them to you to-day. This was a great surprise to us all. Of her cordial congratulations to me at the audience on the fifteenth I have already written you, and now comes this thoughtful recognition of out joy. These gifts are beautiful, but I prize even more than the gifts the thought that made Her Majesty bestow them upon our baby. It will interest you to know that these are Her Majesty's first gifts sent to a foreign little one.)