◎Ye Shusui (Researcher of Lu Xun Museum)
I have a copy of the diary written by a gentleman ninety-eight years ago, and I am eager to find the author's family or relevant units to return the manuscript of the diary to its original owner, but I also feel very guilty, sorry for the author. For this diary, I also thought of various ways to find out the author of the diary and return the original manuscript of the diary, but because I could not find the exact owner, I did not dare to dispose of it at will. Then, because I was busy with the work I was facing and writing some manuscripts that I was eager to write, I had no choice but to put it down. This is more than thirty years, and unfortunately the author of the diary is probably no longer in the world.
During the epidemic, staying at home, when I was counting the old manuscripts, I happened to see it again - this diary, and then I suddenly realized, so I wrote this small article, hoping to get forgiveness and find the owner.
Origin of the diary manuscript
The cause of the incident is: In the early 1980s, I wrote an article in the Beijing Evening News entitled "Interview with the Octogenarian - Ms. Liu Shudu with a Seal For Mr. Lu Xun", and the day after the publication, the reporter of the Beijing Evening News reported that after the article was published, it caused social concern and received many calls from readers. One of them is Mr. Song Zhizhong, the president of the Beijing Printing Company, whom I do not know. Mr. Song once came to my work unit, the Lu Xun Museum in Beijing, to find me, to say thank me for writing that article, so that he could find his master who had lost contact for many years, and gave me two books, one for the "New Chinese Literature Department" to book a sample, and the other was this diary. He told me he found it in the scrap paper heap of the paper mill and said "this may be helpful for you to study Lu Xun." The diary was superficially damaged, with no cover or back cover. But I know that it is an object that has been rescued and rescued, so I know its preciousness. I accepted this generous gift from Mr. Song, expressed my sincere gratitude and said that it must be properly preserved.
The condition of the Diary
Although the shell of the diary was damaged, fortunately the diary itself was still intact. It seems that it should have been a very elaborate diary book, called "The Eleventh Year National Diary of the Republic of China". The catalogue indicates that there are "Solar Weekly Table", "Luni-Solar Calendar Reference Table", "Weekly Inspection Table for 5,000 Years", "December Income and Expenditure List", "Complicated Interest Table", "National County Name Table", etc., with a wide range of names, counting more than 30 items.
The writing of the diary is very special, written with a brush, more with purple, blue, red pens, and with red, blue and color-changing pencils, the handwriting is still clear, the whole book is unsigned. In order to find out the author of the diary, I once asked Mr. Zhu Zheng, editor-in-chief of the Hunan People's Publishing House, who had searched for relevant historical materials based on the clues provided in the diary, such as checking the "Diary of Hu Shi" when mentioning Hu Shi, looking up the "Diary of Zheng Xiaoxu" when mentioning zheng Xiaoxu's situation, and so on; I also asked Mr. Jiang Deming, a senior reporter and editor of the supplement of the People's Daily, and Mr. Wang Xianghua, a senior scholar (Mr. Wang is the son of the famous writer Mr. Wang Boxiang). Mr. Wang Xianghua has extensive contacts with people in the publishing and cultural circles. The gentlemen have searched the relevant information for this purpose, but the author of the diary has not been identified. Reluctantly, at that time, I had to temporarily store it, hoping to find something in the future.
The diary text reveals the truth
During the epidemic, I stayed at home, calmed down, and carefully read the diary again. After research, I believe that the author of this diary should be a member of the Commercial Press, and this diary is a handwritten copy of his work.
The Commercial Press is the earliest and most famous publishing institution in China, founded in Shanghai in 1897 (the 23rd year of Qing Guangxu), and then set up the main library in Shanghai. It began as a small printing workshop and gradually developed into the premier publishing and cultural institution in modern China. The establishment of the Commercial Press marks the beginning of China's modern publishing industry, with the purpose of "advocating education and opening up the wisdom of the people", and has created the glory of Chinese cultural publishing in the past 123 years.
According to the historical records of the Commercial Press, in 1903 (the twenty-ninth year of Qing Guangxu), the first branch library was opened in Hankou, Hubei Province, and then opened branches of bookstores in various places, about 40 of which were spread throughout the major cities in China and as far as overseas Singapore.
Looking at the history of the Commercial Press, compared with this diary, it can be confirmed that the author's unit should be in the Beijing Branch under the leadership of the General Library of the Commercial Press.
(1) Contact with the General Library of the Shanghai Commercial Press
January 2 diary: "Take a copy of the third Chinese seminar students, and send it to boheng to the Shanghai Main Museum."
Diary of March 9: "The letter of the Shanghai General Library is a draft guide for Beijing, and the pieces to be checked, that is, to find Dai Zhi, please do it quickly."
Diary of March 27: "The Shanghai Commercial Museum has replied to the letter, at this time to supplement the "Four Series of Publications" and "Fan Wenzheng Public Collection", can not be done, must be printed in the future when the single copy, to be reported to the popular library." ”
April 3 diary: "Visiting Liang Shengzhi in the afternoon, still for the Beijing guide manuscript (Shanghai again letter, that is, forwarded)" and so on.
(2) Two diaries show an overview of the work and activities of the Beijing Branch of the Commercial Press
April 7 Diary: "I went to Tianjin at four o'clock in the afternoon, drove at 25 o'clock at four o'clock, and arrived in Tianjin at ten o'clock at seven o'clock." ”
April 10 Diary: "When I visited Hu Shizhi at the New Hostel for a long time, and then I visited Liu Zhusheng at the Model Primary School to talk about it for a long time, I did not meet Chen Juezu (Liu Gave the school overview, etc.).
When I went to the Tianjin Pavilion, I went to the Department of Education to listen to Liang Rengong's speech, visited Li Ziqin for a brief discussion, and obtained two copies of the membership record, and then visited Wang Yiguang.
After having lunch at Xiafei Building, he went to the hotel to pay respects to members and visited Luo Xintian at Nankai School for an hour. ”
April 11 diary: "In the afternoon, I went to various hotels to visit guests, met Shao Yaqian at the Jintai Hotel and talked for a long time, and visited Jianwu at Rotary Middle School.
In the evening, the business and Zhonghua two places will welcome the members of the primary and secondary school meetings, at the youth meeting, 7:30 a.m., 10:30, 500 people will arrive, and now sun Ziwen must be the chairman, the Chinese acting librarian, the business acting movie four pieces, and other refreshments. ”
The branch library activities lasted for five days, the branch members visited well-known people from all walks of life one by one, and also extensively contacted the education community, primary and secondary school teachers and staff, held a party to spread knowledge and enhance friendship.
(3) A glimpse of the author's identity present in the diary
January 3 Diary: "Attending classes at the Chinese Workshop"
January 20 Diary: "Noon to Chinese the graduation ceremony of the seminar was ranked third. ”
March 13 Diary: "With Bai Weibo to the Ministry of Education, to the representative of the library to comfort the staff of the salary." ”
March 19 Diary: "I went to the Sports Club to elect staff members, and I was still elected as a reviewer." ”
Diary of July 14: "At the extraordinary meeting of the Education Council, it was decided to establish an executive unit of the Research and Editing Unit and to be appointed as an executive unit member. ”
Diary of October 25: "The first meeting of the main building was held in the evening, and the distribution of duties and various rules were announced. ”
Although the duties recorded are not many, it is already certain that this diary author should be one of the responsible persons of the Beijing branch of the Commercial Press.
(4) A brief description of the contents of the diary
The diary is a working notebook of the author, so there are various handwritings with different pens. It is a true record of the author's work. According to the work routine of the library, it is nothing more than selling books, cashiering and even collecting arrears. But from this gentleman's diary, we see much more than that. From beginning to end, he went deep into the grassroots of all work. From the perspective of the school field, as the head of the Beijing branch library, he traveled to all the primary and secondary schools and some professional schools in Beijing to understand their needs, interviewed the leaders of these schools one by one, and even knew the replacement of the principals of these schools very well; for the well-known people in the intellectual and educational circles at that time, he made more extensive contacts, served them, and listened to their opinions, which was the focus of this gentleman's work.
The diary recorded many examples, Mr. Li contacted a large number of people, because I did not know the social situation at that time, only to name the people who knew: Hu Shi, Cai Yuanpei, Shu Sheyu, Qian Junfu, Zheng Xiaoxu, Yang Shuda, Ye Gongqi, Zhu Kuixian, Liang Shuming... Sir's work is done very meticulously. For example, on December 25, the diary reads: "Cai Xiaomin came to ask for the purchase of the Golden Stone Compilation and The Testament of Lao Naixuan"; the diary of December 29: "To Cai Xiaomin' Letter with The Compilation of the Golden Stone, the Drawing of the Mountains and Seas and the Announcement of the Annals of Lao Naixuan" and so on. There are also many records of contacts with Mr. Lao She in many places, such as the diary of March 27: "Shu Sheyu Letter to Thank You for Tomorrow's Dinner Bureau" and June 25 Diary: "Visit Shu She to receive two boxes of business cards, face to face" and so on.
Mr. Li not only undertook the business of the library, but also undertook many social work, such as the Ministry of Education arranged to comfort the staff who asked for salaries, and the diary of March 16 had: "In the afternoon, I went to the Education Association to hold a council meeting, and was recommended to mediate the tide of learning"; I also remembered many times that I received visitors, such as the November 1 diary that had "Li Nianwu and You Zijiu visited the Affiliated Primary School of the Higher Division with Sichuan in the morning." And so on.
Piece by piece of work, reflecting the author's dedication to the cause, and the spirit of serving readers wholeheartedly, which is the specific embodiment of the purpose of the Commercial Press - "advocating education and opening up the wisdom of the people". He poured out his spirit of serving readers wholeheartedly, and was a model for the people of our Commercial Press, which made us future generations sincerely admire. The preservation of this diary will be a testimony to this period of history.
Finally, we should also thank Mr. Song Zhizhong, who rescued the cultural relics, so far he has not been able to contact Mr. Song, and I don't know if Mr. Song Zhizhong is now healthy!