This book has undergone multiple editions, and is available as Project Gutenberg eBook numbers 1694, 6603, 13376, 36299 and 40780.

The English notes which go to make up this Chinese class book are the result of a game which the president of the Woman's Anglo-Chinese College of Neuchang, China, induced the seven Chinese girls of the graduating class to play during the last six months of their college course. The notes were read aloud in class, taken down by a stenographer, and afterwards arranged alphabetically by the biographer assisted by the president of the college.