Ip one were to sit down with the purpose of writing an essay on the Decay of Iustitutions in Shanghai, we fear that he would find a large amount of matter ready to his hand. In some instances, it is true, there has been development and not decay, as, for example, in the case of the Shanghai Art Society, which we believe attained its present proportions from the modest status of a private sketching-club. But preponderance of evidence would, we fear, be found on the other side. What ever may be the cause—the depressing influences of the climate, the lack of elasticity in trade, or what not—certain it is that motitations which once flourished greatly in our midst fou now no longer. They are not necessarily dead, or even moribund; but they seem to lave fallen into a state of slow, from which there is but little ility of rousing them. Racing, ance, is not the thing it once was in Shanghai, as may be seen by the languid interest taken in "events," in the lot. teries, and the increasing nambers of mon who are 80 wise as to spend their race-holidays up country, This, we think, is by no means to be regretted, though it nevertheless affords an apt illustration of our contention, The Philharmonic Society hi been a thing of the past because ti is no musical talent in Shanghai—indeed, no one who regularly attended the concerts given at the nie Hall during the past winter needs assurances on that head—but because there is not, apparently, suffi. cient energy among us to form and maintain an active orgauisntion such one in this place has very greatly diminished of late years, A single glance at one of the photograph of the old Philharmovio Society will bring to mind at lerist a doz who used at one time to deligl the cello, the fate, the even the organ, and whose naines will immediately occur to many readers of these lines, But some are dead, and some are gone, And some are married and undo And some are living at Boulog Tu any case, t xist no lon, for: us here, and with them all vitality seems to have left us too, And we fear that of all the immemorial institu. tions in Shanghai which are falling. into decay there is no more striking instance than the Amateur Dramatic Clab. Oar earliest recollections of this venerable fraternity go back to the night on which the old Lyceum Theatre was opened—the Lycum which was after. wards burnt down, 'The performance consisted of ' Whitebait at Greenwich' and the burlesque of ' Fanst'—the hero and heroine of the latter piece are still in Shanghai, but one has left the stage altogether, atid the other appears but seldom. The now Lyceum has not altogether borne out the fine traditions of its predecessor. It is long since we have had such performano Ray Blas, the Ticket of Leave Man,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.