The Governor of Shensi, Chang Lis har collected from 118 pawnbrokers Tis., e00 for the Yellow River Works,—Shén The Governor of Kuangsi, Shen Ping-cheng, is transferred to Anhuias Governor, and has started for his new post.
The following telegrams have been received from Shantung about the Yellow River floods:—There was no breach at Tsi-yang or Hui-nin, aud_the water is running off rapidly there. Fresh dams are being built rapidly. Every village in Kao-yuan Hien COB) was flooded, and seven or eight-tenths of the houses were knocked down, Each person is having 23 catties millet, and a mat, which will last 6 or 7 days. If each received 5 catties, 320,000 or 330,000 catties would be necessary for each distribution, of which seven or eight would be required. (12th August).
At Kao-yuan (; and Poh-hing (th) the water is round the walls, and is 70 Uiat broadest. Loh-an ($842) was reached by the water on 3ist July; heavy rain. People on house-tops and trees waiting for help. Boats cannot get about easily (13th August).
vinees (in ugsu, Kiangsi, and An-The beg hed the Two Kiang" Pro-hui), Tseng Kuo-chuan, has endorsed the following rescript in response to the petition of the Soochow gentry Sung Tsun and others.
The Petition represents that in consequence of the destitution to which the people of Shantung Province have been reduced by recent calamities, certain unworthy characters are taking advantage of their poverty to buy from them their wives, enghiets, sad eativee, nen Se Sigh the rake of the buyers. This is most sad ringing them up to disgraceful lives for
and most hateful. The gentlemen who are the signatories of the petition have contributed Tls. 1,000 which they forwarded to Taotai Sheng, Intendant of the Circuit comprising Teng-chow, Lai-chow, and Ts'ing-chow Prefectures, Shantung, to be distributed by the Taotai among the members of the Relief Committee in all parts of the affected districts, to be used by them in buying back the victims of this wickedness; and Mr. Sung and other gentlemen of influence have been invited to proceed to Shantung and open a home for the rearing and education of the young persons so redeemed; whence their bond side relations will have the opportunity of taking them back to their homes in better times on signing the necessary guarantees, This shows more than ordinary good feeling on the part of the promoter of the scheme; but owing to the large area of the distressed district, a larger sum will of course be required to carry it effectually out. I there: fore have pleasure in expressing my entire approval of their suggestions, and in con tributing Tis, 2,000, which T am sending to Sheng Taotai. "A part of the unemployed balance of the charitable subscriptions for the distressed in Kiangsu and Anhui will also be devoted to this useful purpose.
Iam writing to Sheng Taotai and to the Taotai of Shanghai, andinstructing the latter to communicate with the Commissioner of Customs, and request him, when steamers from the northern ports arrive at Shanghai, to have them carefully searched, and should any of the miscreants who have been buying women be found on board, to arrest them, and to forward the women to the agents of the home, or refuge, to be taken Viapistrate will try, and punish according, roper care of. The Shanghai District to law if found guilty, all persons arrest under such circumstances,—Hu Pao, Among men, who that h of a stock or a stone but wi ife to share his in the world of they became Mei, they compact of marriage which they fondly hoped would last a hundred years, will (ry to meet in Hades and arrange a union of the yin and yang, if all tal true. But fora kwei to aspire to matrimony; ith a blooming damsel of our upper world, is a strange ambition indeed. A friend from Sin-hui in Canton Province relates a case, however. Near Kong-mun lives a girl named Lin Luh-chu, lovely as a gem or as the sea-born pearl her name implies, A well-off party in a near village, named Chu, was giving a theatrical performance to thank the gods for recent benefits received, and Miss Lin's parents took her to see the show, which had lasted well into the night before they returned to Kongmun, All chatted loudly of the pathetic rts or the amusing passages of the piece, the girl walked with hanging head, as if lost in deep thought. Her abstracted manner was attributed, however, by all to nothing more than very natural sleepiness. Suddeuly, on arriving at home, she start into an erect and alert attitude, and said to her mother "*A young man named Chu has asked for my hand, and I have promised to be his wife." She then immediately relapsed into a trance-) state, muttering to herself in an unintelligible way. The old folks were greatly alarmed, judging she must have demon, and set to work to exorcise it by a after plan, all equally ieceasful.
nally they instituted inquiries about the person she had mentioned, and found that in the next village there hnd been such a. young man, but he had died in business abroad, and his coffin had been brought back to his native place a year ago. He had left no relations but a father and mother, who had been drinking their tears as they reflected how their line would become extinct fur ever when they two died. 'A few nights before, however, old Mrs, Chu bad dreamt that her son stood at her bed-head, and said "I have betrothed a
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.