I do not know if " Chinaman ever gets angry at himself; but when he gets very angry ut somebody else, he manifests his anger by killing nct his enemy but himself. It would be better not to kill wt all; but if any one feels bound to kill somebody, by all means let him kill himself, During one yeut—1886—forty such cases came under notice These people were not more ived of life than others are, nor were they—like Gen, Boulanger—angry xt their try. They had simply quarrelled with wife or husband or brother or sister or mother-in-law or sume other relative, and in " fit of passion sought to put an end to their own lives. A little while ago, a woman at Hungt*ung Hsien committed suicide because hor mother-in-law had commenced to study Christian doctrines.
A few days since, I was gratified to see a man coning out of a store with foreign undervest in his hand. He had just par-chased it, I subsequently found that men's undervests could be purchased at several of the city stores at prices from 500 tu about 1,000 full cash. Chinese here ure disposed to take to garments of this kind, ieutain stores tock mo over his establish:
The other day a proprietor of one of the
His wares consisted chiefly of lamps and nicknacks, but he had also a good supply of condensed milk. formed mo thi this article finds a ready sal The 300 full cash for " single hen purchased by the lot.
It is amusing how credulous the Chinese are with regard to foreigners. 'They belie' that we possess wonderful powers, which we can use either for good drill. A venerable gentleman called upon me a number of times and appeared to be quite friendly. I could not understand it. I concluded from his appearance that he was not after money or position, At Just the secret came out, One day he told mein great confidence he understood thas foreigners had the art of prolonging life so that one could live to be athousaud years old, When I informed him that even foreigners had to shuffle off this mortal coil, whether they would or not, my would-be friend disappeared and has never showed up since.
It is to be wondered at that the Chinese in this province place great confid-juice in the skill of foreign ductors, because the doctors who have practiced in Shansi hitherto have been men-of first-class standing in their profession, Their labours have done much to make the population feel and act idly towards foreigners generally. Some of the natives take advantage of this feeling to make money out of their fellow-countrymen. A case recently came under my notice of two men who are working on this Tine, Having obtained some foreign bottles they forthwith started a medicine-shop. One of the men informs the public on Dill athat he has spent several years etudying medicine in England and hence is acquainted with all the medical mysteries known to foreigners. I am informed on reliable authority that these men made fifty taels in une week, though five out of seven patients that they attended died.
In a former note, I said that the people of Shansi are not given to throwing brickbats. I am now able to modify that statement. The other evening some men demanded admittance to my compound, and on being refused, they immediately treated the court to a shower of brickbats, After the crowd had dispersed, a few stragglers kept. up the exercise fur about a half-hour. A few evenings later, the contents of a water-closet were dumped under the front gate, the gate being well painted with the same, I have been told that some of the rich men of the place prompted these acts.
The air just now is full of wild rumours, First it was reported among the natives tat the province of Kuangsi was in rebellion; then it was stated that there was " rebellion in Honan; and now it ie rumoured that there has been a massacre of Christians in Manchuria and that the people there are in rebellion ust the government. It is difficult to predict what effect these rumours will have upon the people about us. We are somewhat in the condition of many persons at home, when the time came a few years ago for the fulfilment of Mother Shipton's prophecy about the end of the world; or those who, few years later, became troubled over Wiggins' nonsense. We scarcely look for outburst of trouble here, but we do not know whether it will come or not. I have not seen any copies of thet terrible book, "Death Blow to the Devil's Doctrine," but x friendly teacher tells me that there are men in the province who have been sent here by the secret societies "pecially to stir up a feeling against foreigners, 17th December, 1891.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.