ni Prolonged residence among the Chinese tends to assure the student of national characteristics that China is a museum of curiosities which in Western lands have "had their day and ceased to be," but h once did exist in places very remote from China. To some of us it seems a hopeless task to hunt for items of life and thought which have not had their parallels somewhere else.
In our second paper, the notion that photograph-taking meant. spirit-stealing was dwelt on at some length. The same objection to portrait painting exists among some Mahommedans of Europe, who fear that their souls will enter into the picture, and will therefore be debarred from the enjoyments of the limpid streams and cool retreats Ieommised by Maher among the North American Indi similar idea is said to prevail.
But it was refreshing to hear in a letter from Jersey, that until quite recently, some of the good old folks in that happy isle of potato plantations, loyalty and general geniality held it as an item in their creed that the Magic Lantern was somewhat connected with the reputed Author of Magic.
Te inay be natural for the Chinese of country districts to start with that idea. But they soon outgrow it. And as some up-country friends may have such an article as a Magic Lantern by them for use in the coming spell of cool weather, they may welcome a paper on
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.