Wo are looking and longing for fair weather, having now had about 10 days? rain, offhand on; it is a critical time with the wheat. Thus far it has looked promising and hopes were raised high for a good crop this year, and all the more seeing that the short crop last yenr_has surrounded us with hundreds of starving people. But the Chinese who go by dates and prophecies s0 much, make a long face and say "we fear a bad crop because it. rained on the Ist of thodth month," which experience has taught them is going to be followed by more rain. This yenr, alas! proves their prophecy and ives them ground for their worst fears ing realised. Sunshine for eight or ten days would seo the wheat crop ripe and harvested; but what the future will be we await with fear and trembling.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.