This year for the first time "in the memory of the oldest inhabitant" opium was seen growing close to the limits of the city wall. While we have suffered from China's common curse with every other part of the land, the special poverty the people here has kept the uso of opium within something like moderate bounds. But of late there seems to be fa marked increase in the number of shops doing business in this article and an increase in the amount of new land being taken up with the culture of this dangerous weed. During the last month one of the widest itineraters in the Eastern part of the Province has remarked on the ro-cently increased area now being used for this purpose. It seemed clear that in this section the deadly habit is gaining ground. Not only here, however, but everywhere throughout the land there seems to be evidence bearing on this fact. Of this the careful rader of the letters of your widely-scattered correspondents can have very little doubt. As we walked through the fields this summer, adorned as they were with these seemingly in: nocent flowers, some one suggested to the owner of the field, who was out looking after his interests, that those were "men-killing flowers." No, only good to eat (smoke)." "But don't you know that men who eat opium nearly always die, not from ordinary disease but from the effects of opium "Yes." "Well, than, how Goes a man who raises and sells this opium differ from a murderer?" It scorned a new idea to him. We left him, and passing on we reflected how much sorrow there is in the world because men do not think, sometimes perhaps often because men are unwilling to think,—really think their thoughts and deeds to a conclusion. Perhaps we often stifle our thoughts fearing the consequences of the thinking. Tt is to be profoundly hoped that the efforts now being made in the U. 8. may lead to some friendly intervention which will in turn result in governmental action. Moral suasion will not be sufficient, Perhaps one reason for the increas umber of opium shops, etc., here is the increased trafic and trade that seems to be waking up a part of our usually quiet city. The cholera quarantine at Chefoo ade it necessary for numerous small boats to make our humble port a landing-place for many going to and from the interior of Shantung and Manchuria. Many are now finding the shorter route to sfanchuria, and since now it is possible to get boats frequently, the trafic has continued, though the cholera
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.