Custom and duty, almost sanctified by age-old tradition and usage, make a particular appeal to our Chinese friends at this season of the year. A few days ago the very charming habit of sending the kitchen spirits aloft to make their annual report to spiritual headquarters, was duly observed, and last night they would be back again in time to take up their work for the coming year, The gods.fashioned of paper, are sent on their mission in flames, but before they go a delightful_piece of cunning is practised. Their lips are smeared with honey, or some equally sweet substance, thereby to induce them to; make nothing but the most favour. able report of the household doings, for year by year these spirits must render a statement of what has occurred and it is essential that this be good. As we have said, they will have completed—their return journey by now, and one thing they will have been able to about Shanghai. However much the country has been disturbed politically, most of the Chinese merchants have made money, and the annual settlement has been satisfactory.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.