Nanking went. through here on a trip to the northern corner of this province. Their destination was Pochou but: they may take the occasion to visit Kaifénefu. Following them came Dr. Devins, editor of the "New York Observer," who with his wife is making a tour of the world, studying mission work, He was Huaiyuen, to see the Presbyterian "tati there. His short visit here a rich treat. Coming from the other way was Mr. Bostick of the Gospel Mission. He has been working alone at Pochou for some time and was on his way to Shanghai, These numerous visitors have made we are some distance from world. Peshaps crops are not a very interesting topic to the usual reader, but they are The Life of the Chinese.
The whole country is transformed when we have such a fine harvest as has come this year. The people are more aecessible, their faces are brighter, and laughter comes oftener. They have clothing, food, and some ready money. They are contented. In contrast we note some parties of refigecs from the north where there have been the opposite conditions. When that long-looked-for railroad comes through we predict that the refugees will become a minor quantity. Here within 120 miles there ix plenty. The year has given ch a Good Harvest that labour ie very hard to obtain. The farmers are putting in largo crops of wheat and beans, the street. coolies are busy from morning till night carrying grain to the boats for shipment to 3 Ying and other river ports, and fuel is high so that every idle man is putting in his time cutting fuel. The river and anal have kept: high water unusually late and trade has been very brisk. mvery Dog has his Day.
These people need no president and secretary to form a trust, No American law could touch one of their combinations. When the fall examinations came on Nanking a large number of travellers flocked to that' city. In America, railroads would have reduced rates and hotels would have made favourable terms with parties engaging rooms and meals. Not +0 the Chine: y houseboat doubled its price, ervey ha man and liver; stable followed Inns, shopkeeper tradesmen, and coolies took the cue and the poor literary man paid up in full for the squeezing he docs the year around on the more ignorant classes. It was their time to more and they moved.
The Opium Curse yearly grows more monstrous. Those in the ports may not see in it a very series evil_and hence look lightly upon traffic. One needs but to ta journey among the fa living in rich valleys between low mountain ranges, are shut off from the con-with outside forces, to note con-Wheve we see nothing but the Chino in cities we got. to thinking that they are by nature low. A few da: we had the rare privilege of through a section where some of habitants had not travelled 20 miles from home in 50_y fe. They had a riy of the farmers scarcely one either raised or smoked opium. They ware extremely hospitable and generous. We travelled 10 miles and entered a small market. town. We were crowded down by a lot of lazy loafers, who wore long dity gowns and posed as teachers and business men, but who were saturated and ruined with opium. The one place showed what China might be, the other vividly portrayed what opium is making her.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.