But the women have not only their newspaper in the new type, they have started a woman's periodical, called the "Poiching Niipoo." It has had about ten issues and is certainly a most racy and animated specimen of the genus newspaper. The editor (man or woman we not know) admits, in the prospectus, that it is a great and dangerous onterprise to start a woman's newspaper in China, He fears it may not be a success, but appeals to the women to support the paper and sond'in their communications ofall variety of subjects. the editorial of to-day ('ith of September) says that the women of China must unite. The day of their emancipation lias arrived. Foreigners sty that China isa rope of sand and has no euierence,. This may be true of the meu, but let it never bs trio of the women. The women must become acquainted with each other and not be given up to: dress and show. If there is a birthday party when the baby isa month old, then the women should come together and not gossip and examine each other's clothes, but find something of value to converse about. I have a word to say (continues the editor); two hundred million Chinese women are all on the same grade, have the sine trials, and unless they units there is no hope for them Must of us (supposing the editor is a woman) are dependent upon some man or men for support, and all of us are more or less oppressed and persecuted. We have not received any form of education. We do not know how to do business, We cannot see the sky above us. those who are in prison. If our hi happen to be rich, we are rich; if they happen to be poor, we are poor. We are in no senso independent. Are we not human beings? Why should we always be thus dependent Let us unite together and mutually share our joys and our sorrows. We are of the sire blood and origin, and let us not divide up into classes, shang, chung, hsia, but let us try and be' mutually helpful. 'The editorial seems' to be a genuine cry of distress from one who fools for women of China. The items of! news are specially designed for women. The first item tells of the wife of an oficial in Poking who had a birthday party, Many guests wore invited and all came arrayed in their best garments. After a while, there came two girls, not more than twelve years of age, who were elegantly dressed but who had embroidered on their skirts the words "Ai Kuo" love your country, in beautiful character A lady prosont seized upon this circum stance to dilate to the company upon the virtue of patriotism and the duty of greater love of country. The next item speaks of the mooting of the Anti-foot-binding society which meets in the temple of the Fire-god. The writer says that the lady who hold forth on the evils of foot-binding groatly moved the hearts of those prosont. The item concludes; "let those who have defended foot-binding in times past now shame themselves to death." The paper commends the policemen who wore not afraid of foreign Tt seems that outside the Front Gate four Japanese well-diggers got into an altorcation with some Chinese and broke some windows and furniture. The policemen came and promptly arrested the Japanese and after a while sout them under guard to their Legation. A Japanese officer came to the scene of the disturbance to investigate, and found the facts as ro. ported. What punishment will be moted out to the criminals remains to be The paper is certainly most interesting and has sure future if it continues as it has begun.
Perhaps the most startling among all the items in this woman's paper is the offer of a toward advancing from two to twenty dollars for information on the following subjects: Ist. The editor wishes to know the number of women in Peking who are acquainted with the English or any other foreign language. 2nd. How many womon are studying in the newly-established schools in Peking What are the ages of these women? 3rd. The editor now shows the true spirit of the modern reformer and wishes to know how many blue-buttoned mandarins, or those of higher rank, have con-cubiness. These concubines are arranged in six grades or classes. 1—How many have been bought? 2—How many are in these families having been introduced as young slave girls? 3—How many have been bought by go-betiweons and are in a senso fairly married? 4—How many be-Jong to the low class of prostitutes?" 5—How many are the gifts of friends who have held them as slaves? 6—How many are bought outright by friends and presented as gifts The 4th great item of information wanted, is to know how mani families of high class in Peking have slaves, Sth. What families of high rank in Poking have as many as five slave girls, and what isthe age of these girls 6th, What families have slaves over twenty years of age? Zth. What merchants and. officials over fifty. years of age in Peking have con-cubiness in their families?" 8th. What families have over three concubines These items of information are sought as a sociological study, and the names and facts presented will be published in the paper in question, The Coolies on the Rand, Some of our Peking coolies who went to Africa are beginning to retura. Some are able to endure the hard work of the mines and some are home-sick and return under various pretexts. One just returned gives a rather doleful picture of the condition of those who work in the mines, and says they are entirely in the hands of the interpreters who will never do them a good turn unless well-paid, The food is poorly evoked and there is no one to plead their cause, If anything goes amiss the poor coolie is fined ten days of hard labour without pay, and may get a beating besides. Every thing is very dear end he is floeced one very side. Several have died for no reason but lack of care or a little rest whau not well. When one pleads sickness he is more apt to get blows or reviling than ewe or medicine. Doubtless, there are two sides to the story but that it is all smooth sailing for the hard-working coolie, it is ditticult 10 believe after hearing these slones.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.