A Time When Some Are Happy) and the Others Pay Out Mid-Autumn, the Festival of Chung-chi, according to the Chinese calendar, is fast approaching. indeed, to-day is the 12th day of the 8th moon, and the festival, which falls on the 15th, is but three Autumn festival is. due of the "biggest" days in the Chinese lunar year, being declared a general' Foliday by Chinese public offices, banks, schools, ete., and the only ones who are not so fortunate are certain business men and appren-Uees and overworked journalists.
It is seldom that a Chinese business man sends out shroffs to collect outstanding accounts but, with the approach of this festival, it is necessary that he should be' paid and that he should pay what owes to others. Mid-Autumn is! one of the only three festivals when ills are due, the other two being the Chinese New Year and the Dragon Boat Festival, Foreigners cannot understand why shroffs are rent around in the middle of the month and at a time when their Pockets are empty, neither do many Chinese, but it is x custom which has Leen followed for years and one which is not easily done away with, in spite of the fact that China, with the establishment of the Republic, tock upon herself to accept the western calendar and to do away with the lunar calendar which had been adhered to for years past. But, of course, that is easier said than done.
Presents of cakes in the shape of the full moon will be exchanged and slices will be given to the idies throughout the day to make them happy, for is not the day a In day? The contents of these differ, but they are mostly are of sweetments; water-lily seed powder, Pieces of nut, fats and other hash. The Cantonese were, we believe the first to start this custom and it has now spread northwards with the result that the northern shops are: producing cakes which compare very favourably with those made by the southerners,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.