We have had our first thunder storm this year, which has brought welcome rain, The wheat is now coming on quickly, and putting hope in the hearts of many that have been coming through famine conditions. This last month there has been a terrible scarcity of grain. The gramaness had a limited supply; and could only open for a few hours per day to the waiting crowds, that had come as fat as 40 li.for 3 sheng of grain, the amount alloted to each individual. Day after day we could hear of per. sons crushed to death: one woman, a young person, had her brains trampled cut. As many as 5,000: came one day for this small supply of grain. Within the last few days boats are bringing up -grain. so the situation has been very mucly relieved, Ecuors or War.
We hear echoes of war preparations in Hsuchowfu, north of us. Scholars from Suchien who are in the Hsuchow schools, have been writing home about the numbers ci soldiers arriving in that place The new soldiers sent to protect us up here are not giving very much satisfaction to the citizens, They seem to have plenty of spare time to roam about the streets. We had a stabbing affair on the street the other evening, and though they managed to get away, report has it that they ware camp soldiers. A boatman came home with some money, which he changed into copper cash and carried in. a bag over his shoulder. He was-accosted, report has it, by some soldiers. He explained his circumstances, but; the men set upon him and tried to relieve him of his cash. Being unwilling to part with it readily they took a knife and stabbed him in the face. Fortunetely, he was near his friend - or. relation's home when it happened, and they heard his cries and came to his rascue—and the soldiers made off.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.