Dwellers in Shanghai during the summer heat, whatever their previous theological convictions, have. had to agree with Browning:
"There may be "heaven, there gust mats be hell; Meanwhile there is our life here,—- well?
If forced to believe in a summer hell, or at least a seasonal purgatory, one should be allowed to enjoy its corollary, a heaven, and those enthusiasts who sing the praises of various summer resorts believe that they have their earthly paradises within grasp. Personally 1 am content to celebrate Kuling as Eden since there I have discovered a hilly China and a clean China, neither of which I could have believed possible from my Shanghai experience. AS one came in sight of the first hills the background of the river scenery, a load seemed lifted, emotions were set free. Then only could one realize how subconsciously one had resented the flatness of the fields round Shanghai, Moreover Kuling hes set my mind at rest concerning the sunset. Here in the city I observed that the day ended, the night darkened, and in time another dawn presented itself. 1 inferred'a sunset from the multi coloured clouds which filled the western sky, but I never achieved a@ vantage ground whence I could see a glowing orb slip over the horizon's edge and consequently felt some natural doubt as to whether this actually happened.
But from Sunset Ridge one may look down past the green hill tops upon the wide Yangtze and Poyang Lake and sce the sun, attended Ly gorgeous procession of sumptuous-hued clouds retire, for the night in the same picturesque manner as ever. How the colours flame out across the sky, competing one with the other in vividness! How ths clear sky throbs and thrills in response! One evening a battle royal was waged between the veiling mist and the bright-hued page-entry. Gray gfiosts crept up from the valleys below only to be driven back by the clear shining of the rear-spent sun. The ordinary har-many was transformed into a. minor key as sheets of vapour rolled up again. The green rice fields. far beneath changed to strange yellow, clouds darkened, but still bright rays persisted. Little by little, aided by the on coming twilight the fogs won, clotting out the hills and shrouding the sky with a mysterious cloak
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.