This was but one of many for on all the roads and crossways every variety of entangled wheel and horse gear was evident, a whole "generation of Chinamen out looking on or howling their fill to no effect. Near by, the solid streets and well-ordered pavements of the Japanese settlement were as though they had not been. The Chinaman beholds with envious eye the glittering gewgaws of the West and takes to them as a duck takes to water—gold watch, finger ring, fountain pen, goggle glasses, but for stomach now than he had in the days of Tutankhamen.
His home life, too, as I glimpse it through the Manchurian ragged window is fearsome. No wonder he takes to drink, to malang and opium. Anything that will cause him to forget his desolation ought surely to be welcomed. Evidently he has no mind for Western home life—a bed to rest on, a comfortable chair to be seated in, a clean well-ordered room, a wife with favourable eye, soft voice and engaging manner; while at the same time his very soul tingles at the thought of labour union, woman suffrage, power of the press, glorious Republic, votes,. office and emoluments. Could' this hair-brained generation turn wise enough to drop Western make-believes and give honest thought to public service of a practical order it might rise t. something.
RUSSIA'S MIGHT AND FALL, When I last visited Manchuria, Russia was a name to conjure with. The might of all worldly empires lived just beyond the northern border. One growl from his bristling throat made the whole world tremble. Who did not fe him? To-day, trampled in the mire, we see his poor remnants scattered over Manchuria. Kicked, and cuffed by those who were once "only Chinese"; set -upon to do the lowest coolie work; reduced by want to rags and wretchedness, he surely is a spectacle for men and angels as he treads in long boots and short blouse, this lowest ying of the Slav's in-feme.
How Japan used to fear the Russia; how Korea hoped on him; how Manchuria trembled neath his knout! But he is gone and' in his place is the wild woolly creature called Bolsheviki, t.o evil for words, too. ignorant tutor even a band of Buriats; too miserably poor to wage any war but windy propaganda—a hobgoblin nation cooking out of what was once great Russia a witches' cauldron. This is all that is felt as far as Manchuria can see. Russia, once a great fear, is now removed but other fears assuredly will come.
'THE DISCARDED DROSKY, I cannot leave Manchuria without a closing word. We are in the age of rapid transportation—special train service, fast ocean liner, air flight and what not. These have set the whole world a-moving. The Chinaman, tov, not to be behind the times, j has also dreamed of motion. He no doubt feels himself ell abreast of the age spinning along through space in a way. highly satisfactory. In answer to his flights.of imagination come all the discarded droskies of Russia from the first one built by Peter the Great, horse, harness and wheel of a most ancient and honourable pattern, down to the poor waifs and strays cast adrift in the streets of Harbin. By rag good roads he has no more! and string and bits of wire they
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.