Fifteen Days Required to Celebrate their Festival: A
Coolie's Thanks Clad in their best, "Sunday togs," a very large crowd of happy and bright-looking Chinese of the poorer class filled the two halls of the Shanghai Mission to Riesha Men la Dixwell and Alabaster Roads on Sunday night to hear the message of Christmas and to receive the presents of the generous hearted people of Shanghai for which they usually Took at this time of the year.
Men, women and children fled into the halls and with amazing rapidity. There was not even standing room but those outside took the situation in good humour, 'The little platform carried the hon, director of the mission, Mr. George Matheson, and ants. The pulpit' was covered with leaflets on religious subjects as well ax on health and trafic matters.
Above the platform was a huge red scroll on which were the}
Chinese words representing "The Holy Event of Christmas." Pictures and Christian literature covered the walls. Festoons, garlands and flags were hung up, making the hall look cheerful as heaven compared with the dreary long days which the poor coolies have to endure during both the hot summer and; the cold winter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.