The verbal skirmishing prelim-mary to the gist of a conversation between Chinese never, fails to en-terrain him of the West. To proceed to the point immediately were to violate the tradition of centuries; and the hereditary composure with which the person addressed receives the opening statement, can never be Simulated by the occidental. With what assurance the party of the first part announces, "The moon is made of green cheese," or words that effect, a statement which arouse him of the second no inereduality whatever. On the contrary, hho is quick to repeat the statement, and follows this with an expression of admiration for the other's discovery. There can be"no question but that meanwhile he is asking himself, "Now what can the blighter be getting at?" But nothing of this recorded on his countenance, which remains impassive, or at the most politely expectant of a revelation of the brand of cheese that constitutes' the moon. After fifteen or twenty minutes of this sort of thing, the conversers settle down to business.
Let the foreigner picture someone entering his office with the remark that the moon la thus built, and the haste with which he would reach for the bell or even a handy pon in the conviction that his, visitor was quite mad. We he none of the finesse of the Chinese in beating about the bush. If difident, we are limited to vouchsafing to others n few glimpses of the obvious, as, for example, the state of the weather. In this the Chinese havea tremendous advantage in the absence of an equivalent for good morning" ete. Their "lei-ta" is a complete conversation in itself. the visitor is welcome, the expres~ sion is made to convey the belief that he ix heaven-sent, And the way in which it can be made to mean, "Oh, #0 you're here again, are you?" is delicious.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.