The " subsequent conference occupied the better part of two days, and, according to the report of one present, proved a veritable battle of wits, sharpened by any practice in the subtleties of Chinese psychology. The first demand of. the aggrieved relatives of the dead woman was for-a four-day theatrical performance in her native village, but this was neatly turned down by the adjudicators on the score that such a public event world bring great expense to the villagers. and expose them to invasion' by hordes of relatives from far ans wide, all keen to share in the excitement, and as keen to sponge upon their reluctant hosts. Turoing to the very important questions of the coffin and funeral arrangements, a strong case was made out for the punishment of the grandmother by forcing her to give up her own handsome $300 coffin for the girl whose life she had made unbearable by her insults. This was considered a reasonable. demand, and true poetic justice. Ha-] it not been for the tragic cireumstances of her death, the childless grand-daughter-in-law would have been hurriedly buried, with scant ceremony, in a makeshift coffin. The funeral would have excited Little interest, and the family would have turned expectiantly to discuss the prospects of securing a bride for the bereaved husband, But here
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.