After a long, hard winter extending far into season" which by Fights ought to have. shown banig nant mildness but did. not, spring descered upon northern Chee with such suddenness rave forced grass, trees, and lower ing shrubs 19 assume in three 2 beauty of bloom that ordinarily Foquires three weeks to" produce. Every one is now fairly basking it the sunshine, so long absent, and all Appear as happy as though unexpectedly fallen cit' to some great Food forfare., "When the ancient declared that all men by harte are fundamentally good mnuat have been gazing at some such smili landscape as to-day meets the eye in this beautiful corner of one of China's most beautiful provinees. It seems indeed as if could a8 easily be good, now, Seemed impossible to. achieve od ness in the chill and gloom of the pant winter, While one might conceivably believe that nuvare just at present la doing the best she possibly can for the people of this region, yet there are certain respects in which even here fear and. suffering and death form the obvious facts in men's lives, Probably the greatest cause of dismay is. in regard to the Scourge of cerebra-spinal mening which has afflicted practically all northern Chekiang for the "past three seasons. This winter the Government has been endeavouring. to prevent the spread of this disease by giving free injections which ars supposed to protect one from taking it. This work has boon dono pretty thoroughly in. Huchow, and one may suppose it to have been effective, for very few cases of meningitis have 50 far been found in the city whereas before there fatalities, All winter reports have occasion ally been reccived.from the country of meningitis here and there, but recently the disease has increased. alarmingly on all sides of Huchow. In one small village north of chy there have been ten dear from meningitis within the Inst two weeks; in a district off to the northwest seventy deaths from the dis. care have occurred recently and over one hundred since the first case was roted. Similar tales, and requests for help are being brought ix from all quarters.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.