Those who desire to tread delicately in discoursing on the topic of the weather, lest they should stir the apparently sleeping dogs of Vulcan will of be disposed to make much fuss bout the arrival of Ta Shu, the day of the Great Heat. Normally. this day should see the peak of the mexcury's performances during the hot weather. Yet it is unwise to expect Siccawei 10 Ale itself, too tightly the chariot wheels of the Calendar. Except for a hectic spell during which Salamanders alone were happy, July has tempered its thermometrical estasies with discretion. But the toughness of Shanghailanders proverbial; how otherwise can be explained the fact that on the eve of Ta Shu two young men undertook to knock each other about and a large company defied the heat to see them do it? 'The result is not known at the time of writing. Whether Mr. Shelactt or Mr. Alde received the judge's ap-Droval for his prowess in the noblest art of all will be known to renders of a later' page than this. They both, however, deserved commendation for braving the rigours of the present temperature even in so good cause, Ta Shu, however, raises certain hopes and gives certain consol When it hus arrived it is possible to deckire that within a fortnight the bey'naing of Autumn will be at hand ard within a bare calendar month will come the blessed Chu Shu, or the end of the Heat, Words may not mean much; they can be readily refuted by the wicked mercury, but their mere utterance creates" a psycholoyieal influence against which the power of Slecawel to contend for very tong is obviously
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.