January 31 is the frst day of the year of the 'Tiger, a var which opens unhappily' for China. Indeed: it could not commence in' worse circumstances, following a disastrous six months with an unknown time of trouble stil ahead, Whatever else may be said of the old' year this is true—the Chinese have shown a bravery and fortitude, a unity and loyalty which many, who did not know them well, could hardly have believed of them. 'The repeated bbuffeis which they have sustained since the commencement of war have not weakened their determination "to withstand aggression, nor' in any. way diminished national. morale, trid it is Believed they will face what fas 10 come with just the same courage. as they have displayed in the past. Rejoleings will, naturally, be ona modified scale. No fir crackers "were allowed, curfew prevented {endance shortly after' midnight at temples for the usual religious observances, and, gen-rally, prevailing conditions must 2 damper on this annual celebration. But hearty reetings of "Kung hsi fah tsai™ will be. the: order of the day, ceremonious felicitations will bbe exchanged as' in happier circumstances auf the spirit of the old revived in these days the disastrous new. It would be idle to deavour to prophesy what China may expect before this day' comes round again. The ould ook seems black enough to encourage only the gloomiest forebodings, but there 4 fort in the thought that snow did fall before the year of the Ox ended, and that happy augury for the farmers, may, it is hoped, be also a promise of better things to come' for the whole country. That is, at any rate, what the friends of wish' for her.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.