To the Editor of the "Nonri-Cunta Darty News"
Sm—There should be limits to the} hospitality of the top deck of a bus. On two evenings this week T have been compelled to listen to a "sermon" in bad English delivered by Chinese in a long gown standing in the front of the bus in the middle fof the gangway. A few evenings ago he gave a crude exposition of the elements of the Christian faith between Mohawk Road and Gordon' Road. Yesterday evening he boarded the bus at Yates Road and from there to Seymour Road expounded the re~ ation between the present wars and the approaching end of the world. I donot know why he speaks in English—there can hardly be a member of the English-speaking nations listening to him who could not tell him more about his subject than he knows himself. Moreover, as he is speaking against time and has a very limited vocabulary, the effect to an English ear smacks of irreverence land is therefore offensive to those who have a respect for that which. hho imagines he is "propagating".
This kind of thing might lead anywhere, What is to prevent a member 'Are you inter sted in baseball games, Mr. Brown' he quotes, this' time "right off the _hand-book. T corrected him, "not Brown."
He was delighted. And the next he wanted to know was when had seen Mister Shakespeare last, "0, avery, very Jlong time ago" I said, consolingly. 'Noticing a smile fon my face he ventured again. And this he had already on tap. "You always look happy. You must be rich man—Here is food for thought.' I was being rapidly persuaded to think #0 too, and the old saw about being saved from one's friends rose to mind. Here a crowd enveloped us, T emitted a ery of pain, but our student went on unperturbed. "Have you no trouble in life? 1 take the best and leave the rest." "I have lost my ring, but I still have my fingers" I hit back, word for word, and took the first turn—alone.
"Christmas comes but once a year" he flung, at me as did 30, "and when it comes it brings good cheer." T did not think so.
"Speak rhythmically" counsel the Dons, a very counsel of placidity. But, obviously, they were then not considering the case where the anomalous unites pivot around a particular point, ike the _abo\ though purely imaginary it be a meaning offence to no one and only in the spirit of tun.
Shanghai, July 6.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.