From tHe"Nortu-Cutna Dary News" or NOVEMBER 27, 1878
From Soochow:—The 27th of the 10th moon was one of the days of special good luck. On every street weddings were the order of the day. On this auspicious day, the mother of the Criminal Judge' reached the venerable age of three score and ten, and all the \cricials went "to worship age." The dutiful grey-headed son had a feast and stage plays at the Tsonglongding, the pleasure garden under ' Imperial patronage. The feast is supposed to consist only of mine, or Chinese mac-carone, three" yards long, as in the eating' line to furnish the most extended idea of elongation. Today was the rule of opposites. A couple of criminals were executed. The three District Magistrates take turns at this ceremony. There was a good turn-out of soldiery: The unfortunate, is carried on an open cage, three feet square, in which he has to sit down. These frequent executions at the provincial capital, to which all to be decapitated are brought, are largely attended.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.