Rain is falling, however, and that is something to brighten the gloom of the city for there has been a long dry spell in this neighbourhood and the farmers have been uneasy about the bean crop. In spite of the tumult which disturbs and wrecks the course of human plans and human lives old mother earth goes on with the production of food for those who remain, provided she is given the opportunity and a feeling of satisfaction surges up in the breast at the prospect of plenty of food even though one may wonder what persons will be lucky enough to enjoy it.
The wheat crop just gathered was unusually good. True to form the Taichow county farmers are feeble in the expressions of gratitude for be-befits received. The old expression "as not as bad as some years" means much if one keeps in mind the lack of thankfulness which seems to be A little earlier on June 6, three more planes appeared from the northeast, and circling and dipping for half an hour laid six more of their devilish eggs, before flying off in the direction whence they had come. These planes all evidently came from carriers lying or plying off the Yellow Sea coast below Haichow. Four of this day's nest were dropped in the somewhat crowded market section just outside the West Gate, with the result that three civilians (including one child) were injured, one man dying before sunset. The first of these set fire to some straw-roofed buildings, and before it could be gotten under control some 30 or 40 shops in the rice market section were burned. One rice boat was sunk.
As a result many of the poor who had set up small business stands just Outside the gate have again fled to the country. The first bomb dropped on that day was in an old deserted temple, already badly burned last year, just over the west wall from the American Presbyterian (South) Mission compound, within 100 yds. off the closed hospital buildings, and 150 yards off the two residences. This is the closest call in all the many bombings which this city has endured, but only a few broken panes of glass and some fallen plaster prove that the protecting Providence of a righteous God was overshadowing the mission.
The writer spent Sunday, June 4, at Nan-yang-an, a town 25 li east of here. Before the morning service was concluded, cries of "fire" were heard. Due to a moderate wind and straw roofs which were tinder-dry by reason of the long drought, and also the, antiquated fire-fighting equipment, 68 houses went within a short period L"fore the fire could be brought under control and burned itself out o" the leeward edge of the town. But it advanced so rapidly that many of the poor people lost practically all they possessed. The loss was estimated at not less than $20,000. But as these were mostly of the poorest classes, and moreover crowded with refugees, some of whom had just arrived to escape the bombings in the city, the consequent suffering is incomputable.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.