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SCENES OF A CHINESE JO URNE Y PART 11. Tn Hong Moon houses may be perpetually leased and the landlord can never afterward advance the rent. Property may advance in value, the city may grow, but rents never. A man may occupy a corner store in the very heart of the city and only pay $5 a month rental, because his grandfather leased it many years ago at that price. Deng Shan. A custom prevails in China of selling leases, the transaction being known as 4 ‘deng shau.” Here is a place one may wish; and while the present oc cupant’s stock in trade may only consist of a few stools and empty shelves, yet he may ask for his lease one or two thousand dollars. It is not a question of value but squeeze. Then in addition to the exorbitant price for the purchase of the lease there will be a far greater outlay required to put the property in habitable condition. Squeezing. “Squeezing” is a universal custom in China. Your cook adds a per cent, to all he buys for you; he gets a commission on your account at the Com pradore’s (merchant’s); the washman pays tribute to your servants by doing a portion of their laun dry without charge. Officialdom lives by squeeze. While a district magistrate may only receive S3OO salary yet he often pays as much as $lO,- 000,000 to receive the appointment. Who makes up the difference? Squeeze, graft. American pol iticians might come to China and take lessons in this fine art. Do you wonder that Cuba is filled with a discontented people and that a revolution ary spirit is abroad ? A criminal with money, if he is willing to liberally transfer it to official cof fers, need have no fears. Imaginary claims are of ten hatched up against wealthy people and to save anything they must liberally bestow their goods upon the powers that be. Officialdom in China is rotten and throttles the life of the nation! Acute Competition. The landing for the small boats plying between Kong Moon and Sun Wooi City was immediately in front of our hotel. Each boat is oared by two or three men, and will accommodate three to four passengers; the fare for the trip being ten or fif teen cents. Here competition is at a very acute stage. As soon as a prospective passenger appears a swarm of boat-men surround him, and neither lungs nor gesticulations are spared to capture his patronage. It is a wonder that the poor passen gers are not pulled to pieces. Here is an illustra tion of what an American cabman would do were it not for laws which allow nothing more than vio lent clearing of the throat to attract attention to his claims. Without Hope. The usual landing for funeral parties was also near us. One who knows the safety that comes through the blood of Christ can not look with a light heart upon the scenes so frequently enacted in these heathen services for the dead. Could you look wi hout pain as relatives in white mourning apparel prostrate themselves before the coffin, as sevants throw to the wind representations of pa per money for the use of th Q departed spirit, as the deep w ilirg of family and hired moaners tell 'that another s nil has passed out into endless night? The Curse of China. Opi l m is China’s curse! There was scarcely a room in the hotel in which some one was nos smok ing opium; in almost every store there is an opium bed; look oat the river at night and in boat after boat the tiny lamp speaks of slaves to an awful habit. Old and young, rich and poor, bow at its shrine and are held captive by its stronger than iron chains. Eighty balls of opium, valued at S2O each, were carried on our launch and deliv ered to dealers in Kong Moon. We were told that that boat captain daily consumed a dollar’s worth. China is poor in purse and in soul; opium drains her life away. If she were not decrepid she would By C. S. Todd, Missionary, Macao, China. The Golden Age for August 23, 1906. arise and say to England, who has forced opium upon her, “You must stop, long enough your Indian opium has sapped our life’s blood, but it shall do so no longer.” Oh, that England might see the curse she is forcing upon China and that this rev enue is blood money indeed! A united prayer should go up from Christendom that England should love the right rather than gold. A Mount Hermon Boy. It was a cheering sight to have a man greet us one evening in remarkably good English. “I was converted in Springfield, Mass., and went to Mount Hermon to school..” And then our conversation turned to Mr. Moody and the great blessing God had made him to his fellow men. He gave us a pressing invitation to come to his place to preach the gospel, which we hope to do later in the year. Witnessing. You would enjoy an open air meeting. The streets are very narrow, not exceeding in many in stances five or six feet in width, and it is impossi ble to hold services there. Frequently there are open spaces where a meeting can be held. Congre gations are easily gathered in China, in fact one has been forming as you have walked the streets and a glance over your shoulder will reveal your self at the head of a considerably large procession. As soon as we reach the open lot a crowd begins to clamor, “What books are those you have? Do .you give them away? What country do you come are but a sample of the many questions hurled at one, but they come from a good natured crowd as a rule and are cues one may catch up and turn into an avenue for a gospel message. A few logs bunched together on an elevation at the side of the lot furnish the pulpit while the for eign and Chinese Christians take their turns in proclaiming the precious message of life. While one is speaking others are on the outskirts of the crowd selling tracts, and gospels, or another is talking to a smaller group. The congregation is a moving, constantly shifting one; some remain but for a few moments, others tarry longer. Their mi gratory character coupled with the many side re marks from the congregation make it necessary for the speaker to he ready of speech or he will other wise “hopelessly lose the thread of his discourse.” Imagine a sermon read to such a crowd! But this snap and liveness is an inspiration, even if there are wags in every crowd who delight in witty say ings at the speaker’s expense, or if there is the ar gumentative listener who tries to confuse your doc trine. Tn the presence of such a crowd it is not hard to picture the congregation that listened to the Master’s messages or the audiences that re ceived the words of Paul. This simple word of de scription, I trust, will show you how important it is that you pray. How easy it is for Satan to steal away the seed! Many hear for the first and only time, how necessary then that the word be filled with Divine power! Oh, pray, pray! ..I J . * Smiles.' At a gathering one day a young lady, being re quested to sing, replied: “Oh, I can’t sing any better than a mocking bird.” And then she wanted to know what we were laughing at. “Where did the Pilgrims land?” was one of the questions asked at an examination for school teach ers, and one of the applicants—a son of Ham— made answer: “In heaven.” Are you going to the play tonight?” a young society lady asked a friend, and when her friend wanted to know the name of the play the young society lady said: “I’m not sure, but I think it’s Rip Vanderbilt.” —Margaret Smith Graham. The Old Piano. By Margaret A. Richard. The old piano mother plays, Now far beyond its prime, Has not the sweet and rounded tone It had at one glad time; For several keys make no response To fingers, sad or gay, And yet it makes sweet music still When mother sits to play. The old piano mother plays We gathered ’round of old, And sang the songs and hymns we loved— “ The sweetest ever told,” And we were wont to play glad games, Our hearts set to joy’s rhyme, When mother played the waltz or march To which our feet kept time. The old piano mother plays Has almost had its day, And we are ’minded it—as we— Must ere long pass away; But we forget so sad a thing When, with her old-time skill, Our mother makes it sweetly tell There’s music in it still. This is Worth a Frame. Mr. Miggles was trying to call up a friend who lived in a suburban town. Mr. Miggles looked up the number, then got central. “Hello!” he said, “Give me Elmdale two-ought four-seven.” “Elmdale? I’ll give you the long distance?” Long distance asked, “What is it?” “Elmdale two-ought-four-seven.” “Elmdale two-ought-four-seven?” “Yes.” “What is your number?” “I just told you. Elmdale two-ought—” “I mean your house number.” “Sixty-five Blieken street.” “Oh, that isn’t what I mean. Your ’phone number.” “Why didn’t you say so?” asked Mr. Miggles, who is noted for his quick temper. “I did. What is it?” “Violet Park eight-seven-seven.” “Violet Park eight double seven?” “I reckon so.” “And what number do you want?” 1 ‘Elmdale two-ought-four-seven. ’’ “What is your name?” “My name is John Henry Miggles. I live at 65 Blieken street, Violet Park; my house ’phone is Violet Park eight-seven-seven, or eight-double seven, as you choose; I am married, have no child ren; we keep a dog, and a cat, and a perpetual palm, and a Boston fern, and— ” “All that is unnecessary, sir. We merely ” “And last summer we didn’t have a bit of luck with our roses; I tried to have a little garden, too, but the neighbors’ chickens got away with that; the house is green, with red gables; there is a ce ment walk from the street; I am forty years old; my wife is younger, and looks it; we have a piano; keep a cook and an upstairs girl; had the front bedroom papered last week and I want to ” “Do you want Elmdale two-ought-four-seven?” “Yes!” gasped Mr. Miggles. “Well, the circuit is busy now. Please call again. ’ ’ But Mr. Miggles wrote a letter.— Exchange. An effort is being made to have the likeness of John Paul Jones, the naval hero, appear upon one of the next series of postage stamps. The Dowager Empress of Russia is extremely fond of the Danish black or rye bread, such as is baked for the soldiers, • • —■ » 3