would have been very likely
to meet a subscription-paper with indifference, on being appealed to in
this poetic manner, with no word spoken, only seeing the discarded
crutches and the white wings above, with moist eyes laid their little
tribute below, as if it were a satisfaction to do so. I thought how the
little newsboy's face would have brightened if he could have seen it,
and hoped that he might not be beyond all knowledge of it now.

We have had an opportunity to observe some fine-looking Chinamen who
have been at work on the railroad all winter opposite our house. There
are a hundred or more of them. We understand that they are from the
rural districts of China. They are large, strong, and healthy, quite
different from the miserable, stunted, sallow-faced creatures from the
cities, of whom we see so many, showing that this inferiority is not
inherent in the race, but is the effect of unfavorable circumstances.

MAY 15, 1879.

Day before yesterday was the anniversary of the birthday of the Chinese
goddess Kum Fa, or Golden Flower, guardian of children. She is
worshipped chiefly by women; but some of the workers on the railroad
begged branches of the feathery yellow acacia, which is now in bloom, to
carry with them to the temple in San Francisco. They are so unpoetic in
many ways, that we should hardly expect them to be so fond of flowers;
but they mourn very much if the bulbs which they keep growing in stones
and water in their houses in the winter do not open for the new year.

The moon and the flowers they enjoy more than any thing else. In many
things they are children, and like what children like. The moon holds a
very important place to them, and the dates of the new year and all
their festivals are determined by its changes. We used to see one of our
boys standing, sometimes for hours together, with his arms folded,
gazing into the moonlit sky. When questioned as to what he was doing, he
said he was "looking at the garden in the moon," and listening to "hear
the star-men sing."

This boy appeared to be a Shin worshipper. He made many drawings
representing these spirits, with astonishing facility and artistic
skill, but, when pressed to explain them, said it was not good to speak
much about them. Some rode upon clouds; some thrust their heads out of
the water, or danced upon the backs of fishes; some looked out of caves
among the hills. There were serene, peaceful ones, with flowers or
musical instrum