heds on Chinese life--the relations of father and son; the
unjust oppression of the people by the officials in a land where the
citizen is without the legal rights fundamental in American
government; and, lastly, the "Arabian Nights" like flavor of this
typically Chinese piece of fiction.

One of the funny things among the many funny things I have encountered
in China is the peculiar way of buying or selling land, as reported to
me by Rev. Dr. R. T. Bryan. If you buy land from a Chinaman, about
Shanghai at least, without knowing the custom of the country, you may
have to make him three additional payments before you get through with
him. For, according to the custom, after the first payment he will
give you a deed, but after a little while will come around sighing,
regretting that he sold the land and complaining that you didn't pay
enough. Accordingly, you will pay him a little more, and he will give
you what is called a "sighing paper," certifying that the "sighing
money" has been paid. A few days or weeks pass and he turns up again.
You didn't pay him quite enough before. Therefore, you make another
small payment and he gives you the "add-a-little-more" paper showing
that the "add-a-little-more" money has been paid. Last of all, you
make what is called the "pull-up-root" payment, and the land is safely
yours.

Of course, the impatient foreigner hasn't time for this sort of thing,
consequently he pays enough more in the beginning to cancel these
various dramatic performances. Doctor Bryan's deed certifies that the
"sighing money," "add-a-little-more money," and "pull-up-root money"
have all been settled to start with.

"Pidgin English," or the corruptions of English words and phrases by
means of which foreigners and Chinese exchange ideas, is also very
amusing. "Pidgin English" means "business English," "pidgin"
representing the Chinaman's attempt to say "business." Some of the
Chinese phrases are very useful, such as "maskee" for our "never
mind." Other good phrases {151} are "chop-chop" for "hurry up,"
"chin-chin" for "greeting," and "chow-chow" for "food."

"Have you had plenty chow-chow?" my good-natured Chinese elevator-boy
in Shanghai used to say to me after dinner; and the bright-eyed little
brats at the temples in Peking used to explain their failure to do
anything forbidden by saying they should get "plenty bamboo
chow-chow"! Bamboos are used for switches (as well as for ten thousand
other things), and "