never ceased from early dawn until darkness had fallen and
driven men to the shelter of the city.

The striking feature about the long stretch of uninhabited land which
bordered one side of this road was a magnificent series of memorial
arches built in close succession to each other for a considerable
distance. They were composed of granite slabs, some very plain in
their design, whilst others were highly artistic, and had evidently
been produced by men who were masters of their craft. The general plan
and execution were the same in all, but the ornamentation in some was
most elaborate, and filled one with pleasure and delight to look at it.

Every one of these arches had been erected to commemorate some person
who had already passed away, but whose virtues in life had been so
conspicuous that the community had determined that they should not be
forgotten, but that a record of them should be handed down to
posterity, not only to keep their memory fragrant, but also to provide
beautiful examples for succeeding generations.

Amongst the virtues recorded on these granite slabs, the most common
was that of filial piety. A son had distinguished himself by his
devotion to his parents, and had sacrificed his very life in faithful
service to them. In undying words the story was carved into the stone;
and the two mystic characters, "Holy Will," in the centre of the middle
arch showed that the Emperor had given his permission for the erection
of this memorial to a virtue so admired by the whole Chinese nation.

Other arches, almost as numerous as those raised to dutiful sons, were
those setting forth the virtues of widows who had refused to marry
again after their husbands had died.

In one case a widow had been left in great straits, and had been
compelled to struggle with poverty and privations of every kind. All
these she might have avoided had she been willing to listen to the
offers of marriage that were made to her. Nothing, however, could make
her forget the allegiance which she believed she still owed to the man
who had first won her heart, or induce her to neglect her duty to the
children of her marriage. She could never consent to let them become
the property of another man, who might despise and ill-treat them, and
who at any rate would never have for them the kind of affection which
would lead him to make the sacrifices necessary to help them towards
gaining a better position in life. Accordingly, she str