The Portland daily press., 1900-07-17

DercIicti0n of the Mancha Of
flcials.

All the readers of the PRESS viii he
interested in reading the following
glimpses Of life in China, as seen and
lived by q particularly bright and obssrv-
ing young woman, who has q way Of lift
ing commonplace things out Of their or
binary setting. and with facila pen,
presenting them in fascinating and grace
ful form. Aside from this fact, and the
fact that Portland people take special Gin
terest in the writer. Miss Mary S. Morrill,
because she is their townsNs oman, these
"glimpses VIII be Of unusual interest
and Importance, IN that they show her in
the midst of wars and rumors of wars,
pursuing the quiet tenor OF her way Tt
is known that she Is in the very heart of
the trouble in North China (The latest
word that has been received concerning
her was eablsgram dated July 5th,
which said that she and Rev. Horace 4.
Pitkin were then at the "yamen, or
chief government office. at Pao-Ting Flu. }
The letter from which these extracts
are taken IS a personal letter. and was
dated at Pao-Ting-Fu. May 10Th.
She acknowledge the rescsipt of a
"home box sent to her and Miss Gould
and says: we were so glad to see it that
we burned midnight oil ia examining its
contents. They never examine our boxes
at the Customs for it is missionary
privilege to have household stores and
clothing free of duty. since we are not
supposed to be engage in trade. But
somehow that shipment got stranded in
the Customs. and we were so beautifully
resigned to its non-appearance that it
was great surpriss when we heard it
was actually IN tbs lower court. The
river is so low, owing to the small rain
fall, that boats find trips up and down
the river long drawn ont. The railroad,
despite its higher freight rates, is I'M
questlonably a rival of the junks and
house boats. LIDO not look upon the cars
as an unadulterated blessing when 1
think Of the restfulness and quiet of the
long trips upon the river craft belonging
to the time Of Noah.
Have I ever written you about the queer
signs that are on the shop fronts A
restaurant here in the south suburb has
board upon which IS painted large
tea pot. 1 notice that the place is well
patronlzed, men are always sitting upon
the benches before the door drinking tea
and children come and go with the family
kettle. 1t is easier to send out for three
cash worth of hot water than to make a
fire under the big iron family kettle.
II saw an immense black fan the other
day, swinging in front of tiny shop,
and on it was painted in red characters
the name of the firm. The Chinese stock
ings are in shape and size like men IS
shoes at home. excepting they are made
OF cloth I saw a shop where I inferred
that bachelors and widowers could find
them ready made, because an immense
stocking, stuffed with cotton, was swing
ing back and forth in the wind. 1t
was embroidered in black silk and ca1cu-
lated to impress the beholder that the
shop was capable of doing very fine
work. The shops where shoes are sold
have, 50 far as I have observed, but one
sign and that is a perpendicular board,
painted black, on which are large raised
gilt shoes Of all the styles in vogue
men S rubber shoes, the yamen runners
high boots. the low shoes that chair
bearers wear, to say nothing OF the kind
affected by ordinary people. a tobaceonist
has a tremendously large pipe. One
would think that every Celestial in Pao-
Ting Flu could take his turn at it and
then the contents would not be exhausted
The street pedlars who deal In various
kinds OF biscuits or cakes keep their
wares in a light frame with cloth cover
ing such as would probably snatch up
with the tongs.and put in the stove. But
what is the use of a nice clean one with
dust storms blowing at the rate of ten
knots an hour? The biscuits are round,
without yeast, square ones with it, millet
and rice dumplings with dried dates.
"1he walls Of large buildings and those
OF the gateways are covered with public