of more than one storey
are absolutely barred; the reason being that each house is built round a
courtyard, which usually has trees in it, and in which the ladies of
the establishment delight to sit and sew, and take the air and all the
exercise they can manage to get.

Another blood-curdling story is that of four travellers who arrived by
night at an inn, but could obtain no other accommodation than a room in
which was lying the corpse of the landlord's daughter-in-law. Three of
the four were soon snoring; the fourth, however, remained awake, and
very soon heard a creaking of the trestles on which was the dead body
dressed out in paper robes, ready for burial. To his horror he saw the
girl get up, and go and breathe on his companions; so by the time she
came to him he had his head tucked well under the bedclothes. After a
little while he kicked one of the others; but finding that his friend
did not move, he suddenly grabbed his own trousers and made a bolt for
the door. In a moment the corpse was up and after him, following him
down the street, and gaining gradually on him, no one coming to the
rescue in spite of his loud shrieks as he ran. So he slipped behind
a tree, and dodged right and left, the infuriated corpse also dodging
right and left, and making violent efforts to get him. At length, the
girl made a rush forward with one arm on each side, in the hope of thus
grabbing her victim. The traveller, however, fell backwards and escaped
her clutch, while she remained rigidly embracing the tree. By and by he
was found senseless on the ground; and the corpse was removed from the
tree, but with great difficulty, as the fingers were buried in the bark
so deep that the nails were not even visible. The other three travellers
were found dead in their beds.

Periodical feasting may be regarded as another form of amusement by
which the Chinese seek to relieve the monotony of life. They have
never reserved one day in seven for absolute rest, though of late years
Chinese merchants connected with foreign trade have to some extent
fallen in with the observance of Sunday. Quite a number of days during
the year are set apart as public holidays, but no one is obliged to
keep them as such, unless he likes, with one important exception. The
festival of the New Year cannot be ignored by any one. For about ten
days before this date, and twenty days after it, the public offices
are closed and no business is transacted, the seal of eac