Alone in China. By Julian Ralph. (Osgood, McIlvaine, and Co.)—The
author of this extremely clever and interesting volume visited China while it was at war with Japan, and published a longish descriptive article entitled "House-Boating in China" and six short stories in American magazines. These he has now republished in volume form. They were eminently worth re- publishing, for, although Mr. Ralph says with becoming modesty "I should consider that book an authority upon China which could be written by an observant man who had spent a year each in her twenty-odd provinces and territories," yet what he gives here is a record of "two months of incessant observation, travel, and study in two of the provinces within the garden of China." The sketch entitled "House-Boating in China" is interesting in a variety of ways, but especially as indicating the character of the Chinese of different classes whom its author came across. Thus he speaks in one place :—" We found its merchant class polite, patient, extremely shrewd, well dressed, pattern shop- keepers. We found its gentlemen graceful, polished, generous, and amiable. But the peasantry constantly reminded us of the country-folk of continental Europe outside of Russia." The stories with which Mr. Ralph supplements his house- boat sketch are all intended to illustrate various phases—. especially difficulties—of Chinese domestic and social life. "Alone in China" illustrates the troubles of an American girl who marries a Chinese Civil servant, while "Plumblossom Beebe's Adven- tures" demonstrates the difficulties that await an Englishman who thinks he may marry first a Chinese and then an English wife. "The 'Boss' of Ling-foo " shows up with quiet but effective sarcasm the corruptions of the Celestial Empire, which are quite as remarkable as those of the American Republic. Altogether, Alone in China is one of the very few books which may safely be recommended to the student of China as being almost necessary supplements to more elaborate works treating of its geography and sociology.
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