An official asked a mannerly subordinate which way he was walking home, and the latter replied: “Your way, sir.” The same official, discussing a subject said to the subordinate: “Say what you think.” The subordinate, who was a good party politician even in China, replied: “I think what you say.” Some of their proverbs on daily life are: “Wine will not drown sorrow.” “The flattering tongue wants to fill its pocket.” “The pot is as strong as its thinnest spot; the chain is as strong as its weakest ring.” “Don’t ask your thirsty visitor if he will have tea, because if he is mannerly he will say, ‘Don’t trouble yourself’; just draw the tea for him.” “It’s always the good climber that falls from the top of the tree.” “Those best find to-day who plan each to-morrow.” “To-morrow’s always harder before you get to it.” “A word is fleeter than a gale.” “The widest field has some one listening at the edge.” “A grape well chewed is better than a sweet potato swallowed whole.” “Room in the heart makes room in the house.” “Because you feel merry, there’s no need to dance when you are on a horse’s back or in a small boat.” “Sacrifice one sheep to capture the tiger and save the other sheep.” “Even honey is not sweet at the end of the meal.” “A fat cat never got all his food at home.” “Tightening your drumhead is as good as enlarging your stick.” “A blind fox catches only a dead fowl.” XXVI CLIMATE, DISEASE AND HYGIENE In the last two years China has surprised the world by carrying out her agreement to extirpate quickly opium smoking and poppy growing. It is the most spectacular abatement of a gigantic nuisance that the world has known. Among the heroes of the reform was Lin Ping Chang, a grandson of the famous Commissioner Lin who destroyed the chests of opium at Canton and brought on the war with Britain in 1840. Heredity obtains in China! It would have taken England and America possibly fifty years to bring about an equal reform in personal habits, but the Chinese have for 3,500 years been the most obedient people to government in the world, “Filial Piety” being the eminent principle of the religious, social and political life. The good work is going on apace, and Hongkong and India, thanks to the noble altruism of Lord Morley, Sir E. Grey, Mr. Asquith and Lloyd George, are with good grace swallowing the bitter pill of loss of revenue from this lucrative trade. It was a great victory for religion over commerce, and the latter died hard, for unregulated commerce is anything but a moralist at heart. The humanitarian sentiment in Britain, America and China won over money. Britain in her parliament _Blue Books_ used to say: “Opium is a legitimate article of trade and a vested right that China is unable to attack.” To-day John Morley speaks of Britain’s “humanitarian duty.” Persian opium, which is much denser in morphia than is the Indian, still comes to Hongkong for Formosa. This is the opium of which Herodotus in 430 B. C.