CHILDREN'S PAGE * * * * * WONG NING'S IDEAS AS EXPRESSED BY HIMSELF. [Wong Ning is no imaginary character. He is a real flesh-and-blood Chinese boy, living in San Francisco, and much interested in the new and many sided life going on about him. So we are glad to give you, in his own words, a few of his observations on American life and manners.] My name is Wong Ning. I born on home China, come to this country when thirteen years old, and been here now seven year. Little boy have very hard time on home China. Have to get up and go to school at six o'clock--very early that--come home, get breakfast at eight o'clock, and lunch at twelve o'clock; then stay till six o'clock in the day. I no think American boy like that! Little girl no go to school _at all_! Very funny, that! Have one big house, on home China, where all the girls go every day; learn to sew, make the pretty things, the flowers, the birds, everything! by the needle. Little girl no speak to the boy--no! never! on home China. On home China every one like the mother very much; give everything to she. If a China boy no like the mother, no work hard for she, no send she everything--Oh! horrible! _very bad!_ All the sons marry, bring home the wife to wait on she. Not like the wife so much as the mother, on home China. The woman--the wife, the mother, the little girl--all work in the house--sew, cook, make the cloth, everything! When they make the dinner or the lunch, set the table very nice, put on everything; then run behind the curtain (no have any door on home China), and then the man--the father, the son, the little boy--all come in, sit down, eat the dinner; eat him all up. Pretty soon, by and by, the woman--the mother, the wife, the little girl--come quiet, lift up the curtain. If he all gone, can come eat; if no, can not come. _Yes! Sure!_ I go to school at night, learn to read and write; I think English very hard. I been work for the Jew family, the Irish family, and the Spanish family. I think my English get too much funny--so many kinds of language. Now I work for the American family; like it more better. I been here so long, and go to school so much, that I understand the English more better than China. _Very funny that!_ When my cousin, at the wash-house, send me the letter to come take dinner with he, he have to write it in English, and the lady I work for, she laugh very much. I get one letter this morning. (My American name Charley). Here the letter: "Mr. Chily, you Please come to Kum Lee this evening to take dinder, because Lee chong go to home China this week. Ah Do and Ah Sing all come in to if soon as you can good by WONG VOO." I know plenty stories about on home China. You ever hear about Kong foo-too?--American call him Confucius--he very great man.