VI PREFACE. 



common with tens of thousands of other Nature 

 worshippers, owe a constantly accumulating debt. 

 To the friendly critic who will find in stereotyped 

 form and length of chapters, in faulty phrasing and 

 st\'le, in misprints here and there, and in other 

 matters deserving criticism, many opportunities for 

 the use of literary caustic I would say only this, that 

 the papers first appeared in journalistic form in the 

 pages of "The National Review" (China), that 

 they were necessarily confined within certain pre- 

 scribed space, and sometimes suffered in consequence. 

 For the rest, the writing of them, rather hurried 

 at times, was a labour of love, and if they find but 

 few readers to whom they give some slight pleasure, 

 such a reward will more than suffice. 



G. L. 



Shanghai, 1911. 



