the declining morals and preserving the National essence.
"Excellent, excellent," Ssu-ming said. "But is it not too long?"
"It does not matter!" Tao-tung said loudly. "I have counted it over and found that we do not have to pay anything over our reserved space. But how about the theme for the verse contest?"
"The verse contest?" Ssu-ming was suddenly reverential in manner. "I have one that I would like to suggest. It is: 'Ballad of the Filial Maid.' It happens to be a true incident and we ought to give it a wider acknowledgment. Today as I was walking on the street . . . "
"That will not do," Wei-yuan interrupted, shaking his hand in disapproval. "I have seen her myself. She must be a stranger in these parts, for I could not understand her and she could not understand me. I don't know where she comes from. Everyone said that she is a filial maid, but when I asked her whether she could write poetry, she shook her head. It would be much better if she could write poetry."
"Loyalty and filial piety are cardinal virtues and we must overlook the inability to write verse . . . "
Nay, it is not so, that is in no wise true," Wei-yuan said with affectation, as he shook his hand vigorously and going up to Ssu-ming. "It would be much more interesting if she could write poetry."
"We'll use this theme," Ssu-ming said, brushing aside his objection. "We'll add an explanatory note and have it printed in the newspaper. In the first place this will give her some deserved acknowledgment; in the second place it will furnish an opportunity to give the public a few shots of a much-needed needle of criticism. What has the world come to? I
