Some Chinese Ghosts [Paperback]

In preparing the legends I sought especially for weird beauty ; and I could not forget this striking observation in Sir Walter Scott's Essay on Imitations of the Ancient Ballad : The supernatural, though appealing to certain powerful emotions very widely and deeply sown amongst the human race, is, nevertheless, a spring which is peculiarly apt to lose its elasticity by being too much pressed upon. Those desirous to familiarize themselves with Chinese literature as a whole have had the way made smooth for them by the labours of linguists like Julien, Pavie, Remusat, De Rosny, Schlegel, Legge, Hervey-Saint-Denys, Williams. Biot, Giles, Wylie, Beal, and many other Sinologists. To such great explorers, indeed, the realm of Cathayan story belongs by right of discovery and conquest ; yet the humbler traveller who follows wonderingly after them into the vast and mysterious pleasure-grounds of Chinese fancy may surely be permitted to cull a few of the marvellous flowers there growing,  a self-luminous hwawang, a black lily, a phosphoric rose or two,  as souvenirs of his curious voyage. Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) was born in Greece, grew up in Ireland, and worked as reporter in the United States before moving to Japan.