The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-10-17
THE CHINESE.

forthcoming work of 0. Tiffany, ESQ.,,
and is part of longer extract that has
appeared in the Boston Advertiser. IS
A great point in Chinese happiness
is the number of children the fortunate
man may boast Of. The principle they
go on is, in the words of Shakespeare.
"The world must be peopled." A man
with half q dozen sons is wealthy; but
with the same number Of daughters his
poverty is general subject of pity.
In speaking Of his offspring one will
sometimes say that he has three chill.
dren, and if you ask if any are daugh.
tors he will answer yes, four; meaning
seven in all, though he does not consid.
er the girls worth mentioning. Should
his wife prove childless, he eagerly
seizcs the opportunity Of putting her
aside and marrying again.
The manners Of the Chinese, those
of the middle and upper classes, are
very pleasing to stranger. The low
laborers are british enough, but among
the better bred gentiity of manner is
strikingly apparent. When you meet
n Chinese gentleman he folds his hands
and shakes them at you, saying, "Chin
chin" words of the Canton Chinese
Anglo jargon signifying welcome, or
thank you, or farewell, according to the
occasion. If you visit is one of cere-
mony, he is careful to keep his hat on
while you uncover, and seats you Of
course on his left hand. He is 50 cour-
tier-like that he will not touch the chair
moment before you, and if he per-
ceivcs that he is doing so, he instantly
rises little. Then, perhaps, he treats
you to sweetmeats and tea. The tea
is always delicious. 1t is not contami-
mated by cream and sugar; he would not
condcsccnd to such a barbarian custom.
There are no sauccrs for the cups to
stand upon, but will sec that they are
on the top of the cup, to keep in the
aroma Of the clear ambcr-colored bevc-
rage. And so in China you will sec q
hundred rcvcrses to European customs.
Ihavc spoken of the practice of keep
ing precious youths in subsection, the
Cclcstials fully appreciating the wisdom
of Solomon, ifno other portion of Holy
Writ. A man dresses like a woman,
and uses fan even more; he carries his
watch on the right side, and instead of
leaving his knife and chopsticks on the
table, he puts them into a little case and
bears them about with him, he unccvers
his head in summer time; he begins to
read a book at its natural end; he never
cuts the leaves Of it; he writes perpcn-
dicularly; he cats fruit first and soup
last, at tcasts Of ceremony. He whit
ems the solcs Of his shoes, instead Of
blacking them; he puts on boots and dis
cards shoes when he wishes to be cx-
trcmcly elegant in company; and old
men play like boys, and little boys look
as digniiied as Judges.
On oac occasion | saw an instance of
Chinese contraricty that certainly put
to flight any Of the rccrcations of old
men in my ownscountry; for, as some of
lis were warming ourselves in cool
November afternoon with the primitive
and hca!thful sport Of lcapfrog, much to
the delight of herds Of Chinese, to our
incxpressiblc surprise, we saw three
grave citizens, whose united ages were
certainly over a century and half, be-
come SO carried away by the spirit of the
game that they must join in it thccl-
selves. They were men Of respectable
ty, they were dressed in fine silk, and
their boards and moustachcs were comb
cd precisely; and ina moment two Of
them stood at the prescribed distance
from each other, and placedt heir
hands upon their knees, while the
third Ga gentleman Of near three score
years. intulgcl III the flying run, and
would have cleared his companions
head in gallant style, only his long
gown took such firm hold Of the others
back that both came to the ground, like
horse and rider in a stccple chase.
Not at all dishcartencd, they continued
tue game for half an hour or so, and
though falling at full length five times
of six expressed themselves as highly
pleased with such novel and invigorating
exercise. In the meantime several ur-
chins looked on without either daring to
laugh or joining in the pastimc.
Wit is not the produce Of study; it
comes almost as Unexpectedly on the
speaker as on tho hoarer; one of the
first principles of it is good temper; tho
arrows Of wit ought always to be featA-
cred with smiles, when they fail in
that, they become sarcasm.
THINKING TooLs.--Thc human
brain is the twcnty-cighth of the body,
but the brain Of a horse is but tie four
hundrcdth,