The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-03

rent. mail imagcs peak cd yellow haFs, pyramids
of fan shaped bunches Of artificial flowers, peacock
/ tails and insects. mixediNih tinsel ornaments;
blazing lamps, carved with gilt sticks ot sandal
| wood etc. Along the sides Of the room, at the
ends Of these cabinets, are binners OF embroidered
siiR rsund ana square and fringcd drums, br tss
cmblems military and civic. and weapons Of war.
Much Of the furniture and trumpery described
was presented TO the Company. Tue frOut cAJi'
net which All Wee says cost $500 in China,
where wages are less than cent day, in some
dstrcfs was a ptft from the Chinese employed AZ
the Mission WOUlen Mills.
In hc rear of all this spendor stands the altar
Of Josh, the wooden god Of tho almond eyed
idoators. This is a square alcove Of carved aud
qilCcd wood about one hundred feet high and
perhaps as wide, in which sits the awful Josh
| h'mself-S big.pSuuchod Chnamau, with brick
rcd face lor strips Of red cloth flowing from each
side Of bis mead three long tails OF hOrse.hair
sproudng out Of his mouth, and his person
| bldzened With tlue, green, crimson, aud GIT
carvings, studded with bits Of glass, TO represent
! his small clothes, and high above his head a brass
sun, as IL this celestial superstition had mixed
with it o biz of ppfs,CiSm, We were asked 10 be-
/ lcvC while in this awful presence that Josh,
when alive on earth, stood fifteen feet iu his bare
feet wiCdcd a hattle.aXe that weighed n ton, and
one day killed thirty thousand Of hi. foes.
In proof OF this story VIC we're shown by al
| Wee, in manner that admitted Ot no clu.ro.
| yOTsyt wooden bat'lc.HXe, highly carved Gnd
| GildCd which is an exact representation Of th5
| one that Josh swung with such fatciul Jury.
| Under JOsh's august nose blazed several OIL
punk and buziers Of incense powder sent up
wTeaths Of smoke, filling the room With an Olor
that was rather pleasant after while. Before this
altar the he IDS Of the companies, clad in long
blue robes and black skull-clps, appear dstly
during the festival. bpwug, kissing the door, and
chanting, while the Som Yen and Good hju are
twguged, and drums arc best In hOrtd disco
nance. Hther are brought oI'rn's Of baked
and raw mCat,-NhOle sheep and hogs.
A record of these Is kept, but, with the exc 'p-
lion Of the left bind quarters OF the tked nui-
mails, they are taken away again by those who
bling them. Thi, Is an economical form Of sa3ri-
flee, and probably does Josh as much good as
though his yotares did not save their bacon SO
carefully. The religious ceremonies are soon
over (aud that is another wise economy, though
during the current festival, they are trelu9nty
repeated. 1t is a curious fact that the Chinese do
not resent or apparently OBJECT to, tho presence
of Americans during these riJes.
Perhaps they are willing TO give us every oppor-
tunity to be converted, and desire to oct US an
example OF liberaity and courtesy which we will
be long in following II will be seen from tho
above sketch what queer world there IS within
our own; what "A queer civilization, older ia m
ours by thousands Of years, and representing In
the glare of the nineteenth century the intellectual
achievements the manners and costumes OF
people who seem 10 have been revived and trans
planted from aa epoch that antcdates the food.