The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1864-05-11

hAtNNUfuhSu ~ SttN EENhchNGOs
The Chinese arc having q great time in
their Temple, in Sacramento street, just
now, Evidently tho festival is of arcligi-
Gus character, though whether tue proceeds
are to be devoted to cancelling amortgago
on their church, or 10 sending out pagan
missionaries to win over Christian believers
to Buddhism, is something moro than in
quisitivenoss itself has been able TO asccr-
tain, The first thing that strikes the Wis
itor on entering the vestibule of their sane.
tuary is q most ancient and tish-liko smell !;
and il he approaches the alter ho will dis.
cover that tho breath of the gods smells
strangely of stale salmon. Tho first object
of Chinese alteration that meets the eye is
a high and hilarious god, standing I It. or
8 Il. in his stockings and ilourishing ci-
gar in his left hand, like Montgomery
street swell. The attitude of this idol is
not very graceful, while his legs widely
spread apart, and tho air with which he
braces back against the wall, suggests that
he is under the influence of tho rosy. AL
together. he has cOnvivial look about him
highly cheerful to bohold, and the effect is
heightened Ivy two horns with serratcd edges
which sprout gaily from behind his ears.
Passing on, and ascending narrow and
ishy staircase, gay with flags and lanterns,
aud illuminated with scrolls written in sim
uous characters, probably pregnant with
the wisdom of the immortal kung-lu-tse,
whom tho lAtins name Cuniucius. Here
the sound OF music is loud--rocklcss disci.
pies play crashing anvil choruses upon i'm
menso gongs, while milder marnered musi.
clans keep up q rattling accompaniment on
kettlo.drums, blended with u symphony OF
shrll notes from the lips of cracked flies,
The gods stand it marvellously we'll, and 40
does the tomplo, though much less uoisc
brought down the walls of Jericho. In tue
temple, the gods aud worshippers are SO
numerous that one calls them no longer
John but legion. You stumble over little
god on the floor or procipitote your head in>
to the stomach of u big ono brNced against
the altar. The big ones number two, and
face each other in u Cog and Magog style.
In heights they are Anaks, each standing
good eight feet above the level of the
llour, without counting ina slight wrinkle
in the back, which would give ii EN- few
inches more were it irOnod out Each has
one foot perchod on u suppositious rock,
while the other rests on paper tiger
they seem to have been bucliiug against
tho tiger all the night through One holds
golden apFlo in his hand, plucliod from
no one knows what llesperides the other
grasps golden wreath. They are spangled
like lIarleqlns and bearded and mustached
like bogus barons. A chronic lassitude
rests on their features, probably occasionel
| by being up all night Before them is
spread cithera late breakfast OF an early
lunch, but they seem in no hurry 10 attack
it. Undoubtedly they feel safe in the as
surance that no one else will eat it. Rang
cd ROUND the wall, in convenient little sen.
try boxes, stand iudgy little gods, with
splay feet These are the common " Josses"
of the concern. Cne Of them is habited like
Christian martyr, and has the dolorous
look of one condemned to be burnt. The APP
prehension seems not entirely grouudlcss,
as a number torches are lighted close to his
feet Should they burn on, the spectacle
would probably be furnished of u baked
tomato. The worshippcrs in the purlicus
of the temple are not very devout. They
loaf around and take all sorts of liberties
with their gods, even to the occasional
smouching of om.cod from their break.
fast table. There are dowagers with head
dresses which tower up in cripigerous Ba-
bells, and damsels with eyes more clam shell
than almond shell shaped. There are male
Cinnamon having the look Of chimpanzees,
and others dandilied enough in appear
ance to stand as lay figures in barber's win
dows. Altogether, the picture is motley
one, and one well worth seeing, hnt curious
visitors should DO vaccinated before enter
ing the synagogue, and carry smelling salts
with them. Were there time in this con-
nexion to indulge in speculation and inquiry
concerning this curious people, who have
moved their temples and gods into our
midst and sat down amongst MS, but of
whom we really know SO little, there were
ample food for it.
How long will they maintain their idol
atrous worship in the full blaze of the light
which Christian community sheds ? Or
is it unfair to call them ilolators when
these images they make unto themselves
are not made in the shape of anything in
the heavens above, in the earth beneath, or
in the waters under the earth ?" VIII
ever an Iconoclast como along and send
these paper deities flying higher than II
kite? Will these Thors fnally be broken
with their own hammers Or will this peo-
pie go on chanting their barbarous hymns
through their noses and beating tom toms
to tho honor of their -tom-cods and
tou-tom-gods to the end Of another century.
-,.Sm Francisco Bulletin.