Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-02-07

Ginning this refrain forever,
AS tinkling, ripple on:
'Tis the heart we hear within us
Maketh life sigh or song.
From the Chlldren's Friend
INTERESTING LETTER FROM CHINA.
This interesting letter from China, by the Rev.
J. A. Danforth, was sent by him to this country
during the war, but did not reach the Sabbath
school to which it was directed until very recently
Nor do we know to what school it was sent. 1t
was forwarded to us by Prof. w. G. Richardson,
formerly of the University of Mississippi, but who
has lust been elected to Professorship in David
son College, N c. The letter is long for our little
journal, but it will repay perusal by our young
readers
TUNG-CHow, CHINA, January oath, 1862.
Mv Dear Kunq Friends The kind and ex-
ceedingly interesting letter which, at your request
was addressed to me by your Corresponding Secre-
tary, was received several weeks ago but, owing
to great press of business, could not answer it
at once You cannot think how much pleasure it
gave me to learn that you had formed society for
the purpose Of sending the glad tidings of saliva
ton to the poor heather. I hope, and believe, it
pray that He will enable you not to grow tired Of
this great and blessed work you have undertaken
My little friends it is indeed blessed work; and,
if YOU engage in it for Christs sake, it will bring
you rich reward, both in this life and in the world
beyond the grave Christ says, John IL: 26), IF
any man serve me, him will my Father honor. -
Hence if you work for money, in order that you
may give it to the missionary cause, because you
want the poor heather to know about Christ, and
to love and worship Him, then God will make you
happy in this world, and give you everlasting glory
in the world to come And [ hope no one of you,
my little friends, gives your money only because
you are member Of the society; or because you
desire other people to see and praise you tor what
you do for the heathen; nor merely because you
think you ought to give money to spread the gos-
pei These are not the right motives for giving.
The only right reason for giving is, to give because
has not been the reason why you have hitherto
given, pray God that He will give you that reason
for giving hereafter fyou love the Saviour your
self, you will desire others to know and love Him
too. But if you do not love Him yourself, you
cannot give your money with the right motive, and
YOU will not receive the Saviour's blessing. Fyou
want Christ to be honored, and do what you can
to get other people, both ut home: and abroad, to
honor and love Him then He will smile on you;
He will love you; He will take what lou do to7
Him as done to Him; He will accept your money,
and will make you happy now and happy in Heav-
en- forever.
But your kind pastor will tell you all about this
so will hurry on to tell you something about these
queer people away over in China. And they are
indeed very queer people; for they eat queerly,
they sleep queerly, they think, talk and act very
queerly. The men wear queer kind OF shoe,
without heels commonly of thick cloth soles-
but often of wood In rainy weather they have
ahoes with very large headed nails driven into the
bottom, to prevent them slipping as they walk over
the stone pavements For all their streets, and
many of their roads, are paved with stone slabs,
which, in many places, are worn as smooth as glass.
Then they wear queer kind OF breeches, which
look more like drawers than anything else, and
which are tied close round the ankle, and fit tight
y over their under thick garments; but they ex-
tend, behind, no higher than the knees, from which
they rise short distance in front, terminating in
waist Above these they wear a great bag-like
pair of breeches which reach from the waist down
to the knees, and are then stuffed into thicky wad
ded leggins below. Above all, the common people
wear a sort of loose jacket, reaching down to the
hips; but the higher classes weara long loose gown,
which reaches almost to the ankles Then on their
heads when they wear anything at ALL (for thous-
ands of men, and all the women, 60 bare headed in
the hot broiling SUM, they have queer little cap,
made of silk or satin, without any rim, and which
looks like little bowl turned upside down, and
covers only the top of the head. But perhaps the
queerest thing Of alis, they shave all the head ex-
cept little patch around the crown and they let
this grow till it won't grow any longer, and then
it almost reaches their heels If they are in mourn
ing for relative, they braid in white cord.
They have no fire, except for cooking and sleep
ing; but they keep warm in the daytime by put
ting on great many clothes; so that in winter the
people look immensely large.
They also eat very queerly. They have no knives,
forks and spoons but they eat with two little sticks
which they hold in one hand, as we hold pen,
while in the other, they hold bowl of rice or other
finely cut food, close up to the mouth, and shovel
in the eatables with the chop-stic&s. The rich and
the poor-the king and the people - all do the
same. 1t is said that they eat rats and puppies
but think not in this part of China Here the
people sleep very queery. They have no bed
steads; but they sleep on the top Of brick ovens.
These ovens are large, and fiat on top, often large
enough for four or six persons to sleep on. When
they go to bed, they kindle rousing fire in these
ovens and get them very warm. Then they spread
upon them their fire mats and lie down, rolling
themselves up in very thick coverlets head and ALL
Neither rich nor poor have any other beds than
these.
Then they think very queerly. They think the
world is fiat and -cornered, and that China is in
the very centre of it and that the people of all the
outside countries are barbarians. They think, as
we do, that all men are sinners; but then they
think that when man dies he will be punished fol
his sins by being born again, in the form of hog
dog, horse or other animal If he has been pref
ty good man, he may be born another man, perhaps
as the son of great officer or governor. If he was
a bad man, he will perhaps be born a horse, and
have to work hard, and be Ill used till he dies a
gain And if he has been very wicked man, he
will be born hog, and wallow in the mire all his
life. The woman are very much abused in China,
and hence their greatest ambition is, that when
they die, they may be born men.
These people also think that the spirits of their
parents after death, want food to eat, clothes to
wear, horses to ride and money to spend. Hence,
every dutiful son must provide these things for
them. And how do you suppose they do p
Why, queerly enough. They make paper clothes,
paper horses, paper carriages and paper money,
and burn them at the graves of their forefathers.
They think that the essence or substance as they
call it, of the paper things, is spiritualized or
turned into spiritual invisible, clothes horses and
money, by means of the fire; and then pass into
the spirit world, so that the spirits of their fore
fathers, which, at certain times in the year are
lowering over their own graves, can get the things
and use them in the spirit land.