The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-23

smoke pass over to the spirits great quantf-
ties of things thought essential TO perfect
happiness IN other spheres. Then the Chinese
Quarter OF San Francisco is temporarily trans
ferred to the hills of the suburbs and all
classes go to the cemeteries with baskets and
boxes and carts and wagons full of meats and
fruits and wines. The observance of the dav
has It's comic side. to be sure, as MANY other
strange customs have; but Americans capable
of looking at the ceremonies in a catholic
spirit speak of them as being extremely
touching and beautiful
The social festivals are numerous, but, so
far as / learned, not more than four or five
of them are universally observed These are
New Years, the harvest moon, All-souls day.
the feast OF lanterns, and the winter solstice.
New Years is the great festival IL occurs
near the end of our month of January-this
year on the Both, and last year on the 10th of
February. Then all business matters ara
adjusted, all accounts settled, quarrels recon-
ciled, feuds healed; as far as possible the old
must be finished ere the new is begun.
Prayers are made in private and at the tenn
pies, offerings of food and drink are pre-
sented to the gods, incense is burned before
the shrines Of the dead, fire-crackers are
exploded by the wagon-load, the
red of JOY is everywhere dis
played, and tea and wines and
fruits and sweetmeats are set ont in profusion
for all visitors. The feast Of the harvest
moon is more generally kept in the country
and the villages than in San Francisco; it
lasts two or three days. brings business to the
astrologers, mxch gathering of persons out of
doors, many civilities to strangers, thank
offerings to gods, great slaughter of pigs and
| chickens, and is in some respects not unlike
our Thanksgiving day. The feast of All
souls is for the special benefit of spirits who
have no living friends, and were not, there
fore, provided for in the grand religious
festival of March or April 1t
usually falls in the month of Au-
gust. There is a procession in which,
images of certain gods are carried, and a
| generous display in the streets and ON
the balconies of houses of food and clothing.
and such other things as are either left at
graves or burned in cemeteries at the annual
Feeding of the Dead. On this as well as on
all other occasions when meats are offered.
what is not eaten by the gods or spirits NAV
be put into the family larder for home con-
sumption. 1t is useless trying to corner
Chinaman by asking if he believes that the
spirits can eat and drink: he answers that
there is more in the leg of fowl than human
eyes can see or human palates taste, and that
his duty is at least done in cooking and pre-
senting the best of what he has for the sup
port of existence.
When Wo Lee comes to dwell with rs. we
his festal customs, but his desire for amuse-
ment will hardly give us trouble or serious
Inconvenience. After a quaint fashion he
greatly enjoys his holidays, but he is alto
gether too grave man for anything like ma
tional sport. His ear for the concord of sweet
sounds is so utterly unlike ours, that we may
properly doubt if he has any ear at all. There
are singing women in his gambling-shops, but
he rarely concerns himself with the question
| xpb hair Sc
bad. He drops into his theatre occa-
sionally sits patiently through the
long play, and then walks off with the air of
one who has killed time rather than found
delight. He is social fellow, and somewhat
given to going in crowds. but mostly chooses
the mild excitement of quiet chat over @
pot of weak tea, or with good pipe and
plenty of tobacco. If he opens place of
amusement in Boston or New York, we NAV
visit it sometimes to see his neat and curious
jugglery, but if those at San Francisco are to
be taken as a model, two or three evenings
year of his regular theatrical performances
will be about as much at any of us can
endure.
From Turner & Co. we have received
the following publications.
Our Young Folks for April is filed with
pleasant reading in various branches of litera-
ture. The illustrations are numerous and
good.
The R'oerside Magazine for April is also
nicely illustrated, and it presents an excellent
series of stories, sketches, and verses.
THE Transatlantic for March 30, and Eeery
Saturday and AppletOn's Journal for March
26, are filled with good original and selected
articles on great variety of subjects The
last two named are finely illustrated.
Arthur's Home Magasine has number of
fashion plates giving the latest styles It's
literary contents are up to the usual standard
of excellence.
The April number of THE ChiIdren's Hour.
is filled with attractive pictures, poetry, and
stories suitable for the entertainment of the
| little ones.