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


silk Of her dress and the number and size of
| her diamonds
Take it all in all, the Americans dress re-
markably well-far better, as q people, than
any other nation on earth. It is true, the
number OF men and women who can be said
to dress really very we'll is but small; but,
what is OF far greater importance, when we
endeavor to read the character of people in
its outward appearance, the number of down
right addressed persons is still smaller; and
the immense majority show, by the happy
| Jatste matteu which they observe in all matters
| concerning dress, that the Americans prove
here also that good taste, sound judgment,
and legitimate self-respect which, applied to
subj jects of higher Importance, have made
them the leading nation of the world
1.-THE ATLANTIC"
Turner d Co. send us the April number of
| THE Atlantic, which has the following list of
articles Joseph and his Friend, iv; 'The
English Governess at the Siamese Court"
''The Advent Preacher" Through the
Woods to Lake Superior" Courage" "a
Lumberwoman," ''Reviving Virginia, ''The
Lauson Tragedy" i; 'Right and Left" "My
Triumph" ''The Gods of Wo Lee, ''The
Blue-Jay Family" ''Peter Pitchlynn, Chief of
the Choctaws," San Alpine Home," Gre
views and Literary Notices." ''Bjornson's
Tales Red as a Rose is She'"
From the article on the Chinese in Califor-
mia, entitled "The Gods of Wo Lee, we quote
as follows:-
The Chinese in California have no regular
| day for religious services. Our Sabbath they
observe as general holiday then the BARRIERS
and the market-men and the opium-dealers
and the eating-houses do driving business;
and if the day be fair, the stranger in
| the Quarter will have q view of Joyous
| and careless and exuberant life that he
cannot soon forget. There are festivals for
one or another of the gods on nearly third
of the days in the year, but only few of them
require universal observance on the part of
the people. The temples are open contin-
ually, and can be engaged for the day or the
hour by any one wishing service. There are
no priests or public teachers, but the gods are
severally waited on by number of atten-
dants
The decorations of the temples are unique
and not easy to describe. The image is
generally in a niche or recess, on platform
about four feet high. The altar is like q
large and heavy table; over it is the sacred
tire-a lamp kept forever burning; on it are
tall, slender candlesticks, with copper vessels
in which incense and offerings are burned.
On each side of the room is the
row of ''eight holy emblems"-s slaves
six or seven feet long, with fan
or an axe or a knife at the upper end. In one
of the rear corners is a bell or gong, with
which the attention of the god may be at
tracted. There are numerous tablets fast
ened to the walls and ceilings, made of wood,
four or five feet long by fifteen or twenty
inches wide, mostly red or yellow in color,
covered with Chinese letters which may be
sentences of thanks or praise, or lines from
some of the classics. In one temple is a stove
wherein are burned pictures of whatever one
would like to send to the dead. Banners
of strange device greatly abound. There
are rich vases for flowers: bronze lions
or dragons to watch by the god; mats
for kneeling worshippers; rolls of prayers
printed on yellow paper; chandeliers glitter
ing with cut glass; canopies and curtains of
gorgeous silk; the gods great seal of autho-
rity; cloths with fantastic birds worked in
gold thread slabs of bronze, with hundreds of
small human figures in bas-relief; carvings of
wood that no white man can understand;
scrolls with notices and injunctions to visitors;
cups in which divining-slips are kept; bun
dies of incense-sticks like pipe-stems for
size; fragrant sandal-wood tapers, and
through the room a languid odor of foreign
lands. The worshipper brings in his offering
of rice or fruits or dressed chicken, places it
on the altar, lights the tapers and his incense
of some strongly scented mixture, and then
|
prayers while the attendant strikes half q
dozen blows on the bell or gong. AS he did
SO at my first visit, l thought of Elijah and
the prophets of Baal:-'Cry aloud either he
is talking or he is on q journey, or perad-
venture he sleepeth and must be awaked."
Wo Lee worships in his own way and at his
own pleasure such of the gods as he chooses
} to adore. If he is in bad luck, he goes to
the temple and prays for good luck; if his
business prospers, he goes there and rem
ders thanks; he asks for guidance in new
undertakings he makes prayers for
the recovery of friends from illness; he brings
offerings for safe journey to his old home;
he puts up tablet of praise when he arrives
! from shipboard; he burns incense on the death
OF his children; he seeks counsel from the
gods when he is in distress; he presents wine
and fruits after escape from calamity; he bows
down and implores help against his enemies;
he beats his head on the floor before Kwan Tae
when the courts refuse him protection. He
ascribes frowns and favors, troubles and bless
lngs joys and sorrows, to the higher powers;
and his whole round Of yearly life is inter-
fused with the forms and dignities and
ceremonials of religion. His faith may
be cold to our hearts, and his pomps frivolous
or blasphemous in our eyes; but in such light
as he has he walks, with ready and sincere
: acknowledgment of human dependence on
superhuman aid and mercy. His precepts
} are moral and kindly precepts; the adornment
of his house is salutation of goodwill; he
, respects old age, and keeps green the memory
of the wise fathers; the lessons OF his youth
taught him to look upward and in his
mature years he does not forget this teach