The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-04-07
CHINA.
Social Traits = Domestic LifC-Chl-
Eese TOWns,s Etc.

writes to a friend in this city, among
other things, as follows, under date
of December 18th:
II CLIMATE, MILK, ETC.
We are now experiencing cold
weather. Snow has fallen two or
three times; but three inches is not
much, and the dry soil and the dry
winds soon eyaporate what comes
down. A few Sundays ago we had a
sharp hail storm, lasting half an hour,
and Mrs. N got hail enough to
have q dish of ice cream made. But
that is q luxury the Chinese care
nothing for. They think it is dis
gushing for US to drink cows mills, or
eat butter or cheese, or any product
Of milk; yet wet nurses can be OBJ.
tanned among them without difficulty,
not only for infants, but also for aged
persors.
A CHINESE CANDLE.
am writing by the light Of a Chi
nese candle, which is a curiosity In
its way. It is not over six inches
long, thicker than ours, and for a
wick has a straw wrapped with paper.
The candlestick, instead of being a
tube in which the candle is stuck, is a
stand with a sharp nail sticking up.
on which the candle is skowered. On
taking the candle off | can blow up
through tho straw and lengthen the
flame, as a blow.pipe would. 1t is
like a small Argand lamp. but they
lessen its value by spikiDg the straw
tube.
CoNTRARIETY OF CHINESE CUSTOMS.
As the candle is a specimen OF the
contrariety Of Chinese customs and
things to ours, | will mention some
others, The muleteeTs l continually
hear say Gee" to their beasts to turn
them to the left, and lilo" or Hob
to turn them to the right. To start
them forward and to stop them, too,
they are always saying "Ho!" When
they meet each other on the road they
keep to the left instead OTTO the right,
as we do, and In mounting a horse get
up on the right side instead of the
left, as we do.
While / am writing. Mr.. NJ is
close by me studying q book of
Chinese phrases, composed by a
Chinese scholar as sample sentences.
The one he is at work upon now says
When people are too young to have
boards, their faces have TO be scraped
with a razor" The writer's Chinese
teacher being requested 10 write his
first name, Edward, tried to pro
nounce, it but, after several attempts,
gave it up in despair, saying, My
belly has no such sound in it the
usual Chinese way of saying, Il can
not pronounce it"
SEALING LETTERS IN CHINA.
Yesterday one of u assistants was
sending off q letter, and, as their en-
velopes have no gum attached, he de-
libcrately scTaped his teeth with his
finger nail and used the tartar he col.
lected as so much mucilage. AS these
natives generally use no tooth brushes
he carries a supply with him. | learn
that this is their usual way Of scaling
letters. Dentists arc unknown among
this people, and the mouths oil
most you meet tell the story Of theiI
restitution. Missionaries who live In
such an out-of the-way place as Tupg-
chow feel the need Of them also. So,
too, our doctor is ffty-four miles
away at Chefoo. Should any Of us
become so sick as to defy the skill OF
all of us here, we would be put on g
mule litter Ca sort of palanquin, car
ried between two mules, one going
before and one behind it, and the
shafts fastened to their saddles,) and
carried up hill and down, a journey
Of a day and e 81 beei sfeb &c oa afe nte hfft unit until
a physician, devoted to the cause OF
the Saviour, comes to join our sta
ton.
Enclosed ID the letter ia a carte az
UiSite photograph of the writer, taken
- -sA O. H. ~
lived for a time in the house OF Que
the missionaries at NiDgpo. it is
poor, aud the expression traiy lGgu-
brious, but not worse than very many
sold to Americans In San Francisco.
1t is sent merely to show that the
Chinese are learning some of our arts
and popularizing them. There is also
inclosed q small square piece of com.
mon brown muslin, of rather good
quality, which tho writer wore pinned
on to the top Of his hat, In lieu of
Grape, when attending the funeral of
a respectable native. 1t was handed
him for the purpose by q OF the
relatives in charge of the ceremony.
AN INCIDENT OF CHINESE DOMESTIC
LIVE.
A few days ago l took a trip into
the country at short notice. The
following was the occasion: Brother
M had rented a house at Chow
yuen, about forty-hye miles southwest
of T~ungchow, for a chapel, obtaining
the Mandarin's assurance that the
papers were correct before paying the
money. He had not gone far on his
return before q messenger came to
him from the landlady, saying that
IL. -. L.. - IL I'll Iaa1A1
by her nephew, had sought to get
from her the money. part of which
she had received from Brother M.
Failing in that, they had beaten her
and her son and the broker engaged
in the transaction. Hearing more to
the same effect, the missionaries de-
cided it was better he should return,
with Brother H, who had been
longer there and is familiar with the
etiquette at interviews with Mandar-
ins. and seek redress for the woman,
and a proclamation that would insure
them the peaceable occupation of the
house. To enable him to see the coun-
try apd observe the customs OF the
people, the writer accompanied them.
They found that the trick the old
woman's relatives had sought to play
upon her was thoroughly Chinese.
They went to her, and, headed by her
nephew. insisted on her giving up to
them the money she had received.
They thought it was $3.50 or upwards,
but it really was only $50, of which
she had but IS or SO on hand. When
refused they beat her severely though
Sshe is sixty five or seventy years old.
Her son stole her eight or ten dollars
and then required her to kill herself in
the following way, which the head Of
the clan nronnsed TO make nrnfLahla