National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-01-21
success of their efEortA The high |

mandarins procure the aid OF priests
of the Tauist sect at their yamunS.
These place an incense censer and
two large candlesticks, for holding
red candles OF tapers, Oh a table i'll
the principal reception room of the
mandarin, or in the open space in
front Of it under the open heavens.
At the commencement OF the eclipse
the tapers are lighted, and soon af-
ter the mandarin enters, dressed in
his official robes. Taking some
sticks of lighted incense in both
hands, he makes his Obeisance before
or facing the table, rising and de-
pressing the incense two or three
times, according to the established
fashion, before 1t is placed in the
censer. Or sometimes the incense
is lighted and put in the censer by
one of the priests employed. The
officer proceeds to perform the high
ceremony of kneeling down three
times and knocking his head on the
ground nine times. After this he
arises from his knees. Large gOngs
and drums near by are beaten as
Ii IDLY as possible. The priests be-
gin to march slowly around the ia
bles, reciting formulas, &c, which
marching they keep up, with more
or less intermissions,u until the eclipse
has passed off. A uniform result
always follows these official efforts
to save the sun and the mOOn.-
They are invariably successful =
There is not a single instance record.
ed in the annals of the Empire
when the measures prescribed in
instructions from the Emperor's
astronomers at Pekin, and correctly
carried out in the provinces by the
mandarins, have not resulted i'll
complete rescue of the object eclips-
ed. Doubtless the vast majority
of the common people in China be,
lieve that the burning of tapers and
incense, the prostration of the man
darins,the beating of the gongs and
drums, and the recitations on the
part Of the priests, are signally ETH
cacious in driving away the vOra-
cious monster. They observe that
the sun or the moon does not seen
to be permanently injured by the
attacks of its celestial enemy, al
though IA half or nearly the whole
appeared to have been swallOwedu up
This happy result is doubtless view
ed with much complacency by th'
parties engaged to bring it about.
i From social life of the Chimes,
by Rev. Lustus Doolittle.
A clerk in the Brooklyn post Offic'
got a "dead sure thing" Oh con
tract by stealing all the other bid
as they came to the Office.
Judge of the seasons labors no
alone by your successes, but by you
failures. A failure often teaches {
man more than a success.
81 see the villain in your face,"-
said western Judge to an Irisl
prisoner. "May it please your wor
Ship" replied Pat, that must be
personal reflection, sure"
An advertisement in a Philadel
phia paper reads rs follows: "StOlel
a watch worth a hundred dollars
If the thief will return it, he shal
be informed, gratis, where he ma,
steal one worth two of it and II,
questions asked
"Ma, if / should die and 60 t,
heaven, should | wear my moirc an
tique dsess!' "No, my love, we ca,
scarcely suppose we shall wear til
attire of this world in the next
"Then, ma, how would the angel
know | belonged to the best society!
, An absent minded gentleman
writing letter hi the breakfast tn
ble, dipped his pen in his coffee an,
continued his letter. Noticing hi
mistake. he put lump of sugar il
the ink, and then finding his secOn
; blunder, poured the contents of tn
inkstand into the coffee cup to set
right.
The following conjugal dialogu
,, was recently overheard Husband
"Oh, Eugenie! Eugenie is it pos
sible that you persist in wearing til
hair of another woman on you
, headr Wife-'Oh, Alphonse, A
, phOnse! is it possible that you pc
sist in wearing the skin of anothe
/ calf on your hand I"
Moral suasion ia good in its plac,
!, but not good in all places. II 70
l should see a savage dog attacking
child, instead Of taking copy {
the catcchism you would think
much safer for your children If 20
went after that dog with trust
rifle or double darrcled shot gun |
your hands.
!. SABBATH KEEPING.--Count Bi
@ mark Of Prussia, hearing that tll
4 peasants on his estate were In Oh
n habit of working on Sundays, wroi
!. to his bailif to stop it. He rep'ie
\ that all their time was occupied |
r working on his estate, aud they ha
o only Sundays to look after their ow
n land. The Count then nuth1 rize
h him to allow tlOsc who had land
J. harvest their own crops first whe
G they were ripe, but to forbid the
!. working on Sundays. The peasant
a were NJ much effected by this gel