The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-11-30
John Chinaman-By Francis Bret Harte.

John Chinaman-By Francis Bret Harte.
The expression Of the Chinese face in the ag-
gregate il neither cheerful nor happy. In an ac-
quaintance Of half a dozen years, | can only recall
one or two exceptions To this rule. There Is an
abiding Consciousness Of degredation,-a secret
pain or selEhumIliatiOn visible In the lines Of the
mouth and eye. Whether il is only a modifca-
ton of Turkish gravity, or whether 1t is the
dread Valley Of the Shadow of the Drug through
which they are continually straying, IcannOt say.
They seldom smile, and their laughter Is of such
an extraordinary and sardOnic nature-sO purely
a mechanical spasm, quite independent of any
mirthful attribute-that 10 this day ! am doubt
ful whether / ever saw a CHinaman laugh. A
theatrical representation by natives, one might
think, would have set my mind at ease on this
point; but il did not. Indeed, a new difficulty
presented iJself,-the impOssibility of deternin-
ing whether the performance Was a tragedy or
farce. / thought | detected the low comedian in
an active youth who turned two sOmersaults, and
knocked everybody down on entering the stage.
But, unfortunately, even this classic resemblance
% the legitimate farce Of our civilization was de-
ceptiyc. Another brocaded actor, who represented
the hero OF the play, turned three somersaults,
and not only upset my theory and his fellow
actors at the same time, but apparently run a
muck behind the scenes for some time afterward.
L looked around at the glintIng white teeth TO
observe the effect of these two palpable hits.
They were received with equal reclamation, and
ABNA-1bNAI A1A 1NA1 I1DNAD C1S "a N"S ~
headings which enliyened the play produced the
same sardOnic effect, aud left upon my mind a
painful anxiety to know what was the serious
business Of life in China. 1t was noticeable,
however, that my unTestrained laughter had a
discOrdant effect, and that triangular eyes some
times turned ominously towards the Z" Fanqui
Devil :" but as | retired discreetly before the
play was finished, there were no serious results.
/ have only given the above as an instance of the
impOssibllity of deciding upon the outward and
superficial expression Of Chinese mirth. Of Its
inner and deeper existence L have some private
doubts. An audience that will view with a Sc
riOus aspect the hero, after a frightiul and ago
nizing death, get up and quietly walk OF the
stage, cannot be said to have remarkable percep-
tions Of the ludicrous.
| have often been struck with the delicate plia-
biity of the Chinese expression and taste, that
might suggest a broader and deeper criticism
than is becoming these pages. a Chinaman will
adopt the American costume, and wear IL with a
taste Of color and detail that will surpass those
80 native and to the manner born" To look at a
Chinese slipper, one might imagine it impossible
to shape the original foot to anything less cum
brous and roomy, yet a neater-titting boot than
that belonging TO the Americanised Chinaman is
rarely seen on this side of the Continent. When
the loose sack or paletot takes the place % his
brOcade blouse, 1t is worn with a refinement and
grace that might bring n jealous paDg to the ex-
quisite of our more refined civilization. Panta-
looms fall easily and naturally over legs that have
known unlimited freedom and bagginess, and
even gaTrote collars meet correctly around sum
tanned thToats. The new expression seldom over
flows in gaudy cravats. l will back my Amer
icanised ChinaInan against any neOphyte of Eu-
ropean birth in the choice Of that article. While
in our own State, the - Greaser " resists one by
one the garments OF the Northern invader, and
even wears the livery of his conquerOr with a
wild and buttonless freedom, the Chinaman,
abused and degraded as he is, changes by cor
rectly graded transition to the garments of Chris
tan civilization. There is but one article of
European wear that he avoids. These Bohemian
eyes have never yet been panied by the spectacle
OF a tall hat Oh the head Of an Intelligent China
man.
My acquaintance with John has been made up
of weekly interviews, involving the adjustment
of the washing accounts, SO that l have not been
able to study his character from q "e";al view
point, OF observe him IN the privacy OF the 10
circle. l have gathered enough to justify
me in believing him to be generally honest, faith
and painstaking. OF his simplicity let me
record an instance where n sad and civil young =
Chinaman brought me certain shirts with most
of the buttons missing and others hanging on de-
by a single thread. In a moment of I'M
guarded irony | informed him that unity would at
least have been preserved if the buttons weer
removed altogether. He smiled sadly and went
| thought | had hurt his feelings, until
the next week when he brought me my shirts
Il look Of intelligence, and the buttons care
fully and totally erased. At another time to
guard against his general disposition to carry off
anything as soiled clothes that he thought could
hold water, l requested him to always wait until
he saw me. Coming home late one evening, L
the household in great CONSERVATION, over
an immoyable Celestial who had remained seated
OH the front doorstep during the day, sad and
submissive, firm but also patient, and only be-
any animation or token of his mission,
when he saw me coming. This same Chinaman
evinced some evidences of regard for a little girl
in the family, who in her turn reposed such faith
in his intellectual qualities as to present him with
n preternaturally uninteresting Sunday school
book, her own property. This book John made
point of carrying ostentatiously with HIM ln his
weekly visits. 1t appeared usually on the top OF
the clean clothes, and was sometimes painfully
clasped outside of the big bundle of solid linen.
Whether John believed he unconsciOusly imbibed
some spiritual life through its pasteboard cover,
as the Prince IN the Arabian Nights imbibed the
through the handle of the mallet, or
he wished TO exhibit a due sense OF graf
itude, or whether he hadn't any pockets, | have
never been able to ascertain. In his turn he
would sometimes cut marvellous imitation roses
from carrots for his little friend. L am inclined
TO think that the few roses strewn in johns path
were such s~centless limitations. The thOrns only
were real. From the prosecutions of the young
old of a certain class, his life was a torment.
| don't know what was the exact philosophy that
Confucius taught, but it is 70 be hoped that poor
John in his persecution is still able 20 detect the
hate and fear with which inleriOrity al
ways regards the possibility of even-handed JUS
tice, and which is the keynote to the vulgar cla-
mOur about servile and degraded races.
In comparison with the rude covering with
which the Briton clothes his acts, the plant grace
kindly solicitude of the Gaul in presence OF
his ellow-me compel admiration. Yet if one
could read the heart of this Briton, it would per-
haps be found that his sentiments of humanity
are deeper than those of his neighbOr. The
rudest husk sometimes covers the sweetest kernel.
When the Gaul performs a gallant act, he ex-
tracts all the honey that is to be gotten out OF 1t.
Ii he gives up his seat to a -wOman-which. by
the way, he does not often do-he takes off his
hat and points to tine vacant place as if he were