, 1874-01-11


tate his learning to walk, and is supposod to be
Of great nse in keeping the child from dtumhling
and falling down.
After the shaving Of the head at the end Of
patch OF hair to grow on the top, it the child
be a boy, and on both sides, II q girl; this hair
is braided into tight little queues. which stick
out, and give the children very coullcal look In
their earlier years. When d girl, however,
reaches womanhood she ceases to wear these
queues. whcn have Iatterly hung down her back
in glossy braids, and her hair is done up on her
head IN peculiar Chinese style. which, We be-
love. varies but little al over the Empire. and
report sayY- though We cannot vouch for the
accuracy OF the story-that the singular edif1ce
VERY RARELY TAKEH TO PIECES,
and that tue women use cu.ious little cana
pillow to prevent the disarl augauent OF their
hair At night.
On the fifteenth day Of tho first moon Of the
year, the birthday OF the goddess t. Mother oc-
ours, and married women then repair to tie
temples. and worship her. burning incense, and
having crackers let OF in her honor. OF this
fact we can speak from personal experience,
having lived for upwards OF Two years within
few yards Of snch d temple, and having been
often nearly sutTocated with the smell ana fumes
of the burning ioss-sticks the fire-worK part OF
the performance. too, was always carried on con
amore a. We know to our cost. Tho diu and
clamor raised by tie crowds OF women frequent
*' Mothers" high festivals VIII never fade from
our memory for they vel truly awful, and could
hardly be said to sayor much OF real devotion.
When bog goes to school for the first time,
he is expected to take with him two small can,
dies, some incense-sticks, and mock-moucy, oil
OF whicn arc burned in honor Of Confucius BE-
fore slip OF paper bearing some such 1nscr1p-
tion as "the teacher. pattern for ten Thousand
ages" or one OF the great sago's other numerous
titles, tue ne" pupil bowing down and making
f,$u xrt.I1a hn ~
spring in each year, schoo1mastcrs often give
their boys treat, when very similar, though
more elaborate ceremonies, arc performed, aud
it is the custom for the pupils to bring presents
of money to defrav the expenses
Children Of both sexes arc said to
"Go OUT or CHILDHOOD"
when they are about Ii years OF age, as IN CHINA
they are then considered to have become ndults.
and the event IL usually celebrated BY certain
family observances. It must. however. be borne
,ce at 16. be is not thereby cmancipated from
the control Of his parents, for during their lifc-
time he is bouud BY law and custom TO obey
thcm implicitly. DO he ever so old OF over 80
wealthy. The only exception that is made to
this rule is whom tho child has attained to some
office under the Government. aud then be is
obliged to render his obedience to the Emperor,
who, Whilst ho ls in the public service, stands to
him in loco parentls. When q soa Inns reached
his 10TH year, he commonly assumes Ines
Tue dlfectop u LILO uustuSas 'Aa.1Gio
Of the la,niy, if his father DO dcai,
unless, fnuccd. MS sometimes happens.
his mother have ye,y strong will uf her OWL.
Tue doctrine lrcuIcated in the Chinese classics
il that woman has
THREE STAGES OF OBEDIENCE:
to-wit, first, oho must obey her father (bcfore
size marr.cs); secoud. hor husband (after she IL
n,arr.ed) aud third, her son (when hor husband
ia dead), provided, Of courso. tLGt tile son have
reached tue age Of manhood. In the last-named
case. however. law and custom would never up
hold the son III unkiuu or uuhlla1 manner.
Fllial piety is held in tho highest esteem IN
Chinn, even to an exaggerated extcns and it
may happen that, in Cases CT extremely untllial
conduct, parents VIII bring their o1sp!ing before
the district magistrate, and lovoie tho aid OF
instances are how yer, rare, out tncy OCCASION
My occur, and the only persons who have
any clam TO te consulted are tile material un-
cIes OF the accused, who, il theso concur with
Ills parents in their view OF his misconduct,
stands very Lad chance indeed Of escaping with
ous some SERIOUS mark OF ind:gnity, it ha be
lucky enough to get oil without severe punish
meut.
''Fathers have virtually tho
POWER OF LIFE AND DEATH
over their children, for event II they kill them de-
signcdly, they are subject to only the chastise-
1nent Of the bamboo aad q years banlshment;
it struck BIZ them, to no punishment at all. The
penalty of striking parents, or for curslng them,
is death, as among tho Hebrews. Ia practice it
does not appear that thla absolute power bestow-
cd on fathers is productive Of evil, the natural
feeling being, on tue Whole, sufficient security
q salnet its abuse
If son bo convicted Of the murder Of either
Of his parents, Chinese law visits the crime With
awful severity, for not only is the murderer ex-
ccused, but btu boly is cut up into small pieces,
and everything possible il dcne to ma,k the
caormity OF the crime. On this point the fol-
lowing extract, from the work quoted before
describes very graphically tho course that is
pursued: "a man and his wife had beaten
aud otherwise severely iu-usc1 the mother Of
tbs former. This being reported by the Vlceroy
to peli,g, it was determined to enforce, in a
singular manner,
THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES
Of tho Empire. Tho very place where
it occurred was anathematizod, as it
pal offenders we're put to death; the
mother Of tho wife was bambooed, branded, and
cxled for hog daughters crime; the scholars Of
the district, for three years. woIe not permitted
promotion thereby stopped; the magistrates
wero deprived Of tneir olice, and banisiaed Tho
house III which the Offenders dwelt WAS dug up
from the foundations. Let tho Vlce-oy. the
cIict adds, make known this proclamation, and
let it be dispersed through the whole Empire.
that the people may ali learn it. And If there
be any rebellious children who oppose, bent,
or degrade their parents. thoy sbal be pun
lshcd IN like manner, It tho. peor}o, in
deed, know the principles OF reverence,
then they will fear aud obey the Imperial wilt
md not look on this os empty defamation. I
instruct the magistrates Of every province to
warn the heads OF families and elder5 OF villages,
and on tho "a aul 16.h OF every mouth to read
the Sacred Instructions, in order to show the
importance Of Tho re ations OF life. that persons
nIay not rebel against their parents, for intend
20 reuder the Empire 1llal. " Tle foregoing
paragraph will give very clear idea OF what il