The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-12-04
Mr.. Ko Kun-Hua and Family

AN ACCOUNT OF THE CHINESE PRoFEs-
soR AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY.
1t is a fact very generally known that
Harvard University has now the dis
tinction of numbering among its pro-
fessors teacher of the Chinese language
Nearly three years ago, Francis P.
Knight, United States consul at Che
ang, proposed the subject, and after con-
sulting Boston merchants employed in
trade with China. the corporation of the
,llege agreed to his views, the money
was raised by subscription. and he was
authorized to engage a suitable person.
Accordingly he selected an educated
man. Mr.. Ko Kun Hua, an officer ofrank
in his own country, who was to have
passage with his family from Shanghai
to Cambridge, and for three years, at n
fixed salary. teach what is know as
Mandarin Chinese" The course of
study which was subsequently arranged,
provides not only for the undergradu-
ates, but for any outsiders, women ex.
cepted, who, on payment of a certain
tuitional fee, may wish to avail them
selves of it.
The Mandarin arrived late in August
with his wife and children, woman
servant and an interpreter-the lady
being the first of her position in life and
almos the first of her sex of any class
to come among us to live. 1t is not cer-
tain, indeed, that there is but one
Chinese woman in Boston OF its vicin-
it,; and she, Mrs. Ar Foon, has been
here about twenty years. The profess
sor, having made his appearance sooner
family in a small house on the outskirts
of the college, grounds until better ac-
commodations could be found; and it
was there we went to call on them.
They came into possession of the
rooms as they were; and the one for re-
ceiviDg company was an office-like
place, furnished simply with center
table and arm chairs. We observed,
however, a few tokens of the new occu-
pancy in the Chinese bowls and other
articles in porcelain with which the
mantel-piece was covered; two large
brass basins, and Il square travelling
trunk or box in a corner of the room,
made OF handsome polished wood, and
inscribed with Chinese characters, and
on which were piled several round
us. We had seen in one of the ante
rooms, us we entered, another and ca
pacious receptacle for their effects, being
a bamboo basket, in shape like flour
barrel, but much higher. Dark blue
garments for out-of-door wear hung
against the wall, and in the opposite
loom was row of elegant round fans,
no two of which were alike, and a
group of colored figures, either toys or
for ornament, stood on the table.
A bright boy OF fourteen in a blue
sacque, with shaven hair and very
long queue hanging down his back.
ushered us in and then left us. After
few moments the lady, Mrs. Ko Kun
Hua, came noiselessly toddling in on
her small feet, and after going to each
one of us, and giving her hand, signified
that she wanted us there were three in
our party-to be seated each on one side
of the table. while she took the other,
what is the proper thing to do.
By this time the boy had come back,
bringing younger one, having during
his absence put on over his other
clothes rich blue brocade robe like a
shirt. which reached to his heels. and
had covered his head with black skull
cap; the brother was also in blue silk.
They both passed round and shook
hands with us; and no sooner was this
over than two girls appeared in the
doorway, eyed us a moment shyly, ther
approached and held out their slim
brown hands. They wore their hail
drawn back and twisted up on each sid
of their heads in knob, tied with ret
ribbon; and were clad in singular long
straight garments of silk, over whicl
was a red one of the same material
fairly stiff with embroidery in gold an,
colors, and hanging nearly to thei
ankles both before and behind. lookin
somewhat as if breadth had bee
taken, hole cut in it for the head, an
then slipped on, the rich wrought POI
ton about the upper par. making thei
houlders square, and giving thei
small persons broad, cumbersome a