Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-12-05
Mr.. KO Kun-Hua and Family
AN ACCOUNT OF THE CHINESE PROFES-
SoR AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY.

AN ACCOUNT OF THE CHINESE PROFES-
SoR AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY.
1t is 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 lie was
authorized to engage q suitable person.
Accordingly he selected an educated
man, Mr.. Ko Kun Hua, an officer of rank
in his own country, who was to have
passage with his family from Shanghai
to Cambridge, and for three years, at a
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 q certain
tuitional fee, may wish to avail them
selves of it.
The Mandarin arrived late in August
with his wife and children, a woman
servant and an interpreter-the lady
being the first of her position in life and
almost the first of her sex of any class
to come among us to live. 1t is not GER
tain, indeed, that there is but one
Chinese woman in Boston OF its vicin-
! itv; and she, Mrs. Ar Foon, has been
here about twenty years. The profess
sor, having made his appearance sooner
than was expected, was lodged with his
| 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-
ceiying company was an office-like
place, furnished simply with center
table and arm chairs. We observed,
however, q 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 q square travelling
trunk or box in corner of the room,
made OF handsome polished wood, and
inscribed with Chinese characters, and
on which were piled several round
boxes of material and use unknown to
| U.s. w Z lldu StCu Ill OllC Vi bIit dIlUC-
rooms, as we entered, another and Ca
a bamboo basket, in shape like a flour
garments for out-of-door wear hung
oom was row of elegant round fans,
group of colored figures, either toys OIL
| g., o%oo1 IN Tho +olo1o
A bright boy OF fourteen in q blue
long queue hanging down his back
few moments the lady, Mrs. Ko Kun
her small feet, and after going to eacl
one of us, and giving her hand, signifieC
that she wanted us there were three il
our party-to be seated each on one sid
of the table. while she took the other
J which is evidently the Chinese idea o
. 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 othe
clothes rich blue brocade robe like
had covered his head with black skuI
cap Ine DrOIleT was diSO III Dlue SllB
They both passed round and shoe
hands with us; and no sooner was thi
over than two girls appeared in til
4 doorway, eyed us a moment shyly, the
i approached and held out their slim
B brown hands. They wore their hal
N drawn back and twisted up on each sid
: of their heads in knob, tied with re
= ribbon; and were clad in singular Ions
4 straight garments of silk, over whic
. was red one of the same materia
q fairly stiff with embroidery in gold an
\ colors, and hanging nearly to the
q ankles both before and behind. lookir
u somewhat as if breadth had bee
n taken, hole cut in it for the head, an
then slipped on, the rich wrought po
ton about the upper part making the
houlders square, and giving the
small persons broad, cum bersome