Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-07-30
Chinese aretesdueness.
From Physician and Surgeon !

Undoubtedly the first and most lasting
impression which China and the Chinese
convey to the eyes of the foreigner is that
of grotesQueness. All instinctively real
ize the truth of this, vet few know the
reason of it. To Europeans China ap-
pears grotesque simply and solely be-
cause the customs and manners OF the
people are 80 opposite TO our own. So
cially, no less than physically, they are
our antipodes. Their habits are as op-
posite to ours as the direction of their
bodies. In getting on horse the Chinese
mount on the right side The left hand
seat at the table is the seat of honor, and
to retain your hat during call is es-
teemed mark Of respect. Visiting cards
are painted bright vermilion color, and
are not unfrequently three feet long 4
married woman, while young and pretty,
is slaye but when she becomes old
and withered Is frequently the most pow
erful and respected person in the family.
When Chinaman furnishes his house,
instead of buying rosewood piano or
carved chiffonnier, as his European broth
er would do, he invests in a handsome
camphor-wood coffin, which be carefully
keeps in the best place in his house. No
wonder, with such IN object perpetually
reminding him of his latter end, that We
find the average Chinaman somber and
somewhat melancholy parsonage.
Their indoor social life, strange rs 1t
NAV seem to us, is, if possible, less re-
markable than their outdoor industrial
habits Their military costumes are es-
pecially peculiar. Their soldiers, in
stead of casing themselves in helmet,
cuirass and gamaghes, wear quilted petit
coats, satin boots, and head necklaces,
carry comparatively harmless weapons,
and rush to night attack with lanterns
in their hands, being apparently more
afraid of the dark than of the attack OF
the enemy. Ladies ride about in wheel
barrows while cows are driven in car
riages. On the road to the great wall,
between Pekin and the Nankow pass, /
sketched a characteristic group, which
consisted of Il stout, intelligent looking
cooley, wheeling barrow that contained
a buxom young woman, whose feet dan
gled from one side of the wheel, while
large and not over savory smelling pig
snored composedly Oh the other.
Cinnamon of every class and grade, as
is well known, are passionately fond of
fireworks, but prefer to exhibit them in
the daytime. While in Europe the feet
of culprits are put in the stocks, among
these strange people the stocks are hung
around the neck.
China has long been famous for its
canals and its wonderful system of inland
navigation. The means adopted for land
locomotion are, however, scarcely less
peculiar than those i'll vogue on the wa
ter, for while their boats are almost uni
versally drawn by men, their carriages
and carts are in favorable weather as III
variably propelled by sails.
In China the family name comes first
and the Christian, or given name, after
ward. Their mourning color is white,
instead of black, as with lis, and they
mourn their parents three years. They
us i'll one thing, however, though
they differ slightly in their method of
it they are fond of good living,
and, indeed, are great epicures in their
way A Chinaman will not drink drop
of milk, but he will devour birds nests,
snails, and the fins of sharks with the
keenest relish. Instead, however, of III
dulging in the discordant clatter of knives
and forks so characteristic of an English
dinner they toss their meat into their
mouths to tune, every man keeping
time with his chop-sticks. The time,
however, is not generally either musical
Or provocative of appetite, and Chinese
Inner is usually very tame affair.