Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-01-14
DEATH AND BURIAL IN CHINA.
The Peculiar Customs Of an AnccstOr-
vVOrshipplng Race.

dead. A man is supposed to have three
souls, one Of which resides in the body in
the grave a second in the spirit world
while third finds its dwelling place in the
ancestral tablet, an ornamental piece of wood
bearing the name of the deceased This tab
let occupies a place Of honor in the house
and is very zealously worshipped by the
members of the family, and on certain days
a feast is spread before it, the spiritual es-
sence of which is supposed to be imbibed by
the soul of the departed man. In case the
death occurs away from home, spirit No. 3
often gives the friends much trouble and
they go out to meet the returning corpse
bearing with them a white cock or an image
of one made of white paper which, when
placed upon the coffin, is supposed to receive
the wandering hung" and conduct it home
where the tablet is prepared for its dwelling
place. But what about soul No. 2 which has
gone to the spirit word--what can be done
for its comfort? The breath has hardly left
the body before loud lamentations commence,
and mourning in different forms is continued
for length of time varying according TO cir
cumstances, in wealthy families much longer
than among the poorer classes. According
to some authorities, for young people the
number Of days must be some multiple Of six I;
for the aged some multiple OF seven, because
those who are old and feeble need longer
time to perform the required journey through
Hades. Others maintain that these proper
tions exist between the days of mourning for
men and women the women having bound
feet are obliged to walk more slowly. When
a mother dies the daughters often observe
what is called the bridge and ladder ceremo-
ny. rude tree shaped frame is constructed,
each branch Of which bears lighted lamp.
Into the upright post a long bar is inserted
horizontally, and the daughters walk round
and round, pushing the bar before them and
thus causing the lighted frame to revolye A
married daughter had recently become a
Christian and consequently refused TO join in
this ceremony after her mothers death. This
caused some trouble in the family, and she
was accused Of being undutiful and not lov.
ing her mother because she was not wiling
to thus assist in lighting her through Hides
and providing her with the bar for bridge
to cross the streams and the tree-shapedlsd-
der to climb the steep places she might meet
with in her way
No matter how little a friend has )een
loved and cared for while living (thougl the
Chinese are naturally afectionate), nov that
he has entered the spirit world his wants
must be supplied. Not only must large
amount Of clothing, sometimes from 1910 20
suits, be put upon the body, but through the
agency Of fire many articles are sent b him.
These are all made OF paper and areabout
large enough for a good-sized doll, which
gives the impression that people hav, small
souls. A paper sedan chair is often rovid-
ed, sometimes mounted on wheels With q
crane for a horse and sometimes viii paper
men to carry it, that the poor man nay not
be forced TO walk all the long, hard journey.
Then trunks OF paper clothing, garmnts of
every description and sheets of papero rep
resent silk, satin, or other unmade material,
are prepared, and quantities of paper money
to defray the necessary expenses or pay the
debts of the deceased When peron dies
and these articles are to be burned, elAtives
sometimes embrace the opportunity to send
a fresh supply of money and clothing to
some one who has been longer in he spirit
world and whose resources may AVE be-
come exhausted. When no such opportunity
occurs, the articles are sometimes marked
and priest is employed to send hem To
their destination, but the friends d, not feel
SO sure of their being received as wen they
are in the care Of a relative, for ther may be
so many persons of the same nam in the
other world that mistakes are liabls.o occur.
The coffin, carefully covered wit cement.
is often kept in the house for muths, and
perhaps years before the burh Some
times this is done as a mark of rspect and
sometimes because the family hae not the
necessary money for all the cereDnies they
desire performed at the burial, o because
lucky day cannot be selected ora spot of
ground free from all evil infiuencs man
Of our acquaintance died soon afte complet-
ing new house for his family. As he de-
rived so little advantage from h dwelling
betore his death, the family thoght it but
right to let the coffin remain in ne house a
longer time than usual. The vorld is sup
posed to be filed with evil spirit and when
a coffin is about to be carried Oufor burial
huge paper man is sometimes buled that he
may go first along the road to H. grave and
catch or drive away the spirits MO are wait
ing to inhict injury upon the dad man, or
the road is 'bought, as they So. by scatter
ing paper money along the VIZ to buy the
goodwill of these enemies. smetimes a
corpse is attended to the graz by long
train of people. The followin is a partial
description of the funeral precision of
Chinese officer recently decease;-
Paper images to wait on the pirit of the
deceased
White lanterns
Tablets on poles with flower surrounding
the inscription Of the deceIed's pur-
chased ranks,
Flowers, umbrella and hterns.
Ornamental banners and inonse stand
Musicians
Gilt tables bearing pigs I'd goats.
Seventeen mourners ichairs.
Lamp and men with ongs.
Highly carved closed ssan chairs.
Small boys in fancy resses.
Tables of flows.
Pyramid of buns andf fruit.
Mourners carrying overs.
Table with roastedheep,
Altar Priests Flag Soldiers.
Mandarins motied
Boys with spears ~ flutes.
Gilt chair carrying portIE of deceased.
Red umbrellas andlack fan.
Deceased's chair containin ancestral tablet
Family of dec sed.
Paper figures a nuns.
Coffin carried by coolies.
Chinese soldiers and rRnted officers.
The grave is usually niiA in hillside. 1t
is covered with cement an often surrounded
by horseshoe shaped vi of the same ma
terial, At the ends of is wall are some
times curiously carved ste images. EARLY
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