Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-05-05

BtTcet, ana hTBt ne WOndeTB for nm hour
what ii has been used for, and then he
speculates for SIXTY minutes concerning
some possible use to which he may tu.n
1t. Yon step into the postoffice TO nsiI
letter he follows you, wondering
what you are going for; you buy =
stamp, he counts the change and es4i--
mates the cost You lick il, he is anna
ed at the process you slide the letter
into the box, he catches q last glimpse
Of the vignette ON the stamp, notices =
mans head with attachment Of pig tail.
and he goes ont and sits down ON the
extreme edge of the sidewalk and staras
at nothing, while he wonders IL that.
man was COnfuciug.
Lake the proverbial country boy VIM
has never left his home, the Chinamzu.
Is gauky and ungraceful in the extreme:
bnt never was there book agent, ons
OF that class of men who travel 20 much.
'hat had more Of cool audscity than be.
His iocoSe familiarity is more than au-
dacious at times-it is insolvent. Should
you stop in the street to exchange q
word Of courtesy with a lady acauaint-
ance whom You meet, John Ioafs along
his slovenly slippers tapping at bis
heels, and suddenly your coat becomes
matter of mighty import TO him. 50.
in his innocent impedinence he walks
around you and stares, studying az if he
were tailor and an artist. Then. COM
ing nearer TO examine the fabric. he
does not hesitate to take the fabric in
his hands, pressing it to his palm or his
cheek-of which he has great quantity
in order to determine the nature of
its texture. Ifi Now, such hangers on arc
not pleasant TO have, albeit they are of
celestial origin, as they boast the
Chinaman is a very good cook, but he il
not handsome enough 10 play the valet
or footman, to hold up ones skirts in
the street.
Once an old and toothlcss child of Gbs
sun entered our camp and inquired-
"Who bossec here?" II being sup
posed that he had vegetables To sell, he
was referred TO the tent of the gentle
man in question. This he invaded,
sidled up to the occupant, slapped him
conyivially on the shoulder and said.
"You bossee here? Bully Shake
hand :" And. having paid his respects
in this informal manner, he seemed to
have no further communication to make,
but began an inspection Of our camp
furniture, which task promised to
occupy him the rest of the day. Think
ing TO entertain our high-born guest,
our musical-man sang him the song be-
ginning-and, If is to be hoped, ending
also-with the following lines:
Pretty little ChinAwoman cook little chow
| chow,
Live beside litlc hill, in a little house;
Take little pus-y-ca, and little bOw.wuw.
| Cook en- in little kettle with little maas.-
"What do you think Of that, John p
Heap crazy man - was the disdain-
ful and laconic rebuke with which tho
heather crushed our minstrel.
These men are certainly of the lowest
and most ignorant grade at home, and
yet there are few laundry workers OF
other na;ionalities who can handle the
pen as easily as they WELD the brush.
Take your weeks linen TO one of these
houses, and Immediately one of the in
mates seats himself at desk, dips the
brush into the moistened surface of :
cake of ink, and with many dash and
artistic stroke, every one of whose
curves is line of beauty, he makes out
memorandum of the articles con-
signed to his care. These washing
lists, looking 30 like the labels on our
packages of firecrackens, are greatly IN
demand, and are carried away as souve--
Mrs of travel in Chinatown. Abaera
fathers send them home TO their chill
dren; humorous students on summer
vacation consign them to their old uro-
fessors, calling them lost manuscripts
of great archaeological worth; and once
there was an iniudicious lover who sent
one home to his sweetheart.
1t was in this way. He was practical
joker, and. having one of these laundry
documents in his possession, he thougha
he would have some finn. So he sprink-
led the delicate paper with swess
essences and addressed il to his hearts
own. With ii he dispatched a letter, in
which he said that the inclosed Vas :
Chinese madrigal, written al his insti-
CATION expressly for her by one Of the
greatest of China's poets. and further,
that il was to be read 70 slow music from
the gentle torntom with an occasional
passionate outburst from the gong. The
lady, devourel with auxietv 10 learn sha