Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-04-13

LNTELLlGENCEk WEDNI
only well educated in his own language,
but had picked up surprising number Of
our ideas, legal, religious, political and
social !; spoke English fuently and had
some idea of reading and writing it.
Long experience under army officers,
during which he bad followed the fortune
of war or peace from camp to cantonment,
from frontier fort to regimental headquar
ters, had given him an insight into our
customs, and little by little all the rough
corners of his barbaric nature seemed to
have been rubbed off. We were consequent
ly little prepared for his relapse into his
primitive condition on the very first attack
of sickness, or as he called it, the way off
devil.''
Not that he refused our surgeons treat
ment. All medicine was obediently swal-
lowed, even the castor oil( 'tall same fish,
as he said, but his hitherto civilized room
at once became filed with charms, tapers,
josh sticks and paper flags, while under
his direction his Chinese friends kept up
nightly the most weird incantation. Mys-
terious plates of food were found setting
around the house, in the snow, and many
curious demands were made of me, with
manner SO serious that l never even
thought Of laughing, as find myself doing
now.
Once they wanted the tooth of a bear,
then the gall of a crow, then bone from
snake aud a magpie's tail. ''China man
not like white man, China devil not like
white devil" we were told. ''You fixem
white devil and China man fixem China
devil same time. Then Ling get WE'LL"
They were not permitted to carry on
their ceremonies and feasts (for fsasts form
large part of the rites) in the presence Of
the patient but were allowed full swing
in an adjoining room, and their ever burn
ing tapcrs before each door and window
testified to their vigilant watch over the
goings and comings of the devil.
We were highly pleased at their devo-
tion to their friend, ill-directed though it
was. and had just attained a superlative
estimate of the Chinese character, when We
were rudely thrown from our ground by
the decamping of the Celestials, who in
formed US that Ling, having been sick ten
days, could not get well, and that, accord
ing to their rules, he must now be left alone
to die They had, they said, left him a
bowl of rice and pitcher Of water, and re.
quested us not to go near him, for we
might disturb the devil!
This was said in such a matter .of-!act
way, and with such consciousness OF
right, that it staggered US, but realizing
the situation in another moment we pour
ed out the walls of our wrath upon these
caricatures of civilization. "Woui6 they
desert man who was dear friend of
theirs ?" "Certainly, why not ~ ''Leave
him to die alone, when they had been
coming in from the gold mines to spend a
part Of each week as his guest for two
years or more ?" ''Of course" At last,
grasping their cal;bre, threatened to put
the first one of them who ventured to
leave camp without my permission into
! the guard house.
This had the desired effect. for they are
| " ""wardlv set and dread soldier on
guard even more than the uevII, wuu vau
be bought off with paper money, OF scared
| with josh sticks.
Poor Ah Ling was thus secured their
care for the few remaining days he had to
live, and their less necessary attentions
when he died. He was kept dressed in
full costume, even to his shoes, SO as to be
ready for his journey, and as he breathed
his last, one of his friends (s) began in
haste to burn pieces Of rico paper, which
were 'alI same greenbacks y money for
his expenses and entrance fee to heaven.
Hoy Toy, the chief mourner, informed me
that this money was heap cheap "-he
could get 800 worth of it for six bits Is
cents).
Then the funeral ceremonies were i'm
mediately begun the boGy was in
TERED in very shallow grave, aud on the
ground above it was served a feast of the
approved Chinese delicacies roast pig.
roast duck, dried Chinese oysters fried in
sugar and oil, dried duck and fish, rice
and whisky (made from rics). Four
plates werc laid with set of chop sticks
for each; and while the soul of the de-
parted was supposed to be entertaining
the three principal grandees of heaven at
this table, a fire was kindled at his feet,
and one by one, amid bowings and recita.
tions, every article of his worldly posses
sions was committed to the flames, to be
carried by their smoke to the future
world.
Not thing of value was saved, it being
q point of honor that his friends should
each pick as memento the most insignifi-
cant thing he could find, button or a
string while fans, pipes, silver orna-
ments, very handsome dirk, &C., were
all destroyed.
An agent of his company (for each
Celestial belongs to an association which
looks after him living or dcad) collected
his money, which in Ling's case is to be
according to custom, in very
peculiar manner.
It seems he was the last of his name,
and his savings therefore 60 TO the pur-
chase of boy to take the name and keep
~, tho limo 0no If lin will ho coloo%ol