The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-01-04
Siamese Boys and Girls.
BY J. A. EAKIN, BANGKOK.

BY J. A. EAKIN, BANGKOK.
A Siamese boy learns to walk and to
smoke cigarettes at the age of two years
Soon afterwards he learns to swim, and
at the age of seven or eight he can pad
die small boat, and is able to take care
of himself out on the river At first 1
used to feel alarmed at seeing FIVE or six
children in little boat, loaded down to
the waters edge, all laughing and shout
ing in high glee, for l was afraid they
would upset and be drowned, but soon
learned that they thought there was no
better fun than to tip the boat over and
send all that were in it head-foremost
into the water AS for being drowned,
there was no more danger of that than if
they had been so many ducks.
When Siamese boy is eighteen years
old, he usually becomes priest, or rather
a main, as the young priests are called
who are not old enough to take full or
ders. Sometimes they enter the priest
hood earlier than this, sometimes later
but every boy who has any ambition to
rise above the lowest rank must remain
at least short time in one of the temples.
When he enters the priesthood, his head
is shaved and he wears a yellow robe,
and every morning goes about the city
begging rice for himself and the older
priests He is taught to read and write,
and to repeat long prayers, of which he
does not understand a word but his
friends think it is a high honor to be a
priest, and when his father and mother
happen to meet him, they worship him as
they do their idols. Usually he does not
remain in the temple more than three
months, and after that time has expired
he helps his parents or goes to work in
some way to make his living.
With the girls it is different. If a
man has three children, two of whom are
boys, and you should ask him about his
family, he would say he had two children
and girl From this you will under
stand that they don't think much Of the
girls in this country.
During the first eight or ten years of
her life, Siamese girl grows up with her
brother, and lives very much as boys do.
Afterward she has usually hard life.
If she is bright and graceful, and her
parents are poor, they will probably sell
her to the owner of a theatre, to be
trained as an actress; or if they are peo-
pie of higher rank, they will present her
to the king, and she will be confined in
the palace among the kings wives until
she is grown up. Here she will be as
safe as anywhere else, but she must be
the servant Of the women of the harem,
and her life is far from happy. 1t is i'm
possible to explain to Siamese children
what we mean by the words home and
" family" They have no word in their
language to express either idea.
l know a young prince who was asked
by an American lady how many brothers
and sisters he had, and he said he did
not know. She inquired If he had fifty,
and he replied that he supposed so, but
really could not tell. The late king had
nearly ninety sons and daughters, and
many of the mobiles have families almost
as large. Often the wives live in differ
emit places, in order to keep peace In the
family and the children grow up as
strangers to each other.
Thus, you see, many of the blessings
which are so familiar to boys and girls at
home that they forget to be thankful for
them, are altogether unknown to the
children of Siam 1t does ones heart
good to see the advantages enjoyed by
the Slamese children in the mission
schools. Here they are neatly dressed,
and their appearance shows that they
have home and are taken care of. 1t
is very pleasant to see them play their
games together, and to hear them sing
f. hymns in their little chapel.
But even mission children are not al
ways good. A little girl in one Of the
mission schools was heard saying bad
words. The teacher knew that her moth
er had beaten her terribly at home, and
thought that whipping would be Of little
use so she told the little one that hei
mouth was very dirty and must BE-
cleaned. Soap and water were brought
and her mouth and teeth were efectually
scrubbed Then they gave her som,
very bitter medicine, and do not thinl
she has been bad since.
Would that many more Of these chill