The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-08-18

The putting the name at the extreme
upper margin of the paper is Of prime
importance toward showing due respect
If it can be somewhat crowded and
cramped for space, so much tho betterj
The Chinese are greater sticklers for
precedence and with them place means
everything. It is curions and often
amusing to note the difficulties g
Chinese official finds in arranging his
domestic affairs when he comes among
US to live Upon taking house. he in
variably occupies the attic, leaving the
lower floor for his retinue of servants
At railway station where there is but
a single carriage in waiting to take pas
sengers to the hotel, the mandarin takes
the front seat, and rides backward
through the hot and sitting air Of the
dusty street, while the servants are
motioned to the seat in the rear. This
notion has much to do with the make.
up of Chinese letter. 1t is this that
leads them to crowd the name of the
person addressed as close up to the top
of the paper as it is possible for it to be
written. By doing this. they avail
themselves of the readiest means that
offer for showing respect
After the name and title have been
written, the column is continued down;
perhaps to the foot of the paper, per-
haps not If one looks over Chinese
letter, he cannot fail to notice that the
written columns are of very unequal
length. Sometimes two, three, or more
columns will be filled to the bottom;
then one will stop less than halfway
down. These breaks look, to English
eyes. very much like divisions into par
agraphs, or, at any rate, we naturally
expect to find full pauses here. Such,
however, is not often the case. The
chances are that the pauses will fall
somewhere in the midst of the col
umns, not at the end. These breaks
are caused by assigning the top of the
column to the name of the person to
whom the letter is written or to any
word that may represent him. Names
of other persons of rank or of family
connection will also be elevated to the
same position of honor, or as near it as
can well be contrived. The facility
their mode of writing offers for show
ing precedence affords a not unlikely
reason for the Chinese having adopted
the practice of writing down the page
and not on horizontal lines, as other
people do, since our method would
often force them TO put the names of
persons of different rank upon level.
As the letter is begun at the right
hand margin of the sheet, of course, the
columns are written in succession to-
ward the left If more than one page
is to be filled. a second sheet may be |
taken or the paper may be turned so as
to keep the same margin at the top, and
the writing will 60 on as before, from
right to left.
When the letter is completed, the
Chinese correspondent does not SUBJ
scribe himself as anybody's obedient
servant; not by any manner of means. |
He is careful never to offer his services
to any one. His ability to write will of !
itself prove him to be above the condi-
ton of servitude, and with him the feel
ing of caste is very strong. He never
understands us when he sees us help
ing, with the hand as well as with the
purse, those who are beneath us socially
as readily as those who are above us.
He will subscribe himself with respect
in addressing his equals or those who
are his superiors; but in the case of an
inferior he will hesitate to do so. The
most common signature which would
convey some expression of respect is
couched in these terms: Your young
err brother" Or. if higher respect is to
be shown, the phrase is: "Your foolish
younger brother. "-C0r. N. Y hide
pendent