Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-01-18
Not TO Be Taken.

The Jos-hOuse, where they nao Sue IL
religious services, was chamber In one
of their best houses. An inteihgen'
chinese man, who could speak a little
English. was In charge OF this room. l
naked him why they put the tea-cups
Of wine and tea and rice before thelr
god; If they believed that the god Wouio
eat and drink.
.Oh. no." he said. THAT not what
for. What you like self, you give oo1'
He see. He like see.'
asked him if might have photo
graph taken of the joss shrine ana
house, to be printed in a magazine 10
show American boys and girls how the
Chinese boys and girls kept New ear $
day. At first he hesitated; but hnaliy
he said yes, IL l would come very early
in the morning, before the Chinese pee-
rje wanted to come in. So, very early
the next morning, l went with photo
grarher, and he took the picture. AS
soon as the Chinese people In the street
saw us coming, they began to gather III
a crowd to look on. But All Linn would
not let one of them come into the room
till the picture was done. Then we took
a picture of the outside house. There
were gay lanterns and bright red and
yellow mottoes on each side of the door
which thought would show in the pic
ture. but they did not. The light was
not strong enough to bring them out.
kswe were arranging the instrument
/ caught sight of three Chinese children
in the door of one OF the houses, ana tht
Youngest not more than TWO yeors old
and the oldest not over six. They were
dressed exactly like the grown-np ones
and looked SO droll, toddling along II
their baggy trousers and big-sleeyet
shirts. that l wanted to have them II
the picture. Their father said tie,
MIGHT 20 with me, and be taken; the,
looked a little afraid, but coaXed then
along, and was just placing them In goo'
positions by the posts OF the piazza
when, from the crowd of Chinese mel
and boys who were looking on, ther
suddenly went up shouts. exclamations
and outcries,-angry voices calling
the children. ,
"They will never let them have thei
pictures TAKEN" said the photograph
ait is the hardest thing in the world
get the Chinese to sit for their pictures
They have a superstition that, il MAJ
has his picture taken, he will fall II
and die before the year is out. expec
that is what they are telling them now.
do not know whether this was tn
case or not; but at any rate they frign'
eped the children away, and l could nc
coax them back. The oldest one drag
red the other two away with him
fast as he could, and when | overtoo
them on the threshold OF their hous'
and began to ask their father if he woul
not come with them, and make ther
stand still, he shut the door hastily i
nv face, saying in Chinese somethin
which sounded as if 1t might be very III
pleasant indeed.
Aftsrward Itried to get one OF tn
big boys from the Chinese Mission.
boy who called himself a "Chrlstia
Chinese boy" to stand in the door~a
and be photographed; but even be Wa
afraid to do it.
"It is no use," said the Photographic
You haven't the least idea how afral
they are of it. They've got to be preti
thoroughly enlightened before they vi
have their photographs taken; and eve
then they won't let their queue be see
in the picture. If it shows the least bl
they'll make me print it out. l used
have great fun with some of them wi
had laundry near my rooms. They
be out, hanging their clothes on the lin
right under our windows; and all hs
20 do was to open the window and poll
stereoscope at them, and they'd drO
everything. el~thes and all, right on ii
ground, and run into their house, an
never show their heads till we had goI
away from the window.-From "a Oh
nese New Years Day in santa Barbar
by H. H." in st. Nicholas for Januar