Morning journal and courier., 1884-01-19
Chinese School Life.
A Pleasant Sketch Written by a Genu-
 inc Americanized ChinRman.

inc AmericanIzed Chinaman.
 A young Chinaman, clad in American gar ments, his hair cut in American style and his American boots neatly polished, called at the lowing manuscript which he had himself pre- pared for the press. It will interest the young people who read the World
 Ladies and Gentlemen: I am happy to have the pleasure of speaking to you to day. must try to interest you as much as possi ble. suppose you would all like to hear something about my own native land, which presume you are not acquainted with, such as our school life and the marriage life. Now l will tell you about our schools, and you may see the difference from yours. You have very easy time at school and have only few hours in every day, and besides you have recess to enjoy yourselves. The Chinese school is not so. All the children in China must go to school when they are be- tween eight and nine years of age. We have no public schools When we first start to school it is @ private school, and not more than thirty or thirty-fve scholars allowed in one school because each scholar has diff ferent lesson, and if there were too many scholars the work would be too hard for the teachers. The first thing we study is to read Confucius, our religion. The children who first start to school take but very few lessons from Confuoius. They are. instructed by their teachers how to behave and what they ought to do for their parents, and how to pay good respect to strangers. They must bow and call the stranger Q teacher, for the name of teacher is held with great respect. The school teacher has full charge of the children, and the parents have very little to do with them after they commence to attend school. The school teacher sees the children
 more and so understands them better, and sees them in the wrong, so they can correct them better than their parents. After the first six months they begin to study Confu-
 oS,. |. zk,- ksT AL
 the Four Kings. Perhaps the children can get through Confucius and the Four Kings in three or four years. Then they go to college If they can afford 1t. The Four Kings was
 written by the disciples of Confucius he
 had seventy-two where Christ had twelve.
 You never get through college until you be-
 come an officer. If you do not want to be- como an officer you have to leave college.
 Oh, it is much harder for us to go to school when we little. We have to be in school ln the morning as soon as we can see to read, and when the teacher comes we have to recite our lesson, and if we do not know it we can not go home for breakfast, or If we al- lowed to go mark is placed on the face those who can recite 1t can have their break fast. After breakfast we practice writing two hours; then the writing books are taken up to the teacher and he will write all the new letters on the top of the writing book from the lesson which you have reci5ed, and all he wants to find out is if you know it. Then given new lesson to recite the next morning. We are not allowed to play or talk to anyone in the school. We all study out loud at the same time and on diff ferent lessons. The teachers are very strict, and when it gets late and tho scholars cannot see to read then the school is out. We are not allowed to make any noise or to run or stop on the way home, and if do not do as the teachers say then we get 8 good thrashiRg with number of small switches ks.l when they pass along the street; they go quietly and mind their own business It is because they wero brought up in that way. We have no way to become an officer except through school. We have no voting business at all. The way we elect ah officer is this The government gives out 6 question or . verse from Confucius, and you have to write out your argument It is like your debating or discussion of any question. Then the smartest man is employed to examine the ar guments, and if the paper is not neat and clean it is thrown in the waste paper basket; if 1t is neat and clean he will read 1t, and the first mistake he comes to he will read no fur ther, but throw it away, and also not allow
 but one sheet of paper to each person to go in the hall. The doorkeeper will search you
 before you go in, and then the one who has the best argument becomes an officer. The girls are not allowed to go to school since our Emperor Lee-Slman's reign, about twelve or thirteen hundred years ago, because they ss- sociate with men and write to each other in the secret way for their secret wants, as they
 would not have 8 drunkard for 8 husband,
 but they would drink glass of wine with a fast young man. They would not use pro- fane language yet they love the society of men whom they know are profane out of their presence. They would not wish to be considered dishonest, but they use deceitful
 words and countenance the society of men known as deceivers. They would hot be ir- religious, but they smile upon the most ire
 igious and even immoral men and show that they love to be wooed by them. This Is the virtue of too many women, virtue scarcely worth the numerically virtue at all; 8 hypocritical, hollow pretention to virtue, as unwonanly as it is disgraceful. This is not the virtue of true womanhood. So now only the daughters of the officers receive private instruction in their own homes, and we would not have the old custom any more for young ladies and young gentlemen to associate to- gether before marriage as in this country. The wives and husbands are selected by their parents. We do not marry to anyone that belongs to the same descendants or the same town except in large cities. It may seem strange to you that we have no choice in the selection of our wives, yet we have confidence in our parents-that they will choose those who are pure and good for us. The Chinese are happy in their married life and divorees are not known. 1 have now taken as much of your time as seems proper and will not tell you about my language, writing and lite- rature until next time. So will not contiR- ue any longer to occupy your valuable time and will close by saying good-by to all. Yours respectfully, 0. P. TIP.