The Brookhaven leader., 1884-08-28

and prupriotieo which regulate ~
social intercourse and daily life q fl1o
Chinese, there = none 90 scrupuloos1y
- IL obseQuioe Of their
higher relatives. The infant may ~
laid in some corner % gasp awGy its
little life and finally wrapped IN mating
and be dropped into the river or buried
like . dog In the back garden, but
great Is the pomp and interminable are
The ceremonies consequent upon the
deccase Of one who mas lived long
enough 70 rear son. II that SON Il
poor he will pawn his personal effects,
stint himself Of food, borrow money at
exorbitant rates Of interest, and II there
Is no other security he will pawn .
wife, child, or even sell his own body
rs slave 50 as to raise sufficient money
to defray the cost Of his parents
funeral. Confucian tracts call this by the
name of filial piety, though everybody
knows that In the majority Of cases the
underlying motive is Q self-interest born
of the most debasing superstition. Tho
man believes that the least omission Of
the orthodox funeral rites will bring the
most terrible calamities upon him and
his posterity; that he will be haunted
until the last moment of his life by the
unhappy ghost Of his departed sire, or
in fancy hear the angry voice Of his
neglected parent pouring curses upon
his head wherever he goes. He &C
cordingly observes every minute custom
in order to avert these evils and give
repose to the spirit of the dead.
Let us suppose the last hour has come
and s.the venerable one," whom o score
Of doctors have tried in vain to cure, 10
lying an 0rticHl0 merits, with his feet
toward the door, ready for his last exit.
His best robes, hat and, shoes are
brought out, for all these articles will
border land of the other world. A
piccS or two Of silver is put into the
dying mans mouth, for this, too. will
beneeded to pay Charon, the grim fer
ryman. These preliminaries occasion no
look of disrnay, but rather q smile that
such loving provision Is made for his
long journey. When the last gasps
come that usher death, the eldest son
approaches and closes his fathers eyes,
or perhaps orders the opening Of hole
in the roof to facilitate the departure OF
the three spirits Of the dying man.
Life Is hardly extinct before the eldest
son az nearest relative issues forth TO
buy water, escorted by musicians. He
carries bowl to the nearest river or
well, where he deposits q few cash for
the water dragon. With this soicalled
purchased water he proceeds to wash
the corpse, and then decks it in the
costliest and gayest clothes ever worn
in life. Buddhist or, Taoist priests, robed
In their colored .cassocks and chasubles
of brocaded silk, are called. in to; chant
the prescribed litanies, 70 break open
pufEatory, to cast the dead mans horo-
scope, to say what form. whether Of
man or beast or bird, the dead man a..
sumes in another world; to facilitate
hismigration to happier realms, oreven
procure him passport to the Western
Paradise. At the door Of the house Is
crested an awning, hung with blue
lanterns and streamers Of blue and
white paper, the outward manifesto
tiors to passers-by of q house Of mourn
inc and death. Inside the house pre-
partitions are made for coffining the
corpse. Meats and cakes are piled upon
the table, and lamps, incense and
candles are lighted around the dead.
Chinese cbflin resembles the trunk
of 3 tree planned of; and is made Of the
hardest wood procurable. So expep-
silva Are these collins that the wood for
on0 Will sometimes cost IS much as
$1,000, and no eoolie would think Of
paying less than $40 for his fathers
ease. One of the most appropriate
presents for father sixty years of age
=, 20 Ia n fHn In
ses the aged one in wordswhich may be
familiarly translated "Dadaie, l don
want you todie, but your box is ready
when you want to go" and the old man
receives the gift with unbounded graft
tude, discourses upon its merits to
every visitor, proud to possess such a
token of his sons filial duty. The
coffin, therefore, is usually near at hand.
When the corpse is ready it is sOlemnly
removed to the coffin by hired attend
ants, while others proceed to beat the
floor to terrify evil spirits from the
chamber of death. A cOronet OF gold
or silver, bracelets, earrings, chains,
watches and other ornaments of gold.
silver and jade are put upon the body,
according to the rank and sex of the
deceased. With a fan in one hand and
. written prayer in the other, the corpse
is now ready for the world of shades.
The deceased is then covered with .
white silken shroud or coverlets pre-
sented by relatives and friends, those
not used being committed to the flames
through which they are said to pass to
the world below. The nearest relative
then presents the nails to the under
taker and holds the coffin while it is
nailed down and Theoretically sealed.
At given signal the lamentations
begin, hired mourners, mostly women,
lift up their voices, wailing and
bowling till they are nearly
hoarse, the amount Of tears shed by
different relatives being limited by
strict regulations. The hollowness Of
| the whole performance is seen when
some newcomer arrives. In . moment
tears will turn to smiles, accompanied
| by q half audible litter as they ex-
change compliments. Having taken
| breath, there comes another weep-up,
| more vigorously than before.
After the corpse has been nailed
down it is placed near the ancestral
altar, where stand the portrait of the
deceased and tablet bearing his name.
offerings of food and drink. . pair of
chopsticks and sometimes an opium
pipe, accor ling to the tastes Of the de-
ceased during his lifetime, are. placed
on the altar for the entertainment Of
the lingering ghost. Banners inscribed
with glowing tributes to the memory
4 - T. -Ax<1r h. IL a. ~