Morning journal and courier., 1884-02-16

from all the dainties on the part of the bride
Later in the evening the bride will answer
conundrums as they are propounded to her
by the guests. The wedding day is the last
occasion upon which the wife can enjoy the
society of her husband In public-one of the
hardest and most barbarous features of So
cial life in China. After the labor of the
day no citizen of the Flowery kingdom can
take his wife and family for pleasant walk
at dusk; neither can he accompany her to a
picnic or public entertainment without vio-
lating the prophecies. OF course these re-
strictlons are measurably broken down at the
open ports.
As If it were not enough for woman to
Securs her husband by means of such leap
in the dark, the laws are such that she may
be divorced by her husband when he gets
tired of her, on any one of the following
seven grounds: Jealousy, leprosy, stealing.
disobedience to father-ln law or mother In
Law, barrenness, lewdness and garrulousness.
But no offense which the husband may com
NIT entities the wife to claim divorce from
him. Some women go into nunneries or
commit suicide rather than accept the bur
den of married life. Widows cannot remar-
ry without committing gross breach of eti
quette. In case extreme poverty forces
them to such disreputable measure, the
ceremony must be shorn of all the t'style"
that characterizes the first wedding.
If they were not superstitious the Chinese
would not be anything. Every commonest
act seems to be done according to some mode
prescribed by the ubiquitous astrologers or
soothsayers. You cannot take q walk along
the Bund without encountering over and
over again illustrations of this national ten
dency. joss sticks will be burning aboard
the sarnpans, or the snspping of frecrackers
right at your elbow in mid winter will nearly
carry you off from your fest Inquire what
it means, and you will be told that an effort
is being made to ''drive joss away" Fear of
the devil seems to be more the character of
Chinese religion than love of God, and when
these ignorant dwellers on the water expert
ence some accident they promptly resort to
means of driving his rather Satanic majesty
back into the water whence he came. One
Of the most curious of the notions popularly
(and one at which the Chinese
are fond of pointing as evidence of their
perior reverence for that which is literary is
q scrupulous preservation of any paper
which may have writing upon it. If this
paper must be destroyed it is soiemnly con
signed to the flames; but the custom is to
preserve all bits thus written upon. Letters
are always kept in the household filed away
for fature reference; and as Chinese letters
,onsist of long strips of paper. it is customa-
~ to paste all the letters of single CORE
spondent together.
The other evening I had chance to wit
ness the operations of the Hong Kong branch
If the Royal Naval Temperance society.
was at once amused, touched. entertained and
Intensely interested. It seems that it was a
special gala meeting. Toward the edge of
evening repaired to the Temperance Hall,
where the entertainment was to come off
The commodious rooms of this building were
illing up rapidly as entered. Loving hands
had decorated the main hall with all the flags
Ind embIems of the various nations. and
here for once the nations were put on level
There was no rally ing of the other nationali-
les about England in suppliant humility. 1t
g refreshing to mipgle once in awhile with
'he hoi polloi at Hong Kong and enjoy the
iraternal feeling there cultivated-especially
after one has been sickened by the nauseating
Angiomania that pervades the upper cir
cles-" Seating myself at a table under
the good old American flag, just
opposite q picture of the new Brooklyn
bridge, as every one was busy chatting, I
interested myself in bound copy of Harper's
Weekly for the ears covering the first half
Of the American rebellion. The pastime was
such a fascinating one that was likely to
ignore everything else. It is strange how
the pictures of those stirring times in United
States history thrill the beholder of to-day.
They take right hold of you, providing you
are naturally sensitive person, and make
you tingle electrically from head to foot.
Sailors love to come ashore from American
and spend hours in coming the
spirited illustrations, and many soidierly
sye have seen moisten with enthusiasm
Tea and an appetizing collation. were
served in the hall. During the process Lady
Bowen entered, (wife of tbs governor of
Hong Kong colony whereupon every body in
he room rose and remained standing until
she had been seated. Later Rear Admiral
Wiiles came In, and soon the toasts began.
II propose the health of our gracious Sover-
eign, Queen Victoria. to be drank in flow
ing bowl of tea" said the Admiral in conclud-
ing little speech to the boys, and of course
the sentiment was responded to vociferously.
And 1 propose toast to the health of
Chester A. Arth IT, president of the United
States" said another gentleman, and it is
Leedless to say that the gunboat men of
America and the four or five of US humble
civilians who we're present as representatives
Of the bald headed bird of liberty created
respectable volume of sound. I could not
help wondering if President Arthur, away
through on the other side of the earth at
Washington, had any suspicion how his name
was being honored in these far-G;stant heather
waters
Other boets were proposed, one to the
governor of the colony, but none to other
heads of governments; not that common
for all nations was not encouraged,
out that the other countries were only sparse
y represented. Then came the exercises of
he evening proper. The president, a mild |
ookipg missionary, took his seat in the chair, |
md called the gathering to order "Oh, of |
course you are quite at liberty, gentlemen, |
o smoke your pipes and make yourselves |
thoroughly comfortable, " spoke up ths seere-
ary at this point in brisk business way. |
D. that secretary He was character to be |
ure. He was dapper little Ethiopian. of |
wiry build and nervous tempera-
nent. He was born manager, aud could |
lot bear to risk things In the hands of any,
me except himself. As the meeting advanced |
10 became more and moro offcious, until
Here was really no use whatever for the |
president. When a motion was made he |
Vould rise in his enthusiasm, put It before |
he house, and then announce the result to |
he chairman with patronizing air which |
aid plainly. ssAh, excuse me iust this once. |
After while you will be competent to run |
hings on your own account, but at present |
ou need my paternsi guidance" But the |
lberty which was extended, that of smoking /
n mixed audience, was at first caIantate6 20 i
impress an American abroad s$rapaely. IT, |
Tould have been narrow uiade5 however |
begrudse the boys their smoke. for MANY |
Il them had not been on shore for months |
,efora.
For sozne time I had been watching tie |
apper little secretary, who was all eager
ess, and scrRped his throat in an ominous |
ANhAOA. Luhb 6pluSGD1HR unusual 1
Tas coming. and that our friend was getting
eady to display himself Nor was I mis-
AIKEN. It was the uainutes of the previous
aeetinR which he was preparing TO read
he demonstration which followed was moth
ng short of rhetorical and oratoricaI pvro-
echnics. The polysyllables few right and
sft in way that made me actually dodge |
or fear I should be physically damaged in
be fray. All this was attended bv flourish
g of the arms and twistipgs of the body
'hich 1t is quite impossible to describe. Hi
yes rolled ia fine frenzy. and his head
obbed bewilderinglY about I could NOT |
clip Specializing as TO the ayfui conseouenoes
2 case his collar should unbutton behind.
here was no Possible ground for doubt that
9th his esrs would have been sacrificed.
Hnis elaborate entertainment lasted over
alf an hour, for the little fellow made it
is duty to report even speech, song and
ther exercises of the previous meeting al
1ost verbatim. It was certainly marked
zsmple of faithfulness
Among the features of the report was the
rayer OF the chaplain in full. delivered with
ft1T TrrlT r 4