Connecticut western news., 1885-12-30
ODD POINTS ABOUT CHINA.
WHY A FORMER NEW YORKER RE-
 TURNED TO SHANGHAI.

COntrasts in Everyday Matters. \ After an absence of twenty-five years in China, George Dean, native of the Ninth ward in this city, returned to New York recently with the intention of re- maining here. His mother, three sisters and brother live in the same house they occupied when he went away. He had been here only two days when he began to be homesick for China. He thought that time would conquer the feeling, but it became stronger everyday, and after staying two weeks he bade his mother and sisters farewell, and sailed for Liver pool on his way back to the strange country he had learned to love better than his native land.
 "I miss so many things, and every thing comes so unhandy to me here," he said. "For instance, everybody drinks cold water here, and laughs at me when want to do as they do in China and take my water warm. In China 1t IS im- polite to take your hat of on entering house, and here have forgotten myself dozen times, and been stared at and drowned at by ever so many because observed the Chinese etiquette and kept my hat on my head on going into peo- pie uOuS6S. iuu lily SSll OIdSIAuS ny desert first at dinner, as and all China men do at home-I mean in Shanghai and my embarrassment has been great. Polite natives of China always drink their tea from their saucers, which are placed on top of the cups. 1 forgot my self more than once and did the same, with an effect on others that made me very uncomfortable. On going out l invariably have taken my fan, and a fan like mine couldn't be purchased in New York for the price of town lot. I couldn't think of going anywhere wi bout it. But it has brought me only ridicule wherever l went. 1 find that my visiting cards, made after the best Chinese fashion, each one printed on yard of the finest silk paper imaginable, are simply useless here, and if used would create strong suspicion that l was in- sane. In China my bed, and everybody eise's bed, is formed of mating, while here the mating is laid on my bedroom floor for me to walk on. When I go to bed here my head sinks down deep into | the pillow, and I splutter and tumble about all night and can't s'eep. At home-in China, mean-I rest on pill low as hard as wood, and sleep like a top.
 The other day my nephew, a young man whom I like very much, asked me what thought would be a nice thing | for him to buy as present for his father | at Christmas. 1 answered at once:
 "'The very best coffin you can afford. "Why-do you believe mel--he was 1 insulted, and my dear old mother was vastly shocked. It all came from my being thoroughly Chinese. It is quite the proper thing in China for, son to buy coffin for his living father. In fact, it is expected that he will do so if he is possessed of sufficient filial regard. l I tod my friends so, but that shocked | them still more, and I was miserable again. There is no use. l never could get along here at all. l shall die If don't get back home-to China, mean.
 "Yes. everything seems to be done in China exactly opposite to the way in which it is done here. Here l am Mir. Dean. In China I am Dean MT. They don't use any soap to shave with in China, but simply to rub the part to be shaved with warm water, put on with a brush like toothbrush. The part to be shaved is never the face, but the top of the head. The front of Chinese book is the last page. and the reader begins al the right hand corner of the page and reads down. The foot notes are always at the top. The title of the book is printed on the outside margin of tho page. If you should ever enter school room in China you would surely think the scholars were engaged in mobbipg the teacher, for they study their lessons as loud as their lungs will let them. When they rccite they back up to the teacher and stand with their faces to the other screaming pupils, instead of tho teachers, while they yell their recitation' all together.
 "In China the needle on the compass a'ways points to the south. At any rate the Chinaman believes it does. There is no northwest or southeast. In thei place we have westnorth and eastsouth l see that you have in New York artisti who live by trimming finger nails. They would be run out of China, for persor who hasn't finger nails four inches lone there isn't much in society.
 "They never have any breach of promis, cases over in China. A future Chimes, belle isn't three days old before he parents have betrothed her to some ac ceptable scion of a neighbor's house When she IS old enough-and she doesn' have to be very old, for if sine were ir this country she would be playing witt her doll yet-she goes to the house o her affi snced and marries him. Sht weeps and walls all the way there, as i her idea of matrimony wasn't exactly cheerful one. There is always mourning at Chinese marriage, while at funera the bands play and there is feasting an( rejoicing. And there, I think, tn Chinese idea is the correct one. Whel person marries his troubles begin. Wh, should he rejoice? When he dies hi troubles are over. Why should any on mourn2 must get back to China.
 "A true-born, patriotic Chinaman vii turn with loathing from glass of frcsl milk, while he will lift cup of caste oil to his lips and drain it with a gusto The oil won't make him bilious. Tn milk will. told you it was the prope thing in China for 9 son to give a coiIil to his father. In case the man has n, son, or the son is lacking in filial regard or money, itis the ambition of the fathe ! to procure the coffin for himself, and ht does SO as soon as he is able to. It i used about the house in various capaci ties until it is wanted for the purpose fo which it was purchased. Go int any well-regulated Chinese tamily's house and you will surely see the coffir of the head of the house occupied as tete-a tete, a bench, a table, or some thing else. When irs owner dies and is put into it he may be taken to the graveyard immediately, or may knock around about the house for years. Whei they bury coffin in China they simpl, carry it out and set it on top of tn ground in the family burial plot. Tn name of the individual who is in tn coffin is marked on one end of it. Ther the coffin remains for a year or two. anC then, if the friends of the family caa af ford if thev hnild A hriclc unnlf nunr if