The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1886-07-23
CHINESE RauiRa.

One Of tho first things that happen
TO q Chinese baby boy after ho Ia borl
Is to be shaved. A barber comes witt
a razor, and oil the hair Ii shaved of
the poor little sello VS. tender scalp
After that baby has got 10 go 10 III.
barber for hls shave, Just as a growr
man With beard might 90 in thil
country but no never seems to en,
10y II, aud cries pItifuIIy every time
the shGrp razor mows down the hair.
After awhile, when the hair begins
to!grow thicker, the head Is not shaved
allover, but Is left Untouched In spots,
Just as they thInk will look pretty.
Sometimes there Will be three tufts,
each as big round as silver dollar,
one Just over the middle Of the fore.
head and one over each ear. When
the hair grows long enough In these
tufts tits braided aud tieI with bright
cord, and then baby looks funny
enough to a foreigner, for each little
braid stands stifliy up for about two
inches, and then Iops over. The
braIds look like horns on his head
aud holes are cut 10 his green and
red cap TO lot the horns come through.
When he grows older he Is allowed
TO wear queue like the men.
When baby IL about month old
he Is given his FIRST name, or milk
name, as the Chinese call 1T. A feast
Is prepared, the friends are called 10,
and papa gives baby his name. This
name Is used only until lie Is ready
20 30 to school, when q new name Is
given him, ant another feast Is Offer
ed 10 the friends. The names given
to the bows arc odd TO Us, bat they
seem all right to them. Think Of be-
Ing called Ink Grinder or Promising
Study ! But even this name Is not
kept, for when tho boy grows up and
IL married he takes new name,
which he keeps for the rest OF his
life. n baby's papa Is rich, baby is
well taken care of, carried about ten.
derry and amused 10 bis hearts con.
tent but II papa be poor then the
boy, very likely, viii be tied to an
older sisters back with q broad piece
Of cloth, so that his logs dangle down
BY her si'las ani his p,r little head
wabales abo. I over tho top oF the
cloth rs II his neck were IN ads of
Indlan rubber. The little nurse goes
about her work or rams at her play,
and never seems % give thought
to her little brother and his bObblng
head, and he does MT seem 10 mind
II. for when Il looks as II his head
must almost be shaken 81, he, very
likely. Is fast asleep.
II baby happens TO live % boat, -
= great many hundred thousand persons
10 China do, bis mamma tisa big
goard on bis baek, 20 that he cannot
drown II he fAlls ovsrboard,o be il tied
By rope 70 some part Of the boat. Ia
summer baby wears az little clothing ~
possible, bnt in winter IL is just the
other way he wears all the clothing
that can bs put upon him. Except 10
tho northern part cf China,uear Perkin,
where il Is bitterly coId 10 winter, the
Chinese people do not havsGires in their
houses, even when IL il old eaoagh 10
freszs the water into ice. Pair after
pair OF trousers il put on habys legs,
and jacket after isekst on his body,
until by the time be il clad warmly
enough be Is quite rs broad aa he il
long, and his little arms stick straight
out from MS sides, 30 that be waddlea
about, provided he can move ~ all,
looking like rel aud green pillow with
a ball on top, aud with smaller pillows
on each side where tho arms are Il
,aakes no difference to him then how
cold il Is, and he sits In the open air on
his little bamboo stool. with nose aud
cheeks very red, and bis body as warm
as toast.
All this has bsen about boy babies,
because in China girl babies are not
thought much of, and consequently all
the good times come to tbs boys.