Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-12-17
THE CHINESE KITCHEN GOD.
Displayed in Chinstown's Restaurants-
Charms-The Ancestral Tablet


Charms-The Ancestral Tablet
In restaurants and eating houses of
the poorer class-and probably many
housekeepers in this city have seen the
same in their kitchens where Chinese
cooks hold sway-there will be observed
pieces of red paper with characters writ
ten upon them. The paper represents
the kitchen god, and the hieroglyphics
are his name-Tszmin. Sometimes the
paper is white, and contains the likeness
of the god and other figures of human
beings and the lower animals. This is
pasted upon a board and hung up. The
devout cook burns incense before this,
as well as candles, the first and fifth
teenth day of every month. Kitchens
having these gods are, as a rule, more
economically run than others, as the pa
per god is responsible for all that occurs,
and is obliged to report to the great
Iuh-Hwang, the "Pearly Emperor Su-
preme Ruler" If the lady of house
should ask her cook-presupposing him
to be a churchman-where his kitchen
god was, the first five days before the
Chinese New Year, he would, in all prob
ability, reply that he had gone to heaven
to make the yearly report referred to
above. Not only does John know that
he goes, but the exact time. The day
before the trip feasts are offered, and
every attention paid him, for the honest
purpose of getting on his right side, so
that he will make a good report and
overlook any little shortcomings that
have occurred during the year; in other
words, every attempt is made to concili-
ate or bride this god of the kitchen. The
moment he departs frecrackers are set
off and incense burned. so that he NAV
start in good humor, or, as a Chnaman
put it, "Havee good send-of, allie samee
Mclean mans joss"
In nearly all the Chinese stores along
Dupont and the ad joining streets will be
seen pieces of red paper pasted on the
wall. Nearly every laundry has one or
more. On these are written, the gods
of wealth, and at certain times coun-
terfeit or bogus money is burned before
them-for the benefit of the paupers and
beggars in the Chinese sheol.
Charms form a prominent feature of
Chinese life, and these can be purchased
in Chinatown in bewildering variety,
and almost every Chinaman has one or
more. These are purchased by tourists
from the east as bric-a- brac or curiosi-
ties. One of the most common is dag
ger about twelve inches long, made of
coins of various kinds, and known as
the sword charm. Brass mirrors can be
purchased for a small sum that will cure
mad people The money dagger, that
costs perhaps 81, is to hang on the bed
or about the room to ward off malg-
nant influences. demons, genii, and
other troublesome possibilities. Other
and less expensive charms are the leaves
of the sweettlag and Artemisia Joined in
a roll, and near beds or hunks or over
the Intel a branch or sprig of peach
blossoms is often seen that will drive off
the most powerful demon. Gourds, tiger
claws and a thousand and one other OBJ
jects are sold for the same purpose, rich
and poor being, as rule, equally super
stitous.
The believer in Confucianism has
many curious ideas. In almost any
Chinese residence will be found an an
cestral tablet, and sometimes these or
their imitation are offered for sale in the
shops in the city. The tablet is known
as the Shin Chu, or home of the spirit,
and, as rule, is made of wood. about a
foot in height and three inches wide
generally some fragrant wood is EN-
ployed, and, owing to the rich orna-
mentation in the way of carving, the
tablet is made up of three pieces-a solid
pedestal and two upright sections. The
back side often contains "a niche, in
which are placed pieces of paper bear
ing the names of ancestors. Before this
prayers are offered daily, incense
burned, ETC.; the prayers not being, as
one might suppose, for the dead but be-
ing appeals made to them, the belief be-
ing that every man has three souls,
which at death have different duties
one IS to heaven, another remains in
the ave with the body, while the third
takes up its abode in the ancestral tablet,
and to this the prayers are offered, and
the believer has the satisfaction of know
ing that his ancestors become gods, no
matter what their station on earth. The
worship of ancestors at graves is not seen
here, as the bodies are sent back to
China; but there every April, on a GER
tain day, the family tombs are visited
and offerings made. The Chinese think
we do the same on Decoration day; at
least this is the impression of many.
The prayers offered at the tomb of an
ancestor are ready made and printed,
and are not recited. as the bearer very
naturally argues that the soul OF tn an
cestor If it knows anything is aware Of
what is wanted, so it is simply burne
at the toni. Francisco Call
Injection in the Heart.
DR.. Engram, of Buenavista, Ga. Wis