San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-09-20

The Pious Task Of Cheering the Dying
Man and Ministering to His Physical and
Spiritual wants-Attractive Interior of a
Chinese Home.
A heather died 1900 miles away from
nome. at No. IS Pell street, on Friday morn
ing. Although he was so far away from his
native land, he was tended in bis dying
hours by some of his cousins" for IN China
the cousin is any member of the same family,
no matter how remote the kinship, and the
manner of his death was as it would have
been if he had died at home. His name is
Hong Toi, and he is cousin OF a wealthy
Chinaman who keeps grocery at No. 70
Mott street. He had just been taken away
from Boston to die in this city. According
to a certain Chinese superstition it is unlucky
to allow a man to die in the same house where
he lived. Consequently, as soon as the at
tending physician pronounces the case hope
less, a room elsewhere is hired for him to die
in, as was done in this case.
Hong Toi was born in Quang-T ung-Foo in
1868 and came to America when he was 20
years ofage. Like so many of his country
men, when he arrived here he sought employ
ment in laundry, and set himself to make
fortune. His savings after time were
large enough to enable him to buy an interest
in grocery, and before he died he had laid
up $4,000 His hopes and plans, however,
all persisted with him. Four months ago be
contracted an illness common among the PEG
pie of his'race. He, coughed, grew thin and
lost his appetite The American physician
whom he employed at first pronounced the
trouble malaria, but his treatment did the
patient little good. A Chinese doctor was
consulted later, and he declared the trouble
to be pneumonia. This proved correct, and
the disease soon proved fatal.
Within the last two weeks of his Life he
was never left alone His friends and cousins
relieved one another in the plous task OF
cheering the dying man and ministerinS, in
their heather fashion, tn his spiritual as well
as his physical wants They read long pas
sages to him from their national bOoks;'such
as the works of ConfuciIs and Mencius, the
Tripiteka of Buddha and the verses of Lao
Tszee and other famous poets They fed him
with the strange and delicate dainties which
the Chinese only can concoct, and talked OF
home when he was strong enough to listen.
Then, as the end came nearer, they brought
out and spread around him numerous queer
him in his childhood, evidently seeking, as
they might amuse tired child, to bring
some pleasant memory or happy thought INTO
his mind while yet life might be made little
brighter.
They spread out little squares of sugar
candy, looking not unlike the "butter scotch"
American children like 80 we'll. Queer cakes
were laid around on tables and chairs, and
even on the bed, some with fruits and some
with spices in them, some with meats and
some with unfamiliar ingredients to the eau
casian; very few, of them were alike. Then
they brought even dolls, fashioned, as nearly
after the habyhood of China as the pictures
of their native artists are like nature
grotesque, quaint and richly CARRIED, odd and
pretty. From the ceiling they hung kites
and queer umbrellas, and some of the ele-
CANT, fantastic paper lanterns that aesthetics
delight in. A smile would sometimes come
over his<wasted features, but for the most of
the time his face was calm and grave, as is
the won't of Cinnamon. It is a look not IN
like that of babies, wise beyond their days,
who look at all things with quiet attention
that seems to speak a tolerant half approval.
His bed was a narrow bunk, covered with
white mating, and the pillows were long,
narrow boxes, covered with upholstery.
They looked not unlike the foot rests in an
old English church. Around the walls hung
silken banners of vividscarlet and rich en-
broidery tracing the hierogfyphics that
stood for verses from the poets. Over the
mantelpiece were religious pictures not un-
like those that hang over the affairs in the
Chinese temples. In the center was repre-
sentation of God as the Chinese picture him,
seated on a,throne of barbaric magni6cence,
while on either hand were pictures of the
beings whom they suppose to personify the
powers of destruction and reparation. On
the opposite wall hung the words of the
Christian hymn, Nearer, my God, to Thee. "
On the mantelpiece underneath the religious
pictures were dozen or more artistic photo
graphs OF halfet girls in the extreme nude
ness of the modern stage
In one corner was q bamboo table, on
which were pots Of coal kept constantly
burning, and of tea kept always hot. Other
smaller tables supported bronze vases, so1ae
of them very costly and ali artistic; byonzc
bowls of clean white sand, in which were
stuck joss sticks, TO be burned from time tC
time, in devotional exercises, and some forty
or fifty volumes of the writings of Chimes
poets lheSe were huge ana c-4-4DrOuS, GG'
of rare workmanship, and must lave beel
expensive purchases.
The sick mans costume was a simple hoes
dress, somewhat resembling the pa jaInGs t22
have grown into popular favor il Americ.
within the last few years. He wore blouse
loose and without any approach to a fit
made of yellow muslin, and pair of trou
sers of the same material, Only reaching Il
the ankle, and on his otherwise naked fee
were pair of loose slippers This was in hi
Boston hone. A few days ago, his physi