The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-04-13
Chinese Education.


SAN Francisco. MARCH, 81 The first Chi
nose school / ever visited thought a riot had
broken out About fifty boys were seated
upon high three legged stools, and each
swayod bis body 10 and fro and shouted at
the top of his voice. 10 was more like the
raying ward in a lunatic asylum than place
for learning classic lore But DO was oniy an
ordinary every day scene IN study hours.
puzzled my brain over the matter not NIUE
before / discovered the reason of tie noise.
When was a pupil i'm country school we
used TO "siudy out loud' during the tempo
rary absence of Che teacher, but we never
adopted the plan permanently
The Chimes language cannot be spoken in
n whisper. 70 has tones and accents and in
Elections and erunts and gutturals and na,al-
which can only be produced ia full voice, and
every variation and precision in tone, etc., is
essential 90 Che proper meaning of The words.
The same Identical word pronounced in diff
fereut ways has as many different meanings
~ IL has different methods Of accent. Thus,
while each pupil made as much noise as me
could unaidod by gongs on blunderbuscs, hls
own noise cffectually drowned all other
sounds 20 him. and he was impractical silence
At Chinese theatres everybody in the audi
ence talks out at the same time the players
are talking. lis the running comment upon
the play and players AT churches, While ine
preacher is delivering his discourse, bis audi
ence is also talking at full speed. il is more
like a sewing bee in the country. where the
ladies meet 10 talk over their personal mat.
tiers. than any thing else know Of.
Some people DO not believed Chinaman can
think without singing over the subject of his
thoughts. 10 is al least q common occurrence
10 hear am animated conversation around
some turn i'm the road. and when you come
upon what YOU have taken % be- company
Of travellers you find one man talking TO him
self
Each pupil at school furnishes bis own desk
and chair. on stool He also provides himself
with a teapot and fan and book. These
comprise the outfit. In enc end Of the room
sits the teacher He is a sallow, small man,
whose coat sleeves are about a foot longer
than his arms, and bis finger nails are as long
ms his fingers. aud lac wears glasses with
lenses about as big as the top of coffee cup.
He looks wise and solemn through it all.
He never disiurbs the pupils by calling
upon them 20 recite. When boy has sung
over paragraph unui ne can Hii1 ip OH VIII"
his ewes shut, be jumps down from hs perch,
and hands the bool, % the teacher towatcn ID
he trips in his recital and turning bis back
To- the teacher he sings OF the words conn
mitted. In order 90 concentrate DIS attention
upon bis work, the pupil lifts first one foot
and then the other. giving his body sway
ing motion like q ship rocked IN the cradle ~
the deep. The lesson having been repeated
le resumes his perch and takes the next para-
graph in hand Tho curriculum, like every
thing else, is unique.
II does not include mathematics nor seog-
raphy. nor anything else in particular. The
only books studied are Chinese classics, being
extracts from CQnfucius and other ancient
writers The education consists iu commit
ting these books 10 memory That Is all.
What they mean, if indeed they have amy
meaning, is alike unknown - teacher and
pupil. b. " Ton.