New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1890-05-28
TEEcHiNG A cHlN,kMAN.
a Little Girl ArtlessIy Relates Her Exps~
rience With Heather.

'Oh, say" she exclaimed to a Wash
lngton Star reporter, throwing a GREAT
emphasis on the say and her face
beaming with a sudden. recollection.
/ shave toldyou about my Chinamanp''
She was a modest little schoolgirl, and
her question seemed atl.ihe odd, and so,
the Star man expressed an appropri-
ate amount of genuine surprise, and
told her that he had never heard of
cher Chinaman.''
We'll, let me tell you,''' she con
tlnued, and as her auditor did not pro-.
test she proceeded: HE is Just too.
cute for anything, and he is so bright
that am sure he will learn to speak
real good English very soon; and then
am gong to have him teach me
Chinese. Won't that be nicep"
''But you have not told me who and
what he is, suggested the reporter.
Haven't I?.s Well, he is, nv pupil
atithe Chinese Sunday-school at the
Ascension church-all my own-and; I
am teaching him. You see,. we: have
got to teach them to- speak English,
before we try to teach them anV re-
ligion, and so am now trying to make
him understand me. It is pretty hard
sometimes, but | am sure that he, is.
going to learn"
How many lessons have you given
him." asked the reporter.
''Only. one, but he can say several
things already and he is real bright.
You see there is a little primer book
that we use that is written partly in
English and partly in Chinese-iust
like one of those horrid Latin books,
you know. First there is line at the
top, where there are given some En-
glish words, you know, and opposite
these are the same words in Chinese.
Down below, at the bottom of the page.
there is a. little story that brings in,
these words and!so he learns. He is,
very eager to learn, but he can not
pronounce some of the words. for he
has trouble with. his r. which he will
persist in calling an d. 1 can't break
him of the habit. I said he was bright,
didn't r. Well, he is in some things
but he was so stupid last Sunday The
word hand was in the copy and I
wanted to illustrate its use to him, and
so just stretched out my hand and
said: My hand What does, the.
stupid do but reach over and take nv
hand and say, My hand OF course,
he did not mean to be rude, but it
sounded so presumptuous that it made
me mad for minute. But the more [
tried to show him his error the more
he persisted in saying that my hand
was his. At last took hold of his
hand and said, Your hand, and then
he did the same for me and said: Your
hand 1t was little provoking, but
am hoping he will know better next
Sunday
Il suppose he is heightened China
man, from the legation, perhaps, with
lots of silks and other nice clothes?"
suggested the reporter.
No indeed. be is, not" was the
somewhat indignant reply. He is
not one of those Cinnamon, but a real
nice, Woodworking, poor Chinaman,
who washes clothes for a living, and I
do not think any the less of him for it.
I wouldn't have one of those legation
Cinnamon; they are so proud and stuck
up they think that there is nothing
like them. They don't come to Sun
day-school; they know enough al
ready"
We'll, do you like to teach China
men?" queried the reporter to round
off the conversation. ....
Il should say did. I think it is
just too lovely for anything; but don't
want to have him think that my hand
is his, for it isn't and never will be-"
and q pair of very black eyes sparkled
charmingly. Il really don't know
what am going to teach him when I
get him so that he can read, but I sup
pose that it will be something reli-
gious.''