Mohave County miner., 1891-04-11
CHILDHOOD In CHINA.
HOW THE LITTLE cELESTiALS
SPEND THEIR YOUTH.
Tho Girls Education Begins st Six Years
and the Boys Mt About seven--A.
Nineteen the Girls are Mar
ried-TheIr Sports.

Il
different races seem very strange 10
Foreigners. The prevailing idea OF a
nation may be known by the desires OF
It's children. Some writer once re-
marked that let French child express
his ideal and 1t would be that he might
grow into famous general, the soldier
surrounded with all his military glory
being the height Of his ambition. Put
the same question 10 an American boy
and with toss OF his head he will In
form you that he intends TO be fire.
man or a street-car conductor when he
grows up 10 be man." But the Chin
csc boy Is so differently trained that it
would tie most difficult task TO fathom
his wishes and ambitions.
The Chinese girls education begins
at six years OF age. Then she must
submit 10 the bandaging OF her feet,
which cruel custom cripples the poor
child and causes her untold suffering.
But as small feet are considered mark
OF great beauty this barbarous custom,
which has obtained in China for ages,
Is still practiced. The bandages are
changed as often as they become
soiled, but the practice continues until
the girl reaches the age OF nineteen.
Sometimes, when about ten, the bones
OF the toe are broken 10 prevent further
growth.
At nineteen the girl is married. But
courtship, as it Is known among the
| Americans, IL not understood or toler-
ated by the Chinese. Mutual affection
is not the foundation of the marriage,
but the children are betrothed in
infancy by their parents and when
grown are Obliged to fulfill the engage
ment.
After marriage the wife has com
| plete control OF her household and Of
her children. The Chinese treat their
parents with the greatest respect. al
ways walking behind them, and seldom
daring TO disobey their commands.
The cue r long black braid worn
| down Chinaman's back, is said TO be
considered as mark OF especial honor
| to his mother.
A Chinese boy begins school at about
seven years Of age those OF the higher
ranks being taught at home by private
tutors, while the poorer boys attend a
school in common. As the Chinese
language has no alphabet or grammar,
the method of study is peculiar. Each
| object Is represented, not by certain
| com bination of letters, but by IA char
acter, which 10 different according TO
the thing it designates. Now as every
thing known TO the mind, every noun,
verb, "adverb and adjective is thus
designated by an independent char
acter, one may form faint idea of the
| vast amount OF labor required to mas
ter even a small part OF the written
language. Imagine attempting to
study the new Century or the Inter
national dictionary, not by mastering
the spelling Of each word, but by
| learning for each Of the thousand words
an entirely different character.
At the age of fifteen the boy is sent
70 one Of the professors OF the Royal
Academy for examination. There he
Is given one word on which TO write a
| composition, and for this purpose he Is
locked up for day and a night in an
| apartment alone. At the end Of that
time, II the composition be creditable,
the boy takes his first degree" and
receives gold button. which he wears
In his hat.
He then studies for three years more
and at the end OF that time undergoes
| second examination, In which, If
successful he receives second gold
button, the same kind OF reward, you
see, that the Eight O'clock Club offers
At the end Of another three months
! study he is summoned 10 Pekin to ap-
pear before the Imperial Academy.
Here he undergoes three days ex-
animation, and, IL successful, he Is
eligible 70 the highest offices in the
empire. From among these graduates
are chosen the foreign ministers, gov
ernors, and the highest officials OF the
government. OF course no boys ex-
cept OF high rank are admitted to these
examinations.
In former years the drowning
Of children by those that considered
them superfuous, was very common,
but lately the cruel custom has been
prohibited by order OF the emperor's
mother.
II a Chinese boy were TO kill a
parent, he would be burned alive at
the stake in punishment for such an
unnatural and horrible crime. But
over the life of his children father
has absolute control, and can murder
one Of them and never incur the least
penalty at the hands OF the law.
The games are ball-playing, kite
flying and sending off fireworks. On
their New Years day there is always a
big celebration and the little boys keep
up huge racket with the ceaseless
explosion OF crackers.
The life OF Chinese child is full of
quaint, strange ways and habits, as
they appear to us. but doubtless to the
eyes of the Celestials our customs are
equally queer. Still, taken all in all,
American children enjoy much more
pleasure and freedom, and need envy
those OF no other nation. For in
America, more than any other land,
children are the objects OF constant
petting and are treated by grown peo-
pie as companions and equals.
Discovered by "A Maine hoy.
A Iftfla Rauuar hov siIY.nriged both