The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-30
ROMANCE OF AN ALPHABET.
The Development of the kilograms o.
the Chinese.
From, the London Saturday Review,

the Chinese.
From the London Saturday Revie,1,
Naturally the objects of nature first exer-
cised the ingenuity of the Chinese depictors
of ideas. The heavenly bodies we're always
before them, and the heiroglyphics repre-
senting them were among their first efforts.
But the time came when they were called
upon to express on paper, by means of COM
pound characters, the various phases of the
sun and moon for example. The drawing
of ''the sun above straight line" was
sufficient to indicate the early dawn,
and as it rose higher above the
horizon and shone through the trees, it
suggested an ideogram reproducing the
scene the sun shining through a tree) to
represent the east. The ''sun" and ito
reign" compounded together was consid-
cred sufficiently descriptive of "the sun
Frightening into full day." The darkness
before dawn was "the sun not yet"
As it sank toward the west it was a
shielded sum" and evening was an ''es-
capped SUM-" For description of ''bright-
ness" in the abstract the services of the
moon were called into play. and the two
luminaries placed side by side represented
very effectively the idea.
But what about the starss Their relative
size supported the notion of their being the
offspring Of the SUI, and SO they were
named, Born of the Sun" Descending
the earth we find that man and his con-
Germs largely exercised the inventive DOW
ers Of the elaborators of kilograms. "a
man" and two" stood for humanity and
| regard for one another "A mans words"
were truthful. sincere, and half man"
was companion, an idea of fellowship
which seems to indicate that, according to
Chinese ideas, a perfect man, like happi-
ness, was born twin. Etiquette or decorum
WI fha riC cfNf A Htrhi
man" was a nobleman or chief, probably
referring TO time when the Chinese were
| brought into contact with the darker
| skinned aboriginal tribes of China, and q
| valley man" was one of the common herd
| "a mans fault" was dissipation, as it
often is here as well as in China, and q
womans hesitation and uncertainty; while
| extravaganza was represented by symbol
/ signifying "a mans excess and wauton.
| ness "woman's." 1t has to be admitted
that the characters drawn of women in the
kilograms are by no means always compli-
mentary, which, of course, must be at
| trlbuted to complete ignorance of the sex
on the part of Inventors of writing. How
| else can we explain the facts that COM
pound of two women" represents strife,
aud OF "three" intriguess Or, again, that
to suspect, TO dislike, should find expression
| in a character composed of "a woman -
plus together with" or that saucy pert,
| should be represented by moreover
woman" 1t is curious to note that an
ideogram formed Of "a waven and "a
woman" stands for virago, just as a wave
man, or Ronin in japanese means a lawless
adventurer.
| The ideal of beauty among the Chinese
| differs as widely from ours as do their writ
ten characters from our A BIC. Not long
since a member of the Chinese legation was
looking at a Photographic group Of de-
cidedly pretty young English ladies, and
being asked whether he admired them, res
! plied mo, they are difficult tolook at, diff
cult to look att As to figure, willow-like
waist and a bending, yielding form are the
| objects of highest admiration in China, and
to character formed Of parts signifying "a
| woman" and 'curved" is used to denote
beautiful, lovely, comedy. Many meanings
connected with women are associated with
characters which prima facie bear no rela-
| ton TO them whatever.