Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-06-06
CHINESE URBANITY.
clRcuMLOCJTION THEY DISPLAY IN
LETTER WRITING

Correspondence.
1t has probably fallen to the lot Of
most Of us TO ~c met people who,
without the excuse Of an unconscious
habit, have the l,nack Of asserting IN
pleasant truths, and who value the I'M
gracious practice as a sign Of honesty.
There are others, such as the Quakers Of
bygone days, who regard every express
sion which may not be in strict accord
ance with absolute truth as a sin against
their consciences. To such people the
idea Of subscribing themselves yours
truly" or Of beginning a letter TO a
casual acquaintance, "Dear So and Sc"
b abhorrent But public opinion has
been too strong for them, and we con
tinue, and shall continue 50 long as so
eiefy holds together TO address one an
>1her in terms of endearment and respect
which are not required TO correspond
with our sentiments.
Orientals have surpassed us in this re-
gard as much as the brilliant sunshine
10 which they are accustomed excels the
nurky atmosphere of Europe. The de-
scriptons Of ourselves and of our CORE
kpondents pale before the glowing ex-
pressions of objective admiration and
subjective self abasement which adorn
eastern epistles. We are content to con
6ne our wishes and compliments to the
present life; but such limit is far too
narrow for an Asiatic, who delights in
wishing that his friends may live for
ever aud ever, and that the ancestors Of
his ere lies may be condemned to ever
lasting disgrace.
We are satisfied to speak of "I' and
~You,' bat an oriental loves to heap ad-
5octives of contempt upon himself and
OF glorihcation upon his correspondents.
EI.EvATING AND DEAfEANIEd SMILES.
In al cases he avoids the use Of the
personal pronouns. BY system of cir
cumlocution necessitatcd by this omis-
SION. he describes himself as "Your
younger brother" the character repre-
senting his expression being written
small and partly at the side OF the col
amns of words, and he designates him.
self and others conformity as 1--WE ants"
But the person no is addressing figures
ms "Your excellency," my benevolent
elder brother" or your honor" liter
ally, you who are at the steps Of the
council chamber" His own house is "a
mean dwelling" or, as the parts Of the
character signify, ga stricken and broken
dwelhng;' but he is unable TO think of
his correspondents habitation as any
thing but ian honorable" literally
''basket-of-pcarls palace" In the same
spirit of self abasement he feels obliged
70 wind up his epistle with the phrase,
"Your stupid younger brother, So-and
SO, bows his head to the ground" The
character for stupid" is drawn for us
by two hieroglyphics, meaning "mon-
key hearted" To bow TO his friends ia
also pictorially expressed by u colloca-
ton Of "a head and turf" suggesting
the act of bowling the head TO the earth.
If his correspondent proposes to call
upon him he hastens 60 assure him that
Eat the appointed hour, with bowling
hands, he viii await the time when his
eXcelency shall abase himself by dri wing
his chariot to his office" His friends
letter is "the revelation Of his hand,
and he takes pains to Nuke him aware
that holding it with washed hands he
had chautcd' its contents
On expressions of thanks particGllf
emphasis is laid by the Chinese, and
with true Oriental instinct. in their effort
after hyperbole, they are accustomed to
give o physical, Interpretation to their
mental feelings,
POWERFUL HYPERUOIE.
For instance, a correspondent who
wishes TO say that heis profoundly CRATE
full, writes, "Gour kindness is very deeply
engraved and enyoined in my heart" If
he hears OF the illness of u friend che
cannot help being hung up in suspense"
and the symbol he uses shows tothe eyes
the heart ul tho writer tied 40, WHITE at
the same time he urges him "to take care
of ms person as pearl" And on the
receipt of better news he breaks out,
Glow shall l bear the joy and pleasure"
Having finished expressing tho object Of
his letter, he winds up by awaiting him
self Of the opportunity TO wish his CORE
Fpondent a,i the blessings of the season,
and, if he is ON the road to honor, "all
thu promotion lao drserves.'
But. If not ferotious, sufficient lati-
tude still remains to u Cbjuaman for the
development ofmuch plain speaking, 1t
is as possible to "sljt the thin spun life"
with sulytso as witha broadsword. and
in the most finished periods ChiDamm
finds himself quite able TO express either
whitening contempt or ramurseloss hate.
But he has other ways also of giving