The sun., 1892-02-07
SOME NEW gOOkS
An A,seriean's Inrr~ss,ons ar Northern |
China.


We are Indebted to DR.. RoDERr CoLrMAS
Jr,. for giving us the outcome Of his personal
observations In northern China IN n book pub
linhed by T. A. Davis. Philadelphia. Dr.. Colt
man went to China In April. 1885. as q physi-
clan IN the employ Of the American Presbyte-
rian Board OF Foreign Missions. and was for
eome time the surgeon in charge Of the Pres.
byterian Hospital at Teng Chow Fr. as well as
examiner In surgery for the Shantune medi-
cal class Iiis opportunities Of studying the
usages. ideas. and character OF the people o!
northern China were unusually great. and the
volume before US proves tha. he turned
them tn good account Ec tells us
precisely what we wish to know about
the physical. intellectual. and moral
traits OF the population. about their
homo lie. their business occupations, and
their diversions. Even the two chapters which
lie devotes to the diseases prevalent in north
ern China are Of general as we'll as professional
interest We know Of no other book extant in
English which gives 80 much desirable in
formation relating to tho particular fcld which
came under the authors eyes. We shall mark
como OF the facts recorded by DR.. Coltman. but
we must caution tho reader that whenever lie
attributes any popularity to the Chinese he
has II mind the natives OF northern Chinawho
differ materially from the inhabitants Of tn,
region south OF tha Yang tse kiang. and even
from tho denizena Of tho wide tract lying be-
tween tho just named river and tho Hoang Ho.
Dr. Coltman tells Us that the northern
Chinaman Is as different from the southern as
the Englishman is from tho Frenchman. He is
taller. darker. and o. heavier build. His dis
position Is more sluggish: he retaiates more
slowly when injured. and he is Of a less finely
RfrunC orpapizafipp N,f that 40 q
less courageous: he is rather more so, II any
thing, but he lacks tho volatile excitable. one
might almost say. fiery disposition character
tstic Of the Cantonese. His language. too. is
quite distinct, and much more musical being
free from the abrupt and su,tur-
al sounds OF the south which CRATE
upon the European ear 1t is true
that his written language is the same. but he
pronounces the characters differently and with
much more melodlous intonation. Dr. Colt
man says that he has several times had &c ac.
AS interpreter between a Cantonese aud o
native Of northern China 1t is noteworthy
that the northern Chinese although not want
ing In courage are not luarresome. and when
they do get into fight are usually more noisy
than dangerous. For the most part they con-
fine themselves to slappng the face. pulling
the queue. and scratching with their long
nails To see man knocked down is the
rarest Of spectaees. 1t seems that il you
witness a row in tho street you can always
know. without asking. the cause of it, You
may be certain that one Of the belligerents
IL In debt to the other. who has been trying to
collect ths money due. and. not succeeding.
has begun fight to call the attention Of the
neichborhood to the insovent condition of tho
debtor. Women OF tho laborinG classes often
engags in street fights: they can be heard for
blocks away. and. although they have no vo-
cAbulary OF profanity. their language is re-
Voting. Murders. except by hghwaymen. are
rare in northern China: suicides. on the other
hand. are exceedingly frequent. Adultery in
spite OF the secluson of the women. il by no
means unusual. Theft is less common than
In the United States. Tho prevailing form
Ct dishonesty is emoczzcnent. the China
men preferring to initiate the bank CASH
Ter rather than the sneak thief. Tie
exposure or killing Of female infants.
which is said to be frequent practice IN
southern China. must TO rare in the north. as
DR.. Coltman never heard of a single instance
It Is as true. hcwcvcr. of tho country north CT
.she Hoaug Ho as it Is c:CantoE. that daughters
are looked upon by the majority as burden. il
not curse. woman who bears only daugh-
ters Is viewed with dis!avor by her husband.
and may consider herself fortunate If he does
not maltreat her. Tho girls themselves are
often neglected. ill fed. and poorly clothed.
while their brothers receive every gift that
their father can lavish on them.
Even the mothers sometimes despise
their female offspring. II T. member
OF the ollicia: class finds after some
yeare OF welded life that his children s,e al
girls he will take one or moro concub;nes to
bear him an heir. From tho Chinese point Of
view this distinction between male and female
progeny see'ns entirely reasonable. They
NttnS. hat Ia,
become members OF another family upon their
marriage. whereas sons remain at home. till
the ground, or succeed to their fathers bust
ness or profession. perpetuate his name ard.
most important thing OF all. worship a. the
grave OF their paterna, ancestor after he has
"Uassed over OF " left the world Naturally.
therefore. on tho birth OF son all the
neighbors and immediate relatives hasten to
congratulate the parents upon their good for
tune. while II girl Is born. either no notice is
taken OF the event or the nearest kin condo!s
with the father and wish him better luck mex.
time When son marries no usually brings
his wife home to his fathers hoase. where shs
becomes subject to her rother-in-iaw. When
Q girl is married In northern China you never
hear any one inquire what sort Of a husband
she has taken. but what sort o: q mother-in-
law she is to have.
In northern China. as everywhere in the
Middle Kingdom. Chnaman's pride is usu-
ally developed in proportion to his literary at
tsinment The bearing OF the students at the
examinations toward the shopkeepers OF their
own nation. and all others who ere not. as they
assume. Of their own literary grade. is so
naughty and offensive as 10 excite the dislike
and even hatred o. their non-literary cou ntry-
men. gentleman who has taken his
sh,W fsd. OF Grst degree. q looked
up TO as marvel Of erudit.on. inas-
much as no has studied tho works Of
Confucils and Menchis. the so-cailed great
learning" and tho doctrine OF tho mcnn." and
tnasmuch as he has gone through the official
examinations We are told. however. that il
one We're to ask a puudit OF this quality to de-
nne the boundaries OF China the direction of
England or the distance OF the sun from tho
earth. he would be forced to acknowledge his
ignorance.
DR.. Co,tmnn found it as easy TO distinguish
among the ne Jpte of mort horn ma an ,lnrar