The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-09-10
IRVING IN A JOSS HOUSE.
The Presiding Priest Tells Him Why
Actors AIe DeSpiSed.

Foreign Expectations-Irvin Thinks
Pretty Well of Chinese Acting.
From the san Francisco Examiner.
With an opium pipe in his right hand, a
blue vase decorated with gilded dragons
under his arm and his pockets packed
with anklets, heather idols, dried lizards,
| lions teeth and other Mongoliau treas
ures, Henry Irving al midnight on Thurs
day entered the joss house on Clay street.
He was preceded by Detective Glennon,
full of enlightening information, and fol-
! lowed by stage manager Loveday, carry
ing One-string fiddle, blue silk mantle
and a tomtom.
Mr.. Irving listened patiently while the
golden carvings, the great bronze urns,
the monstrous brass vessels and the mode
! OF worship were explained to him. His
/ eye was not insensi6le either to the num-
erous printed placards hanging about,
stating in English that tourists were ex-
! peCted to purchase d bundle of lOss-sticks,
to the end that the temple might be sup
! ported and tho visitors receive an inter
est IN the prayers of those who were
running this Joss house " He invested
| generously, for Mr.. Irving spends money
! Ike an American. Sore regretful spirits
! were made throughout Chinatown, in
| deed, by his habit of paying what was
asked without doing what was expected
prices.
The wholesale transaction in ioss-sticl<s
! brought priest of the temple to Detec-
! tive GlennOn's assistance an eXpounder
| of the obscure-a small, yellow priest
! with little twinkling eyes and a set
! smile.
! His reverence pointed to a row of long
] toAl ssIR d. I
! with massive ornamental head of brass,
and gave the information that long, long
! ago sanity men of China had carried
| them, and each halberi identified its
! former owner by the design Of the head.
| Just like the rod OF Aaron" he said,
and equally ef1icaciOus for snakes The
! great brown god in the shrine at the
| farther end of the dimly-ligh ted temple
| a god with a large black beard and bene-
| voIent COuntenance, VINO sat taiorwise
| with one slim hand on his mighty paunch
! had freed the Chinese from evil times
| when in the flesh 1000 years ago or more.
1t is not this image that is worshiped, the
| priest explained. The image if but the
| symbol Of the deity. Just like pictures
| of Jesus"
| Not far from the god is the yelled
| figure of a youth with bloOd-stained
| cheeks. Visitors are informed by Il card,
on which the nut-Oil lamp at the figure
/ feet throws its Pickering light, not to
/ touch this sacred veil The youth life
was modern son. He toiled day and
night, but ultimately both his father and
mother died of starvation, and his grief
! was so intense he Wept so continually,
that his tears turned to blood
"Ah, yes, l see, said Mr.. Irving.
! Filial piety was the theme of the drama
we saw at your theater Your actors are
! very good. Yon hold your actors in high
! honor no doubt"
'Actors2" repeated the priest, puzzled.
Eyes, actors. They are greatu men
| among you?"
The priest dropped his smile for a mo-
ment, eyed Mr.. Irving shrewdly, and
shaking his head rapidly, said firmly
ACTORS no good -
"Indeed2 And why not?'' ~
"Well dunno" answered the priest,
! searching for English words "They-
they off color; yes, thatis, OF color. Low,
! you know"
But, protested Irving, with a touch
| Of genuine resentment in his tone, chow
is it that your actors look SO much more
! intellectual and refined than the audi
ence! | was struck by that"
'Well, dunno. Actors no good"
| And your poets, the men who write
books, they are low, too supposed"
| The priests face lighted up.
| NSA4 IiO tilC pUCI. btlC HIGH WIlU WHITES
! book, he very good, very great man with
us-not low at all"
Then why should the actors, who say
! the words of the poets and let the people
! see what the poets mean, be lowe"
well, they dress all the same women
and paint their faces, you know"
| But so do your women"
"Oh, yes, women that all right. They
! just women"
But, persisted Mr. Irving, "why
| should you not honor the actors who
! teach such good lessons on the stage-the
same lessons you teach here, no doubt2"
''Oh," cried the priest, his smile broad
ening, eff actor do of stage what he say
on stage that all right. But he don't"
| day
| Detective Glennon supplemented the
| priest Chinese actors become great IA
vorites as actors, but their popularity is
| limited by the walls of the theater. They
are graceless, self-indulgent bohemians
| The salaries of the best of them run to
5000 year and upward. They pur-
chase diamond rings, sumptuous raiment
and the coStlieSt OF opium layouts. Often
their most ardent admirers in the theater
insult and strike them outside of it. The
merchants and other swells will have
nothing to do with them socially.
Eyes, very bad men," concurred the
priest. "Ihey send no money to China
for their mothers"
''People are alike everywhere, Ell, Love
day?" remarked Irving. ''You know
how we say of a chap that he's damned
bad actor-but he's good to his mother"
Mr. Irving was surprised at the excel
lence of the work done by some of the
Chinese actors. One who took the part of
u Judge he pronounced a good comedian of
the quiet sort, and the female impersonator
impressed him. It's capital" he said.
There's art in it all, however absurd ac-
cordiug to our conventions it may seem in
many respects
The priest insisted on having Mr.. IT.
wing fortune told. He perceived that
this visitor was distinguished man of
some sort.
The subordinate priest appeared, knelt
on small red mat bowed his head to
the ground thrice before the altar and
mumblod long prayer in a low and rapid
tone. Then he lifted up his hands and
let fall from them two blocks of wood,
fiat on one side and rounded on the other.
If the fiat Sides come up thrice in success
sion it is proof that the god is present and
in particularly amiable frame of mind;
if the rounded sides are uppermOst that in
dicates divine ill-temper; If the result of
the throws is half-and half, then the god
is in an average mood.
Mr.. Irving got half-and-half. The
- r.