Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-02-11
TEACHING A cHlNAMAN.
Little Girl ArtiessIy Relates Her ExpOr
risnes With = Heather

oh say" she exclaimed TO a WASH
ington Star reporter, throwing n great
emphasis on the say" and her face
beamihg with a sudden recollection,
''have told you about my Chinamana"
She was q modest little schoolgirl. aud
her question seemed iIiae odd, and so
the Star man expressed an appropri-
ate amount of genuine surprise, and
told her that he had never heard Of
..her Chinaman."
"Well, let me tell you," she con-
timed. and as her auditor did not pro-
test she proceeded: "He is Just too
cute for anything, and he is so bright
that am sure he will learn TO speak
real good English very soon. aud then
am going to have him teach me
Chinese. Won't that be nice?"
but you have not told me who aud
what he is. suggested the reporter.
Haven't /? Well, he is my pupil
at the Chinese Sunday-school at the
Ascension Church--all my own-and l
am teaching him. You see, we have
got to teach them 10 speak English,
before we try TO teach them any re-
] ligion, and so ! am now trying 10 make
him understand me. 1t is pretty hard
sometimes, but | am sure that he is
going to learn"
How many lessons have you given
him." asked the reporter.
'Only one, but he can say several
things already and he Is real bright.
You see there is little primer book
that We use that is written partly in
English aud partly in Chinese-just
like one Of those horrid Latin books,
| you kSow. First there is line at the
/ top. Where there are given some En-
glish words, you know. and opposite
| these are the same words in Chinese.
! Down below, at the bottom Of the page.
| there il little story that brings in
these words and so he learns. He is
very eager to learn, but he can not
pronounce some of the words. for he
has trouble with his r. which he will
persist in calling an Il. | can't break
him of the habit. said he was bright,
! didn't |? Well, he is in some things.
but lie was so stupid last Sunday. The
word hand was in the copy and
wanted to illustrate its use to him, and
I so Just stretched out my hand and
said: My hand What does the
stupid do but reach over ana take my
hand and say. MY hand OF course.
/ he did not mean 10 be rude, but il
/ sounded so presumptuous that it made
me mad for n minute. But the more |
tried to show him his error the more
he persisted in saying that my hand
was his. At last took hold OF his
hand and said. Your hand. and then
he did the same for me and said; Your
hand 1t was little provoking, but
am hoping he will know better next
Sunday"
Il suppose he is high-toned China
man, from the legation, perhaps, with
| lots Of silks and other nice clothes?"
suggested the reporter.
No, indeed. he is not was the
somewhat indignant reply. He is
not one of those Cinnamon, but real
nice, hard-working, poor ChinamaD,
/ who washes clothes for living, and |
I do not think any the less of him for it.
I wouldn't have Que of those legation
! Cinnamon: they are so proud and stuck
up they thiuk that there is nothing
like them. They don't come to Sun
day-school; they know enough a.
ready"
Well, do You like to teach China
men3' queried the reporter TO round
! of the conversation.
Il should say did. | think it is
Just too lovely for anything; but don {
want to have him think that my hand
is his, for it isn't and never will be- =
and pair OF very black eyes sparkled
charmingly. Il really don't know
what am going 10 teach him when
get him SO that he can read. but / sup
pose hat il will be something reli.
gious."