Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-05-19
MUST HAVE A. GOOD COFFIN,
sssssss Hariai Costume, Of the Heathss
Chinese.

Sapssos Harial COstumes Of the tlcathsus
Chinese.
The 0rst ambition of every China
Hian Ia TO have "a splendid coffin. A
po0r Chinaman will half starve him
self and his family for years that he
rDay daily hoard a few leash" toward
the sum needed for the purchase of
the coveted casket When the GOTTA
is really bought IL is brought home
with great ceremony 1t is given
the place of honor in the house and
is regarded as the most valuable
pic e of furniture in the establish
tnent Among the poorer classes IL
Is customary to buy very thick
coffin. No self.respecting Chinese
tamilY--and the Chinese are the
most self.rcspccting Of all the ma
eions--will bury parent until they
can do Il with more or less MOngO-
lian maQniticencc. Hence, in China,
death by no means implies immedi.
ate burial When a Chanaman dies
che ne ghbOrs come in and help the
women Of the family to make the
shroud. The body Is put in its
coffin. Then the funeral ceremonies
begin, II there Is money enough. II
there Ii not, the coffin Is put back in
tts place II honor until the family
finances look up.
Tho day Of death, or the day after,
tho relatives not living In the house
and the friends come TO pay the last
duties OF respect to the deceased.
When the visitors arrive, they are
shown into q room in which are all
tho women and children OF the e.:
Enlistment These latter set up .
dismal howl, In which the visitors
Join, or TO which they listen sympa.
thetically. When the tympanum Of
even q Chinese ear begins to ache,
the guests are ushered into another
apartment, where the men OF tho
house rive them tea and refresh.
mcnt The refreslimcnt varies &C.
cOriing TO the means OF the family.
In the house Of the rich 1t Is dinner.
After the visitors have drunk and
eaten. they ara bowed out by one Of
the kinsmen III the dead.
A Well.cOnducted Chinese funeral
Il the most gorgeous sight In Asia
At the front of the funeral process
sion walk tho noisy musiclcss mus =
clans Then come men (they may
be friends, they may be coOlics) bear.
ing the insignia Of the dignity OF the
dead, II nc had any Next walk
more men carrying figures Of animals.
idols, umbrellas, and blue and white
strcamcrs. After them come men
carrying pans OF perfume. JUST be-
fore the coffin walk bones, Chinese
priests Over the coffin u canopy IL
usually carried. The casket Is borne
bv about sc re OF men. lmmcdi.
atelv behind the coffin walk the chill.
drcn Of the deceased. The eldest son
comes first lie Is dressed In canvas
and leans heavily upon a stout stick.
He Ia supposed TO lie too exhausted by
grief and fasting to walk without the
aid Of this stan. The other children
and relatives follow this chief
m0urner. They are clothed In white
linen garments. White Is the mourn.
Ing color Of the Danes, OF the Bur.
Mese, and OF the Chinese. Two
women arc carried In chairs In the
Chinese funeral procession. They
sob and wall ut intervals and 10 uni
son.
When tho burying place Is reached.
the BONES begin chanting u mass
for the dead. and the CO Mn Is put
into tho tomb. When tho coffin Is
laid In Its iinai position, a large oh.
long white marble table Is placed bs-
fore tho tomb. On the middle Gf It
Is set censor ana two vases and two
candlcsticks, all OF Us exquisite work.
manship ~ possible. Then they have
paper cremation! Paper figures OF
men, horses, garments, and n score Of
other things are burned. They are
supposed to undergo q material res.
direction, and to be useful To the
dead In tho Chinese heaven. The
tomb Is sealed up or closed, and an
entertainment concludes the ccrc-
pp,nn0v N thu