Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1894-09-08
QUEER TALK.
Some odd Bits About ChInnmen High ani
Low.


In China there is profession for
ladies, strange because openly and
handsomely remunerated in the cur
rent coin of the realm. 1t is carried on
by elderly ladies, who go from house
to house of rich people, announcing
their coming by beating drum and
offering their services to amuse the
lady of the house. This offer accepted,
they sit down and tell her the latest
scandal and the newest stories and on
dts and are rewarded at the rate of
half crown an hour, besides a hand
some present should some portion of
their gossip have proved particularly
acceptable.
In England, at the old Bailey prison,
Chinaman was presented as a witness
in an important case and for some time
the nature of an oath and ali that it.
implied could not be impressed upon
him. Neither could the authorities
quite make out just what the Mongo-
liam did consider binding. Finally,
through the aid of an interpreter, II
was decided to break a saucer over the
head of the proposed witness. When
this was done the Chinaman appealed
to the Supreme Being whom he wor-
SHIPPED, praying that his own body
might be broken into as many pieces as
the saucer if the testimony he was about
to give sh, d not be the entire truth.
A Chinese literary man is nothing II
he is not abusive. To write either
| prose or poetry without constant ref
erences to historical events or person
ages is regarded as a sign either of stu
| pidity or lack of education. AS the
| only history with which Cinnamon are
acquainted is that of their own coun-
try, and as every Chinaman writes, the
| practice of using historical allusions
has become a fine art and the most OBJ
scure characters and circumstances of
past ages are necessarily dragged into
| writings to prevent endless repetitions
and to display the minute acquaintance
| of authors with the records of their
county. In nine cases out of ten this
acquaintance is only simulated, and to
support the deception endless manuals
of familiar quotations are published to
supply n semblance of the knowledge
which is wanting.
In order to emphasize the Importance
of the cultivation of the soil and to en-
| tural pursuits, the emperor of China
sometimes performs certain rites at the
''emperor's field" and goes through the
form of plow ing and other work of the
| husbandman. One day recently the
emperor set out at daybreak from his
| palace with numerous and magniti-
cent train of courtiers and others. Be
J fore breakfast the emperor arrived at
| the shrines of the deity presiding over
agriculture and his majesty stopped to
| offer up his thanksgivings and sacri-
fees After changing his dress the
! morning repast was served, at the end
of which the emperor proceeded to the
! field, at the four corners of which were
erected four pavilions where the seeds
| of wheat and other cereals were
placed.
In the center were numbers of mag
| nificently attired courtiers, each hold
ing aloft maRy-colored flag, while on
the side of the passage We're scores of
| aged and white-haired farmers, each
having in his hand some agricultural
implement. Placing MS left hand on
the plow and holding the whip in his
| right hand, the emperor began the GER
emony of the occasion. BY prearrange-
ment the officers did their allotted snare,
some welding the agricultural imple-
ments, while others scattered seeds
out of the baskets as if sowing. while
the emperor was busted with the
plow, which was hitched to richly
caparisoned bullock draped in yellow
and led by two of the emperor's body
| guards. On the emperor finishing his
round at the plow the three princes
Were ordered to go through the per-
formance, and after them nine high
courtiers had their turn. Chicago
| News.