The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-08-20
THE QUEER CHINESE.
Their Ways Not Like Our Ways, ard
Hence Our Prejudice.
Chester Holcombe. in New York Mail and
F,XDreSS

Chester Holcombe. in New York Mail and
Express.
1t seems trite and commonplace enough
man thoroughly until you can talk with
him. Yet this is probably more strongly
true when the bs or a na5e to be 0fer
race. Not only are their ways peculiar,
their point of view different. but their
same as ours. AT any rate they never
reach a given conclusion by exactly the
same route that we would take: "A G ite
of pushing it from him. boatman
stands facing the bow of his boat instead
pushes his oar from him. The more noise
the schoolboy makes by shouting out the
words OF his lesson in study the better boy
he is He turns his back upon the teacher
when he recites, and is taught to write be-
fore he knows how 20 read. Under the i'm
pulse of an ungovernable III of rage a
Chnaman is far more likely to commit sui
eide than to take the life of his enemy. He
keeps his nat on his head as a mark of re-
spect, and at table places the guest whom
he specifically desires to honor at his left.
He goes into retirement from business or
official duty for hundred days on the
death of his mother, three years for his
father, but makes no pretense Of mourning
the loss of a wife. because, member of
writer, he can get another easily enough"
He believes that mules have souls. but that
women have none He paints eyes on the
bow of his boat SO that it can see. For, as
he puts it in pidgin English:
mo got eye how can see?
No can see, how can savoy (know)?
No can savoy. how can makee walkee,
walker
pire appear to be possessed with this
spirit of oddly. There the purple anu
white ,I Iaes and several varieties of :he
watch dogs las they did in Romeo and
small ponies and understood donkeys
1t is not easy to become well acquainted
with the Chinese He is reserved. cautious.
T Sfolid t and oa above al al intensely proud
lacquer of poiteness. Etiquette is 81 with him
above: and oft often appear to supersede; a
code OF morals; He has been taught that
able to a disagreeable truth. Hence he
may not be truthful, but always will be
courteous SoaIS ,.b In fact half Of the men
charged is to be directly Credited to to
tain objects which. in themselves are per-
fectly legitimate and proper. The devious
and untruthful way is chosen because the
straight path appears to them TO involve
something which may be disagreeable. and
hence discourteous. Thus if your Chinese
will never tell you SO. He will gravely IN
form you that his grandmother is dead and
deplore the necessity which compels him
to leave your service in order TO commit
her remains TO the tomb. If you know the
Chinese and do not wish TO lose your serv-
ant, you will at once increase his wages
Then he will quietly resurrect his grand
mother. Your only care need be never to
refer TO her obsequies. And If on any fut-
ure occasion of dissatisfaction he should
carelessly announce the second death OF
the same relative. under no circumstances
allow him to see that you are aware OF the
fact unless you have decided not to retain
him in your service. Even then IL is better
to initiate his politeness and simply permit
him TO go to the funeral