The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-03

cracknel on the outside, and an in
describably soft and juicy meat within.
1t is the only way of cooking the pig,
and when thus prepared makes all
other dishes from that delectable ami
NAL seem fat and insignificant.
Then there were chickens and guinea
fowls, seethed and steamed until they
resembled alabaster in color and trans
lucency; ducks and geese roasted in
smoky furnaces until they resembled.
chestnuts; shrimps and prawns, crabs
and craw fish, fresh and dried, boiled
and fried, make up in salads, comf
pressed into dumplings or served in
little hills upon cunning little porcelain
plates.
On every house, although it is in the
tropics, there were evergreens. A
bunch of cedar festooned the window,
a branch of banyan covered the door
way; bouquets and punches of tinsel
paper flowers decorated the rooms. In
some houses were Chinese Christmas
trees which would hardly be recognized
by young America.
They are made by taking a dried
branch on which there are any number
of twigs and little branches and fasten1
ing to these paper leaves little pieces of
scarlet paper and fragments of yellow,
blue. green and red tinsel, until the
tree branch is one blaze OF many colorsA
This beautiful branch is then fastened
to the wall near the ceiling so as to
project horizontally into the interior
of the room There were many chill
dren's gifts, toys and dolls similar in
character to those seen at home, but
very different in construction and sp-
pearance.
Many Of the dolls are now familiar TO
the little girls of America, but others,
made of colored straws. OF pottery
ware, of nodded clay and of carved
wood are peculiar to this part OF
the far cast Then there were Noah's
arks, which gave that patriarch a
more curious collection of animals than
do those similar boxes of toys at home.
which contain blue cows. green horses,
red cats and bright purple dogs.
A Chinese Noah's ark usually con-
tairs two or three well-fed dragons,
unicorn, a griffin, a hippogrif with
long tail. devil with a black face, and
2 number of other strange characters
that were prevalent in China several
thousand years ago but have never
been seen since
There is no drunkenness and no dis
order. The small boy makes hideous
noise and discord with miniature tom
toms, clappcrs and flies, but has not
vet acquired the awful vice Of the
American fishhorn and the putty
blower. The boys occupy the streets
all day long until late in the evening
with kites. tops. toys and shuttlecocks-
They do not play like the American
boys The Chinese boy IS more demure
and dignifed. and gives you the i'm,
preston that II IS not a small boy yov
zee, bat al old man dressed up in boys
clothes.
The illusion Is emphasized when his
grandfather and father join him in his
sport. because It IS then the oldest man
who Is The noisiest and most garrulous,
while the youngest Of the party is as
solemn and Is taciturn as an owl,
speaking only when it Is time TO cor
rect his sire OF grandsire for inatten-
ton - the game or for making bad
Play
The Europeans enjoy the day IN the
manner which prevails
in lands where different natioasIties
live and work together in harmony
Nearly every house and bungalow holds
cpen doors and extends hearty well
come 70 all who call In some the
Christmas punch bowl IS kept ever full
upon the table IN the reception room.
with its so1eee "a family and visitors
In others both food and drink are
served With unstirted hand N every
home warm hospitality prevails
The of1cers Of the ships cone ashore
and pass the dav n calling upon their
friends The residents exchange Wis
is with thsir nsighbors and with the
ships officers and crews IN the ha-bo-.
On the cricket ground and the tennis
courts open air games continue from
srE-i.e until far into the dusk Attic