The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-13
SCRANTON TRBUNE-sATURDAY MoRN1Na.

down at his plate. None dared to speak.
Then Prince Kung raised his head.
looked at me In silence, and drawing a
long breath, remarked: 1T Is fearfully
hot today This was the sole outcome
of our minister's well-meant but i'll
timed congratulations"
| BY reason of the fact that mixed as
semblages Of the two sexes are for
hidden by the Chinese social code, and
that 1t is even deemed disgrace for a
husband to be seen walking. in public
with his wife, the social functions of
China are confined largely to men.
| Women of the better class sometimes
exchange visits and drink tea after the
fashion Of our American five o'clocks;"
but never form large gatherings. All
over three constitute "crowd" which
is respected more for its room than its
company. So great Is this aversion of
the male Chinese to the company of the
female, in public, that 1t Is impossible
for an American travelling with his
wife In China to get natives to drive
the mule litters in which all journeys
are made-that is, large sedan chairs
transported by mules-unless the two
tourists consent to occupy separate lit
| ters. Mr.. Holcombe relates an instance
of this aversion which deserves to be
repeated 1t will be remembered that
some years ago the Chinese govern
ment. in a fit of soon repented liberali-
ty, sent delegation of Chinese young
men to this country to be educated.
The campaign of education proceeded
so rapidly that one day the venerable
Chinese director of these Mongolian
pupils, while out driving. on Sunday
afternoon, espied one of his young men
walking home from Sunday school,
alongside a young lady. The young
gentleman politely bowed, and removed
his hat to his superior. The conserva-
tive old disciple of Confucius could
hardly credit his eyes. Here was one
of the boys under his charge, for whose
moral and mental training he was re-
sponsible actually walking in full day
light upon the streets with young
woman who was neither his sister nor
his first cousin. This fact alone was
| quite sufficient to stamp the reputation
of both the young people as hopelessly
bad. But to complete the offense, the
young man had the effrontery to re-
move his hat before his superior, an act
which was of itself grave breach of
Chinese etiquette. The incident was
reported to Peking, where it was looked
upon. as the director himself viewed
| and characterized 1t, as an evidence
that the students had quite lost their
good manners and sense Of decency.
| IL 1aI 30 ha q
the entire body of students"
Perhaps one of the reasons why the
Chinese do not indulge in our forms of
social enjoyment Is because they have
been taught under the Confucian sys-
TEN to regard dignity and stateliness
and repose as the greatest of social
virtues. A Chinese gentleman seldom
walks fast. He never runs. He in
dulges in little laborious physical exer-
else. He is ceremonious in the extreme,
but after his own fashion" The female
SEX" says Mr.. Holcombe, has no place
in his idea of respectable pleasure. nor
has violent exercise of any sort a place
| in his category of gentlemanly amuse-
ments." 1t is related that the first
Chinese minister to this country was
once invited to a reception in Washing
ton where dancing was the principal
feature of the evenings entertainment.
After watching the flushed and heated
dancers for some time in undisguised
amazement, and contrasting their vio-
| lent exercise with their elegant and
manifestly expensive costumes, he
| turned to friend and inquired: why
do they do that hard work? Cannot
they afford to hire some one to do 1t for
them?"
Before we pass to other phases of the
| Chinese life and character, we wish to
refer to a notable custom, religiously
observed in China, yet exceedingly gro-
tesque to occidentals. 1t has already
been stated that the supreme duty of a
Chinaman, next to his allegiance to the
emperor, is toward his parents. One of
the odd methods taken to emphasize
| this fiial respect and affection is thus
described: 1T is no uncommon sight
in Peking or any other city of the en-
pire to see q company of men, headed
by band of music and many banners,
parading the streets in a long process
sion, at the center Of which are two
collins The absense of white, which Is
the national mourning color, the lively
strains of music and the general air of
pleasure throughout the members Of the
party make it certain that they are not
performing the last sad rites for the
dead The two collins have been pur-
chased by the sons of, say, Mr.. and Mrs.
Chang, as slight tokens of fllial affection
and honor. And they are being carried
with great pomp and display to the
home Of the old people, to whom they
will be presented with pleasant speeches
and appropriate replies from the sur
prised recipients" An American par
ent might question the spirit of such a
gift. But Chinese parents "have no
such squeamlsh notions. They accept
these finely lacquered and decorated
collins as a final proof of the fore
thought and affectionate care of their
children. The gifts are placed In the
state apartments of their home, careful
! ly protected from injury and shown
with great pride to their friends. The
lugubrious side of the gift never strikes
them. They see in 1t only the love, re-
spect and forethought of their children.
1t assures their minds upon one point
which Is of great Importance to a
Chinese 1t Is "a present pledge of an
honorable, dignified funeral.'
III.
When It Is said that the religion of
China Is Confucianism, 1t needs to be
explained that Confucius was purely a
moral philosopher, who cared little for
forms Of worship and much for abstract
maxims. Thus the Chinese of today, al
though given over to a good deal of
Journalism. In their religious rites, are
tolerant to q singular degree of other