The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1896-03-24
Christmas Day Among. the
. Churches.
CHINESE HAVE GOOD MEMORIES.
Miss Field Tells About Christmas Day
Festivities-An Hour at the Chinese
Church-Fireworks Galore-The In
fiuence of the Church Among Them.

HONOLULU, Dec. 20, 1S95-Had yes
lterday been the Fourth of July there
could not have been less peace on earth
Firecrackers took possession of the
town. Considering the many Sunday
schools, and the knowledge among jul
veniles of all races of the significance
of the day, this anomalous demonstra-
ton would surprise me, had not ceased
to be surprised at anything occurring
1 on these islands. A country that rains
without provocation and stops raining
without provocation; that is even &c
centric enough to invent a rain war
ranted to wet but one side of the street;
that stamps out cholera in few weeks,
though Honolulu has no sewerage sys-
tenn: a country that makes revolutions
almost without bloodshed and sup
presses instructions through the me-
dunn of those who led them; a coun-
try that has one season all the year
around, where all signs fail and mo-
notony kills time, is without precedent,
and can be judged by no foreign stand
ard.
Yes, listened TO the Christmas ser
vice at the English church (St. An
drew's CathedraD to an accompaniment
of firecrackers. Don't assume that these
crackers supplied the place of an organ
They supplemented it from without
Never door or window is shut In Ho-
nolulu from January to December, so
what goes on in the open concerns the
preacher, the speaker and the musician
Stone pavements would make life a
burden.
| fancy that the use of firecrackers on
Christmas is due to a heterogeneous lot
of boys, who, having no proper vent for
their animal spirits, seek solace in the
most noise to be had for the least
money. A departing circus that for
weeks has reaped rich harvest rather |
a theory that am ready to re-
nounce on the presentation of a better. !
Christianizing of the Chinese.
Whatever doubt there may be as to |
the advisability of attempting to
ChristianiZe the Chinese on their ma
tive heath, there can be no question
about the value of the work done here
among the Chinese by F. w. Damon,
a son of the old Bethel missionary.
Father Damon, and brother of S. NJ.
the present Minister of Fin
ance. AS sat on Christmas eve in the |
Chinese church, crowded to suffocation
with the parents, sisters, cousins and
aunts of the children who were to cele-
brate the birth of Christ, / saw some
good in system of contract labor that
in few years has well-night converted
these islands into an Asiatic colony.
Assuming that the majority of Chinese
parents send their children to Sunday
school for the purpose of gaining knowl-
edge of English, Anglo-Saxon influence
IS bound to impress plant children The
growth of seed thus planted may be
slow, but with so tenacious a race it is
sure. The Chinese have memories.
Why do you put all the women on
one side of the church and all the men
IN the other?" asked Mr. Damon, who
vas talking Chinese to the boys engag-
I'd in lighting the great Christmas tree
Because it is the Chinese custom.
N China partition separates the sexes
N public. We have done away with
hat, but we can't reform too fast, you
know. Some of our boys have cut off
heir pigtails, and gradually we are
making Roadway. Did you know that
his country is the first to abolish the
small feet torture? No Chinese girls
,orn or reared here can be subjected to
hat outrage"
So the leaven works.
The exercises that evening consisted
# songs, anthems and recitations, as
veil rendered as could be expected from
title people who, with the least of mu-
ical ears, are wrestling with strange
ongue and new kind of civilization.
What struck me most was the earnest
less of the wee undergraduates and
he intense interest of the adult audi
nee, arrayed in their finest silks and
when they had them
dothers with babies, little girls carry
ng younger children, listened and look
d with an eagerness that, to me, was
athletic. That night was an oasis in
heir patient, barren, Woodworking
ives
At the Portuguese Celebration. /.
To attend two Sunday school celebra-
ions in four languages in one night is
feat which performed on Christmas
We for the first and probably last time
n my life. Not far from the Chinese
hurch is the Portuguese. which was
lied with well dressed children and
heir parents and friends. Portugal is
ar nearer American than China, and,
4 course, the singing and recitations .
pere better. In fact, there was nothing
in this exhibition, except I
he advance of the children over their 4
arents. Vivacity of expression was far /,
lore apparent in the Latin than in the ;
fongolian faces. The little imp that $
at beside me was as pronounced f1irt