The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1898-11-02
FANATICAL CHINESE.
SUPERSTITION RULES THE RACE FROM
CRADLE TO GRAVE.

All business and Family Matters Di-
reetiy Controlled by ThIsInreason-
ing influence, Which Makes Brute.
OF Its StnNish DcNotees.
No race i'll tho wide world is moro
controlled by superstitious notions than
tho Chinese. They enter into every net
of II Ghinamans life, and their intlu.
enoo is moro lasting than that of his re-.
ligion. He cannot move hand or foot
without their agency, and from the
earliest moment of his life down to tho
last detail III connection with his burial
their power and influence arc the guild
ing motives of his acts. All business
and family matters arc directly con.
trolled by superstitious sentiments both
rich and poor, young and old, being
slaves to their force.
To tho average Chinaman his religion
is mere negative factor in his mode of
life, to DO followed or disregarded at
will, but no truo son of Han dares to
net otherwise than i'll accordance with
the strict precopts of those spiritual
powers which directly control his life.
There are some amusing superstitions
connected with Chinese entertainments.
a dinner party is an ordeal which once
experienced is never forgotten. 1t CON
sists of from 10 to 40 distinct courses
and occupies tho greater portion of
day. During tho whole of these ropasts
and Notwithstanding tho endless variety
of dishes served the invited guest re.
tains tho Same plato throughout. Tho
explanation of this strange custom is an
old proyerb, which has now become u
superstition. that Tho who changes tho
plates kills the housewife. -
Chinese proverbs explain several of
the superstitious notions with regard to
women. II is considered unluCliy for n
woman to mix with tho builders of n
house on other odiiioe during its cree
ton, and TO avoid any possibility of ono
straying into tho promises all approaches
ara carefully guarded by watohmon,
and Il fence Is erected around the pro
posed building as soon MS its founda-
tons arc laid.
Tho explanation of this IL the saying,
"Womon mix ill with wood, and death
lives i'll thu house over whose founda-
tions a woman has walked. There is
II similar horror Of tho fair sex interfer-
ing with any public matter of national
interest or III amy business transactions
whore men AFRO concerned. "Women tie
knots, says tho Chinese proyerb. let
Thorn remain at home. .
No funeral can talte place until as
trologcrs and professional fortune tellers
havo been consulted. These unscrupu-
lous OWNERS decide the place of burial,
and III tho event of disagreement no
final interment car take place This nc
counts for the number Of unhuried cnf-
fins which ara seen about tho country
districts i'll China. Sometimes the coffin
is temporarily deposited in n temple or
kept III tho house Of the heir of tho de-
ceascd Among the poor az often AZ not
IL IL conveyed to some sheltered spot
and covered with Il mai.
Whom in oourso of tiino (Ey aid of
additional fcrs) tho OWNERS can report
that all objections to final burial arc re-
moved, the funeral takes place amid re-
joicing and profano excuses. Tho mode
Of propitiation generally prescribed by
astrologers is tho purchase of some stone
or piece Of iron, to which IN elaborate
ritual Of prayer and sacrifice III made,
or, il the client is wealthy, the building
of a Z, gda is suggested, in connection
with which the morcenary fortune teller
doubtless reaps II large commission.
The last species of superstition 10
which we will call attention forces us
to place China among tho half civilized
and brutal nations. One of these super
stitions is TINT tho soul Of dying per.
son takes possession Of tho bed and room
in which tho invalid is lying To obvi-
ato such "A curse as this tho relatives of
the dying person, AZ soon M thoy per-
coivo his end approaching. forcibly 70.
move him from his bed and place him
almost naked upon board. If by chance
II man should expire in his bed, it, to-
gother with all tho furniture in tho
room, must DO burned and many atone
mcnts offered before tho room il consid-
cred fit for habitation again.
Many strange and inhumnn ideas arc
associated with tho illness and death Of
children. If a child sickens and dies be-
fore tho ago Of ~ years, its last mo
ments arc hastoned by tho horrible
cruelty of its parents. So long as hope
Is possible tho parents do their utmost
to save their child, but as soon as the
doctors abandon hopo tho child il strip
ped naked and placed against tho outer
door of tho house. When tho end has
come, tho corpse is thrown out into the
street to bo picked up by tho passing
dead cart
The reason for this brutality is this
If family loses IL child before il has
grown to maturity, its parents refuse to
regard it az their offspring, but rather
as some evil spirit who has worked its
way into their home in order TO bring
ruin and misfortune upon it and them
st. Peters.