New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-11

RELIGION PLAYS ., SNAIL PART IN Tuv
CHlNANANS LIFE, BIT ODD PROV.
ERBS CONTROL ms ATS

From 81 Peters.
No race in the wide world X more onrtloilsd
by superstitious nOtious than the Chinese r,ev
enter into every act of "A chinamdns ife and
their influence - more lasting than that Of Ms
religion He Cannct moN" hand or foot without
I'M, il agency ard from III" earliest moment n
his life down To the las, detail in c0uneelpu
viii, hs burial their power and influence ar,
the guiding motives OF his lctS All Cuisines
and family matters are directly rontrDlcd ty
etpnrsiitiOus sentiments. both rich ard IO0r
voung and ole! being slaves to their force Ia
the average ChinIman his religion is rc.r.
negative factor in his mode OF life. to bc fa
lowed or disregarded at viii. but no true son
Of Han dares to act otherws" III IN m stcord
apc, with the strict precepts II those spiritual
powers = hich directly control his life.
There are some amusing Superstitions con-
n4ct.d with Chimes" entertainments 4 dime,
party is an ordeal which. once experienced \,
never forgotten II consists Of from forty 70
flfty distinct courses and occupies the greater
portion Jf IL day. During tn" > hole ~ theS
rapasts. and notwithstanding the endless va
riety of dishes served. the invited guest retains
the same plate throughout. The explanation o.,
this strange custom is an old pr"ycrb which
has now become a sup -rstition. mat he who
changes the plates kills the housewife"
Chinese proverbs explain several of the super.
stitious notions with regard 10 women II .
considered unlucky for a woman to mix With
It's erection; ard - avoid any possibility OF on
straving into the premises all approaches ar
carefully guarded by s. at"hnen. ana fence
erected around The proposed Dulliins as soon
its foundations are ldid. IN" eNpahauoh "
this il the saying: women NIX III Win w@i
and death lives in the hous' over whose 'ounl'
lions a woman has walked Their" Is sHH
horror of the fair SIX interfering "'lh any
public matter Of national interest Wy III d.!
business transactions where men ar ''oce'asa
Women tie knots" says the 'hil'Sr po'e'V'
"let them remain AT home. 49,,
No funeral can take place unth as'ro'og'l'
and professional fortune tcllers ha'e been 'g,'
suited These an Inscriptions OWNERS DECIDE
the place If burial and in the e'ehI oi us
agreement no final nterinent can ,ahe i'"le
This accounts for the number al unouf9l gs.
nns which are seen about the country d's'feo
in chin, Sometimes the CONN IL temporary
d.positad in a trmplc.. or kept In the hOu~
the heir OF the deceased; among the poot'
often IA not. II ~ conveyed 10 some shrseeN
spot and coverd with mnt "h"n IN cou'S
81 time (by aid Of additional feesl the diVhr"
can report that all objections 10 maj Dufia are
removed. the funeral takes place amid reJoenE
and profane excesses. TIE nlod" ol propua"OS
generally prescribed by astrologers IS tne pai'
chase Of some ston" or piece "t IRON, " VIM.
an elaborate ritual OF prayer ana sacr'hcr
made or. il the client is wealthy, the bu''ns
of "A pagoda Is suggested, IN connection VII.
which the merc"nery fortune-tcl!ct uoupu'S
r-aps 4 large commiss IN ~
The last species of superstition TO "hlcn "
will call attention forces Us TO place ,nn'
among the half-civilzed and brutal nations
one of these. supcrstltions Is That the sou. Vi
diving person takes possession Of the oed NO
room in which the invalid IL lying. TO oD'h"
such n curse as this the relatives of the al'-
person. As soon az they perc'i'e me- ehu "
preaching forcibiy remove him from h.s '"
and place him. almost naked. upon podp
II by chance "a man should expire In MS oed /"
together with all the furniture In the tvo'y
must he burned and many atOnenents one,'
befor. the room ~ con siercd nj for haohsuV'
again.
Many strange and inhuman IDEAS are 1SD
ciatcd with the illness and death OF ehVu''y
II a child sickens and dirs before the AK,
twelve years its last moments are haS'e"eu
the horrible cruelty of it, parents 10 o.. ,s
hope is possible the parents DO theH u M,
to save their child but as soon as the uy'. .,s
abandon hope the child Is stripped iiahTS a
placed against the outer door of th' ~, ~
When the end has come the corpse Is 'hlo M
out into the street to be picked up ny wv H. D. .
ing dead-cart. The reason for TINS nru'"it Ia.
this: II family loses child peIore -
grown to maturity. its parents refuse t u ,e' ora
il as their offspring. but rather rs son'I Sam,
spirit who has worked It's Nay INTO the. m \
I'm order to bring ruin and misfortune Sp''
and them.