The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-04-16
"A MONKEY AND PARROT TIME

scribed by an Ai?eiican Woman yLo
 Mingles With Chinese High Life at
 Shanghai.
 Few foreign missionaries get an op- portunity to mingle socially with Chi nese of high position. There is one, a woman in New York at present, who for five years has had the privilege of doing so. She is the bride of Rev, Gill bert Reid, who is trying to establish at Pekin an international institute for the benefit of mandarins and educated Chinamen generally. When it is said that Mrs. Reid mingles with Chinese of fashion in Shanghai it doesn't mean that she knows any of the men, for the sexes are absolutely separated so far as social intercourse goes.
 Wouldn't you like to hear about the feasts they give in our honor?" said Mrs. Reid. "The invitations are writ ten on red paper and worded in very kachee language" showing a whole batch of them. What do I mean by kachee? Well, they mean the breath or spirit of a guest. When the day of the feast comes the hostess has a Chi nese band stationed at the front door, and as each guest comes they shoot off | firecrackers, beat tom-toms and make | noise enough to scare the guest, if she | happens to be @ poor little woman for eign devil. A runner or courier an- nounces each gest, and the hostess, for you must remember that Chinese men are not content with one wife, come out to meet them. The guests are taken into the reception room and seated. And how do you suppose we are entertained? Generally by means of a monkey or parrot, or both, and never fully comprehended what a monkey and a parrot time was until went to my first Chinese feast in high l life. If the people are very rich they bring in their jewels, and show their silk dresses and fine furniture. I re- member seeing bed made of red Can tonese lacquer and gold leaf, which would bring three thousand dollars easily in this country.
 Its interesting to watch the four or five wives at one of these feasts. Each guest understands just which wife is which. The first wife always comes from the high class, and she | iAeio IilC pl Oi b01lNiliiS NiiNlHSL she will have children or not. She in- variably wants them, for you know sons are sacred beings in China, and every Chinese woman wants a son. The wives are to all appearances lov- ing and peaceful toward one another but they hate each other in reality and their poor hearts are constantly torn by envy md jealousy. All the other wives except number one may be of humble origin or worse, and when the first one dies another is se- lected to take her place.
 "But to get back to the feast. We sit down at the tables, eight at a table never more The most distin- guished guests sit facing the south That law is as binding as the one per. taining to the worship of ancestors The tables are bare and are polished until they look like mirrrs. They arc laid with silver chopsticks and little spoons with bats on them. The bat i: an emblem of luck. Fruit and con serves are piled up on the tables pado da-like A delicious conserve is madt of rose leaves cut into diamond shapes l are dishes of sugared peanuts ant dried watermelon seed on the table That is all From thirty to fort, courses are usually served at a feast and we Americans never eat anythin. at home the day7 we are going to one It isn't because we enjoy what is il store for us so much but because w
 know what is before us and that it i , very rude to refuse a course at feast
 Sea slugs are served on the half shel with tsiang ten first instead of oysters | The latter is the basis of Worceste
 sauce and is shipped in enormou quantities to England. Next we hay
 shark-fin soup and bird-nest stew
 Then come doves eggs brought O
 steaming hot and sizzling in a. chain
 dish. After that croquettes made c
 shrimps and bamboo shoots ar
 served, and the next course consists o pork, beef, ham and bamboo shoot
 shredded and stewed together. Bah < with a shrug at the thought of thi
 dish.
 Duck is usually served times at feast, cooked in different ways, an now it is brought on prepared wit mushrooms. After duck comes col / chicken, and then we have to liv
 through another course of pork, an
 before we know 1t here comes duo
 once more. Toward the last a lot ( , Chinese Dien Sing is brought on. Thi means sweetmeats to us. They hay
 preserved ginger, shredded cocoanu |, preserved lotus and turnips and or | anges and sd on. Cups of hot win
 are served during the feast, and some F times thses high-class ladies get S I drunk they have to be carried fror
 the room. They serve three wine
 One is made of rice, another of ros
 leaves, and the third of orange pee
 ings. The roseleaf wine is like a yer
 fine French brandy, and small GU O of it will lead most delicious fra a grance to a whole room. After tn n sweetmeats are served, a puddin : made of nine ingredients, the chic e ones being rice and raisins. is brougt S and served with almond tea''
 S 'Is that good?" asked the visitor. t "Goodr' exclaimed Mrs. Reid "It
 horrid. It gives me indigestion t
 think of it. The last course is a bow
 of rice and a cup of tea. which is SC