Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-09-21
FROM CHINA.
Ellsworth Girl VIII Participate In
Swell Chinese Feast.

Swell Chinese Feast.
DIR. Mary Bdrnham, OF Ellsworth,
missionary now at 1 Chow Flu, China,
writes an interesting letter home from
which THE AMERICAN is privileged to
print the following extracts:
The Shan Kwan has been vsfy nice to
the missionaries here. Mr.. ChaIfunt
thought we were not sufficiently protect
ed, and so notified our consul at Chefoo.
He Immediately teIegraphed the governor,
" no made a visit here aud ordered troop
OF soldiers to make their headquarters in
the city. This explains a great deal OF ss-
siduous attention we receive.
IL am invited to Il feast in the city to-
morrow. 1t is quite an event. The Shaw
kawn (who corresponds to The mayor OF
our cities) has invited the men. His wife,
Fl Fl, has invited the ladies here. 1t Is
not proper for a woman to sit down with
her hus band, so we will be in different
rooms. This Is great event here. Both
the oth her ladies at our miss ion have had
new Chinese gowns made, but rs my new
one is quite pretty | decided to wear 1t.
We Will have to hire chairs to go, and
put ON all he style We can.
The invitations to he feast are quite
interesting. The name on the envelope
is Bian, Da Flu tBisn, doctor). 'Bian Is
my name. This Is only my second feast,
SO dread it a good deal. The other WAS
with the Christians, and Was, OF course,
less formal. We viii have forks here
though, | understand. This will help
some; cannot get used to chops ieks.
"Did | ever tell you OF he idea OF the
Chinese in regard to commissions? A dear
little missionary baby in Tal-au had been
i'll for several days, and finally had sew
eral spasms. W lille waiting for a physi
clan, the bahy's Chinese nurse came in
and said: 'Baoyis soul is gone You do
I t,II -. xt,t
Then she told them to get tub OF water
and place II in the middle OF the room.
Over the tub place cover, and Oh the
cover a bowl with some fire in it. Then
| hold the baby's clothes over the fire.
Suddenly tip the fire into the water, hold
the eliot above, and run your finger
three times around the water. Then
quickly put the clothes back on the baby.
But where is the soul?' the mother
asked. Why, in the Clothes replied
the old woman. She thoroughly believed
| this and was much disappointed that The
parents did not follow her advice.
ut is wonderful how superstitious
even the educated Chinese are. MIR.
Chalfant was at a feast some time ago at
the house of a Christian. The guestG
were educated men. They fell to talking
about river gods, dragons and snakes.
Several confessed they believed in them.
One man told OF a temple in China where
the Ho- hang-ho's god, an immense ser.
pent, was wont to come before some
great flood or change in that river.
why, there ISIS place for him right there
in front OF his image said one OF the
scholars. And you believe in him?i
queried the Christian scornfully. 'In-
deed l do And H. And H. echoed most
of those present.
$50 it is not only among the ignorant
that there is idol worship. Confucianism
! has adopted SO much OF Taoism and Bud
! Il k,su LNatt
ship. SO the temples throughout China
are strange admixtures. 1t may be Bud
| dhist statue Is set up in Taoist temple,
and the service carried on by Confucian