The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1898-05-21
LIFE OF A MANDARIN.
His Amusements and the Hestric-
lions Imposed on Him-Rou-
tine of Day.

Most mandarlnS pass the Whole VI
their lives without taking single yard
of exercise. The late Marking yiceroy,
father of Marquis Tseng, was consid-
cred a remarkable character because
he always walked "a thousand steps a
day" in his private garden. Under no
circumstances whatever is mandarin
ever seen on foot in his own jnrisdie-
ton. Occasionally popular judge will
try to earn reputation by going out
ineognito at night; but even then he
takes a strong guard with him, and (as
happened when | was in Canton) gets
his head broken If he attempts to pry
too closely into abuses. As the police
and the thieves are usually copartners
in one concern, it NATURALLY follows that
caution must be used in attacking gam
ing houses which have bribed them
selves into quasi-legality
4 mandarin's leisure, which may be
said to begin at five p. m. and continue
until nine, is spent in one or other Of
the following ways: Either he reads
poetry by himself, or he sends for his
secretaries to drink wine, crack melon
seeds and compose poetry with him; or
he may shoot off a few arrows at tar
get in his garden; or (and this is COM
mones) he may invite the rich mer-
chants to feed" in his yamens, or
accept invitations from them. But this
is rather dangerous work, for there is
sort of unwritten law against man
darins leaving their own yamens eX-
cept on official business bent; on the
other hand merchants of high stand
ing steer clear of the local mandarin
unless Gas happened when was at Kew
kiang) he happens to be compatriot of
theirs.
On his grandmother's, mothers and
wife's birthday the mandarin receives
| congratulations and presents - of
course, on his own, too. On these fes-
tive occasions he may give a play, In
| China theatrical entertainments are
| commonly hired privately, though as
| often as not the imam in the street" is
admitted gratis. But even here caution
is required, for many days in the year
are nefasti, on account of emperors bay-
| ing died on these anniversaries, and it
goes very hard with a mandarin if he
is caught ''haying music" on dies non.
Chinese-always supposing they are
not opium smokers, invalids or de-
bauchees-retire to rest as early as they
rise. In most Chinese towns everything
is quiet after sunset, and by seven or
eight o'clock everyone is either in bed
or is simply grooming away the time I'M
! til sleep comes on. Notwithstanding
the recent introduction of kerosene
lamps forbidden in many large towns)
the usual light is the common dip or
the rush. Even supposing the mandarin
were studiously inclined, and not worn
out with the fatigues of the day, his
eyesight would soon give way if he at
tempted to read regularly by such
wretched illuminants as these.
Dinners and feasts cannot take place
every day, so what happens on nine
evenings out of ten is this: When the
correspondence of the day has been
read, drafted, achieved, sealed or dis
patched; when the secretaries have
struck their balances and exhibited the
profits of the day; when the business of
the judgment seat is at an end, the man
DARN gets out of his robes, hat, collar,
boots, chaplet and feathers into an easv
costume, in which he looks just like
the ordinary frowsy, greasy tradesman,
lights his pine and retires tn +ba boro,,
-Cornhill Magazine.