The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-26


house is theoretically overcome by grief, and
decent propIeiy reluires that he himself should
take no pau in affairs, but should give his cx-
elusive attention 10 the mourning rites.
II.
We pass 10 the chapters on village boys and
girls. The early years Of Chinese boy are
spent in what. seen in retrospect a decade lateL
must appear TO him condition Of supreme hap
piness. lie is welcomed TO the household with
a wild delight to which IL is impossible for an
Occidental To do any justice. He begins life on
the theory that whatever he wants he must have:
this theory is the one acted upon by those who
have him in charge 10 an extent which seems
10 Western onlookers truly amazing. A Chinese
mother is. literally, tho slave Of her masculine
children. II they cry. they must be coddled.
most probably carried about and at whatever
expense, On no account must they be al.
lowed to cry continuously. The age at which
Chinese boy is considered too largo 10 DO car
RED in arms is very indefinite one: our author
tells us that IL is common TO see distrated mothers
staggering with their little goatfee under the
weight Of children half their size. Juggling their
offspring about on the plea that they would no,
stand being put down. A preparatory cIpo-
rlcnce of this nature is not adapted to teach chill
dren selicontrol, independence or any useful,
lesson. But the Chinese child is an emin, nty
practical being, and ne usually finds that when
there are half dozen children smaller than him
SELF the period Of his own supreme rule has passed
away never 10 return. To this altered condi-
ton he soon learns 10 adapt himself. Mr.. Smith
says that, OF the sympathy Tor childhood as such.
which IL characteristic Of modern civilization.
an average Chinese father has no conception what
ever. BY this is not meant that he is not fond
OF his children. for the reverse is palpably true
But he has no capacity for entering. into the life
Of the child and compromising il. His fond
ness for has children is the result Of the pacrna
instinct, and is not the result Of a sympathetic
and intelligent appreciation Of the child's mind.
he not only has no conception Of such q thing,
but he would not he able to understand whit il
meant by il il the possibility Of such sympathy
were pointed out The invariable reply Of oil
suggestions looking towards such sympathy
coming from father is, Why. he is only a mere
child" 1t is by the slow moulding forces Of mo-
tuning individual existence that the boy is ex-
pectcd TO learn for himself the lessons OF life
That Chinese parents should have a romp with
their children. or engage with them In any game
whatever, is, according to Mr.. Smith. a thing
outside the range Of their widest imagination.
II the amuscmcnts Of the Chinese lad are rels-
lively scanty and unn'eres,ing, there Is one
feature OF his life upon which nothing Is per-
mii,sd to ntrnde L% far the larger Fart Of the
children swarning within given rural district
are for he greater Eart OF their time, made TO do
some useful work. There is scarcely any hnndi-
he utilized, and II is partly for this reason that
occppa,iCns are eTmmonly hereditary Our
boy engaged for, year for q sum equal TO about
2 dollar and q hall in gold In another case q
Lad was Offered s dollar for years toll but
requlred Ia ma some one security that he would
not ,abscond, There is one incident In the lie
OF me Chinese lad which assumes in his eyes
dental boys are strangers This is the ceremony
Of donnins the cap, OF in Other words, OF bccom.
takes place is far from being fixed one. but IL
often in the vicinity Of sixteen. II u.s. II seema
married al the arc Of ten often The reo mo,Ss
IoT hasIisnnS he Wedding Is the need felt in the
need viii be Supplied y the n rssfSn " h
bride. II is for this reason that so many Chine.e
women are older than their husbands When
because they can do the more work
The s, T IN Srl when she makes her appcae
his is not Invariably, the case. The ratio In
which fortune telers nllot happiness is generally
sn no of Ssu sG ps !" ,o 'TS S"Sgs
Ike thosc Of the Chinese about the unav ailability
;, H., dangh'Cr3 iCr The performance Of ancestral
,uthor docs not consider II surprising that the
rrmendous pressure Of poverty should lead to The
'normous scale. such a state Of things scene
have n G.y1R,I rue e. AL rpochs in Chinese history
lie the murdcr Of girl babies as wrong, out tho,
he temptation TO such murder. especially the
chlpl'tph OF thr disappointed md often reVied
noihcf, is too strong To- br resisted by any mo-
ives which have the opportunity Of acting upon
lcr The crime seems TO be most common among
he southern maritime provinces. in some dis
ricts Of which II Is regarded by the Chinese them
elves rs terrible evil, Magistrates OCCASION
tlv issue "roclama,ions forbidding il, hut, APP
'arcnlv the nature al the offence IL such that
70 laws can reach il and nothing short Of the
deviation Of the mothers themselves 10 higher
'cint OF yiew than they now ocCupv can have
ny permanent effect upon infanlicide In China
The practice Of binding the fee, II Chinese
'rlS In too familiar 10 require more than the most
ursorv mention. II IL almost universal through.
MT China yet there are some conspicuous eI.
options, CS among the IIakkas Of the south for
Which II IL not easy to account The custom
illustrates some OF the innate traits Of Chinese
haracter; especially the readiness 10 endure
Tcat and prolonged suffering in attaining 10
Conventional standard There is no other nom
"ligious custom peculiar TO the Chinese which
So utterly opposed 10 the natural instincts OF