Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-04-05


rectly Controlled by This Unrenson-
Ing influence, Which Makes Brutes
OF Its Slnvish Devotees.
No race In the wide world is more
controlled by superstitious notions than
the Chinese. They enter into every act
of Chinaman's life, and their intiu-
enoe is more lasting than that of his re-.
llglon. He cannot move hand or foot
without their agency, and from the
earliest moment of his life down to the
last detail in connection with his burial
their power and influence are the guild.
ing motives of his acts. All business
and family matters are directly con-
trolled by superstitious sentiments, both
riof. and poor, young and old, being
slaves to their force.
To the average Chinaman his religion
is mere negative factor in his mode of
life, to be followed or disregarded at
will, but no true son of Han dares to
act otherwise than in accordance with
the strict precepts Of those spiritual
powers which directly control his life.
There are some amusing superstitions
connected with Chinese entertainments
A dinner party is an ordeal which once
experienced is never forgotten. 1t con-
sists of from 40 to SO distinct courses
and occupies the greater portion of
day During the whole of these repasts
and Notwithstanding the endless variety
of dishes served the invited guest re-
talns the same plate throughout. The
explanation of this strange custom is an
old proverb, which has now become a
superstition, that he who changes the
plates kills the housewife
Chinese proverbs explain several of
the snperstitious notions with regard to
women. 1t is considered unlucky for a
woman to mix with the builders of a
house or other edifioe during its erec-
tion, and to avoid any possibility of one
straying into the premises all approaches
are carefully guarded by watchmen,
ana fence is erected around the pro-
posed building as soon as its founda.
tions are laid.
The explanation of this is the saying,
Women mix ill with wood, and death |
lives in the house over whose founda-
tions woman has walked" There is
similar horror Of the fair sex interfer-
ing with any public matter of national |
interest or in any business transactions |
where men are concerned. "Women tie |
knots. " says the Chinese proverb. "Let
them remain at home. y
No funeral can take place until as
trologers and professional fortune tellers |
have been consulted. These unscrupu-
lous,d ,diyiners decide the place of burial,
and &C, the syent Of disagreement no
final siterment can take place. This ao-
count for the number of unburied cot
fins ich are seen abeut the country
"a .sis4 y .s ss.x4actfi
is temporarily deposited in temple or
kept in the house Of the heir of the de-
ceased. Among the poor as often as not |
1t is conveyed to some sheltered spot |
and covered with mat.
When in course of time (by aid Of |
additional fees) the diviners can report |
that all objections to final burial are re-
moved, the funeral takes place amid re-
joicing and profane excesses. The mode |
of propitiation generally prescribed by
astrologers is the purchase of some stone |
or piece of iron, to which an elaborate
ritual of prayer and sacrifice is made
or. if the client is wealthy, the building
OF pagoda is suggested, in connection |
with which the meroenary fortune teller
doubtless reaps large commission.
The last species of superstition to
which we will call attention forces us
to place China amcng the half civilized |
n fol no 80
stitions is that the soul of dying per-
son takes possession of the bed and room |
in which the invalid is lying. To obvi- |
ate such curse as this the relatives of |
the dying person, as soon as they per-
ceive his end approaching, forcibly re-
move him from his bed and place him |
almost naked upon board. If by chance
a man should expire in his bed, it, to-
gether with all the furniture in the
room, must be burned and many atone
ments offered before the room is consid-
cred fit for habitation again.
Many strange and inhuman ideas are
associated with the illness and death of |
children. If child sickens and dies be-
fore the age of l2 years, it's last mo-
ments are hastened by the horrible |
cruelty of its parents. So long as hope
is possible the parents do their utmost
to save their child, but as soon as the
doctors abandon hope the child is strip
ped naked and placed against the outer
door OF the house. When the end has
come, the corpse is thrown out into the
street to be picked up by the passing !
dead cart
The reason for this brutality is this:
If family loses a child before it has
grown to maturity, its parents refuse to
regard it as their offspring, but rather
as some evil spirit who has worked its |
way into their home in order to bring
ruin and misfortune upon it and them.
st. PETERS,