The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-17

- . . = go
For the letter itself are used single
sheets of scarlet paper. water-marked IN
fanciful designs To the correctness and
elegance of the characters, which are
written with a small brush, moistenea
with what is commonly known as India
INK, great importance is attached; fine
penmanshlp ranking in China as does
painting in other countries.
A letter sent by one mandarin 10 auoth-
er, his junior, of inferior rank, would open
i'm this style:
In my wretched howell venture TO raise
my eyes and to address in his magnificent
Palace of Pearls my excellent, highly re-
spected elder brother who ascends the
Staircase Of IIonors."
The term elder brother, It must be ex-
planned, is merely complimentary age be-
ing so greatly honored that 10 assume an
others seniority is thought polite and fic-
ttiously to claim relationship 10 also cour-
teous.
On no account would our mandarin ap-
ply TO his own and to his correspondence
family similar epithets. While he dubs his
sons little bugs/or ants. and hts wife
"tsien nui'-that is, "the foolish ONE
the sons and the wife Of his friend are re-
ferred to as worthy young gentlemen"
and honorable lady" If the father be
mentioned IL is as n venerable great
prince" Then the letter would end as fol-
ACMH. ne hiltiblENtNt your STUDIO
young brother, beseeches Your Excellency
to forgive his shortcomings and TO look
kindly upon him." And as q crOwninr
proof OF good manners and humility, the
signature is in characters so small as TO
be almost illegible.
For inclosing invitations to weddings or
other entertainments a larger envelope of
plain scarlet is proper An invitation to
a formal dinner reads:
ION the - day of the months, at
- o'clock an Insignificant dinner Will
await the honor of your presence.
IS compliments"
This Is written on a sheet OF scarlet pa
per eight inches long and three inches
wide-left open If the entertainer be
plain citizen, but by mandarin folded
two, four, six, eight or more times, two
extra creases being added for each step
higher in rank For a letter announcing
a death, white paper and envelope are es-
sential, the characters being in blue. An
epistle of this sort Is signed by all sons
and nephews Of the deceased. Sons
names are followed by characters, mean
ing: II shed tears of blood" my heart
is brokenw Nephews names by others
signifying: my tears fowl" my head
Is bowed by sorrow!" Letters are also
written by their nearest surviving male
relations 10 the dead themselves. These
effusions are burned and their ashes scat
tered on the grave. where, too, are placed
the presents always accompanying them
OF such letter, addressed by a young
merchant 10 his uncle, literal transla-
ton follows:
''Tsau-Lau-Wei. your nephew, O worth
less young monkey, presents 20 you two
scrolls on which comforting words are in
scribed. He also sends you one roast pig
two baskets Of cumquoits (tiny oranges).
two boxes dried lychees "a tough-skinned
fruiO, one bottle sam-shu (spirits made
from rice), one Jar preserver ginger and a
little money-10 taels He mourns your
death and sheds bitter tears. He deeply
regrets that your stay in this world was
not longer"
The ten taels mentioned by the dutiful
nephew was probably, as is customary,
represented by bits of silver paper twist
ed into a conical shape. OF these so-called
joss papers vast quantities are annually
offered to the dead, the water-j osses flung
shut or spirits Of the air and other spooks