The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-15
CHINA AND ITS PEOPLE.
MINISTER WI TING FANG WRITES
OF HIS COUNTRYMEN.
Social Customs of the Chinese-How
Marriages and Funerals Are Com
ducted-FOrtune Teiiers who Ar
range BetrOthaIs-Publfc Festivi-

WI Ting Fang in Golfers Weekly.
In comparing the social customs OF
China with those of the United States.
one is strongly impressed with the pecu-
liar features of a Chinese community.
which are SO different from those seen
in an American or European city. In
every important town, in addition to the
patrol OF soldiers who do the police duty.
private watchren are employed When
Waterman PAGES his rounds, he beats
his bamboo sticks together, to mark the
coming and going of the five watches
OF the night. BY 50 doing he proves 10
his patrons that he is on duty and not
asleep. but he also frequently disturhs
their slumbers
As a encouragement TO intruders ana
as an attempt 10 keep out suspicious char
acters 1t Is the rule in many cities to
lock up certain portions out of harms
way at night. The streets are lpsuallv
not large, and are often spanned by for
Didding gates. At 10 O'Clock these are
rocked up for the night, and the home
ward way of the belated diner-out is
Deset with difficulties. To arouse one
| sleepy gateman after another, and 20
make clear to each dreary brain ones
reason for being abroad aud ones earnest
desire to return home, is not a pleasant
pastime for a tired man
Many OF the rich Chinese are philan-
'hroplc and earnestly desire to relieve the
suherlng they see about them They
give freely of their wealth. but the poor
are legion in China, and the task is nor
an easy one. Private charity, however.
which Is always more or less capricious
! dol
the Tree hospitals and the poor houses of
the country. In China, the hand of pitv
often goes into the pocket of plenty to
| ieHeVe cases of suffering that never an
peat TO the American. He fortunately
never hedrs and shoulders at the leper's
cry OF "Unclean! uncleanw
Conservative as my people are. il Is
Easy 10 understand that they are content
70 keep on day after day, at their ac-
"'Voi"cu TASKS with no Impotence at
'heir monotony. They are devoid of any
craving for excitement. Working wear i'm
| ana year out. without even a weekly rest
such as that taken by Sunday observers
| the world over, they seldom seem 70 real
| lie the need or the charm of social re-
| taxation. When they do come together
| TOT mutual entertainment the company is
Always small a social function" with
| It's crush of people, of the kind so com
4 =
| peal 10 a Chinaman as entertaining or
| relaXlng. The Chinese of the upper
| classes frequently entertain their friends
| at more or less elaborate banuuets but
az the ordinary dinner party covers are
| laid for only eight people Conservation
| can then be general. AS an after dinner
| bit private theatricals are in order. and
professional jugglers and comedians are
| frequently called in to amuse the guests
Similar affairs would be dubbed stag
| parties in America, for they are invaria-
| bly characterized by the absence of vo-
! men. The latter entertain each other
| in their own apartments as gayly and as
pretentiously as they please, but men
are never their guests woman NAV
be the mistress of her husbands house.
but she is never the dispenser of his hos
| pitality.
| Social entertainments in China never re-
| Yolve around dancing or athletic contests.
| as they SO frequently do in this country
! Our ideas about the improperly of the
| two sexes mingling socially would effectu-
| ally prevent dancing from becoming a
| form OF entertainment. Athletic sports
| have not found favor in our eyes, but
| games OF chance have a strong hold on
the popular heart In the tea houses and
| cafes, where the club life of Chinese men
| Is conferred, gambling flourshes in many
| forms. 1t is discouraged by the govern
! ment but there is as little hone of pluck
| Ing the gaming interest from the Chi
| nese heart as there is of suppressing the
| trading spirit in the Jewish breast 1t is
those little ripples of gambling excite
| ment that keep the Chinaman's life from
stagnating. Cards, dice, chess, domi-
| noes, all serve to satisfy his passion.
"Fan-tan," which Is a game of purest
chance, absolutely independent In its re-
suits Of any skill on the part Of the
player. is a special favorite, which, for
| popularity among the sporting element,
may be compared 20 the American game
| Of poker.
Some of the most striking differences be-
| tween the social customs of China and
| the United States are apparent In the
| various rites and ceremonies connected
with the great events of marriage, birth
| and death. Among my people the choice
of partner for life is always left to the
! parents of the bridal pair They have
| the interest and welfare of their children
at heart and act with the judgment and
wisdom tina only mature years can bring.
| The engagement Is usually made when the
! young people are in their early teens--in
many cases when they are much younger.
Matrimonial alliances between friendly
! families are the most common.
In some sections OF the country the as
sistance of professional matchmaker
| Is called IN Mnen marriage IS desired Tor
child of the house, especially If no suit
able alliance with friends child Is pos
| sible The role of marriage broker is
| played by women of the middle class They
| go from house to house. working up the
! trade by telling of the egibles in differ
ent families When consulted their first
! instruction always is: Give me a paper
on which is written the day and hour of
your child's birth" Chinese women gen
orally are superstitious, and as the mar
| riages are always negotiated by women,
! 1t Is natural that supersttious practice
| should be connected with their solemnlza-
| ton with this scrap of paper the parent
| goes to a fortune teller and has the horo-
scope OF her child cast in conjunction with
| those of possible partners for him. If
there appears TO be anything In the fate
or fortune OF the two young people that
| would be inconsistent with their mutual
| happiness, negotiations are dropped at
! once 1t is only fair to say that these for
tune-telers often hit the truth so accu-
| rately that the peoples faith in them
might almost seem to be justified
The superstitious sometimes go to the
joss house also and ask advice of the idol.
/ This is done by shaking a bamboo case,
which contains bamboo slips numbered
consecutively and corresponding TO the
numbered pages Of a book in which are
collected the sayings of the idol. on shak-
ing the case one Of the slips falls out and
Its number indicates the page on which
will be found the saying OF the Idol APP