The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-08-20

vent the devil from finding out what
has occurred within and sympathetlc
friends, in spreading the mournful intel
ligence, do so either in whispers, that
the devil may not overhear, or, Wheh
speaking aloud instead of saying that
the man is dead tell one another that
he has "stuck up the pig-tail, eupho-
nsm which the devil is not supposed to
understand The funeral Is a series or
efforts to mislead the arch enemy OF the
Chinese soul and to throw him off the
track in his earnest pursuit of his prey.
1t is well known that the devil can not
see through a cloud Of smoke, and that
he is distracted by noise, so, ere the cor
tege leaves the house. packs of crackers
are fired in front of the door and In the
smoke and confusion the bearers seize
the coffin and start off in lively trot.
After they emerge from the smoke of
the house door, they are, however,
quickly perceived by the enemy, who
takes after them on a run. But the
Chinese devil is very fat, consequently
short of breath, and can not easily
change his course, so, after trottlng
short distance, the pallbearers turn
corner, at which has been stationed
friend with a supply of firecrackers'
which, at the proper moment ne lights
and the devil having already run past,
is confused by the noise and smoke. anu
some time elapses ere he again takes UP
the trail. Having secured good start
at the house and at the nearest corner,
the pallbearers have little difficulty in
deceiving the devil during the rest OF
the journey to the cemetery, for the
route is made as crooked as possible,
and there is lavish expenditure of fire
works on the way. But the devil
knows that the funeral was started ana
where it is going, so. after short ana
fruitless pursuit, he gives up the chase,
goes on to the cemetery gate, where ne
sits down to rest, get his breath and
wait for the funeral. But the clever
Cinnamon are to the last too sharp for
him; they enter the cemetery through
hole in the wall left for the purpose.
hurry through the burial service, with
more firecrackers, and before the old
boy realizes what is going on the dead
Chinaman is buried and beyond his
reach.
Undoubtedly there are educated Chi
namen who regard these ceremonies as
childish observations, at once supersu-
tious and silly, but among the masses
of the people they are part of the Chi
nese religion, sincerely believed and
honestly practised. They are evidences
of the arrest of the Chinese mental de-
velopment and a proof that the Mon
golian race Is yet in mental childhood.
Still strong testimony to the same eff
feet is found in that regard for prece-
dent which among the Chinese, as
among other infantile or degenerate
races, constitutes law as inf1exible as
that of the Modes and Perslans. In the
matter of regard for form and ceremo-
NAL, the nearest approach to China 1s
found in Spain. The story of the Span
ish monarch who was burned to death
because the proper official to move the
kings chair happened to be absent, fs
probably apocryphal, but it Illustrates
most forcibly the scrupulous re-
gard shown by degenerate peo-
pie for forms and ceremonies
that have lost whatever significance
they once posed. An American presi-
dent is accessible to any one who has
business with him and to a swarm who
nave none, l1le CIllHelot VI SiIllld 10 III
visible to the mass of his subjects and
even princes of the highest rank may
approach his presence only after nu-
merous and humiliating ceremonies,
significant of the inferiority of those
to whom audiences is granted.
If society usage In China Is a mere
matter Of precedent much more so are
the laws and prevailing forms Of re-
ligion of this strange old state. No bet
ter evidence of the capitalization, not
to say stagnation, of Chinese life can
be furnished than bare statement of
the method is vogue Of obtaining posi-
lions under the patronage and in the
gift of the government. Strange as it
may seem to the western mind, all pre-
ferment in China, except that by pur-
chase ie obtained through q system of
examinations. So-called literary merit
Is the standard of excellence; position
under the government Is obtaina BILE
only by success in the tests, and in
stances have been known of ambitious,
but ill-prepared individuals, reappear-
ing year after year until overtaken by
old age, and annually striving to make
the per cent requisite to satisfy the ex-
aminer and secure the coveted appoint
ment. To the Occidental mind the sub
ject matter of these so-called literary
examinations seems little calculated to
prepare an official for the duties of any
position. Moral aphorisms, philosophi-
cal truism, mass of meaningless rites
and ceremonies, these are the matters
which filled the mind of him who would