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


memory is constantly in play, the rea-
soning faculties very seldom,
But what is reason worth in nation
that believes in the Flung ShWay? The
Fung Shway Is an expression to indl-
cate what we would call the eternal
balance or fitness of things. The China
man buys a lot, say block of ground,
and builds a house in one corner 10
preserve the Fung Shway another
house, identical in size and appearance,
must be built on the other corner, fac
ing the same street. If there Is WIN
dow on one side of his front door, there
must be one to correspond on the other;
if a spire or pinnacle or any ornament
no matter what, be erected on one slde
of the house, the other must correspond
Every boat owned by an orthodox
Chinaman has two painted eyes, one on
each side of the bow for the double pur-
pose of enabling the vessel to ma lts
way about and Of preserving the Fung
Shway, and to such an extent is the SUI
perstition carried that Cinnamon nave
been known to provide themselves with
two watches and two pocketpooks that
the eternal balance of things might be
preserved.
It seems as though our antipodes in
social life and usage find special satls-
faction in doing things in way exactly
opposite to that which is found most
common and convenient among our
selves. We write from left to right, tine
Chinese in vertical columns and in the
opposite direction. In our schools the
children are taught to study silently, III
those of China the pupils memorlAe
their lessons by repeating the words as
loud as they can howl, so that chi
nese institute of learning bears some
what unpleasant resemblance to pub
lie meeting in the venerable town OF
Babel. In America boys and girls are
taught not to swear and are punished
If thew do. in China the use Of profane
language. obscene and vulgar words, is
considered prima facie evidence OF
snartness on the part of the youngsters
and applauded accordingly. We shake
the hands of our acquaintance; the
Chinaman on meeting a friend shakes
his own. We blacken and polish our
shoes the Chinaman Whitens his we
give our friend our visiting cards, the
Chinaman does the Same, but insists
upon their return. On entering the
house of a friend the American removes
his hat, while well-bred Chinaman
chuff1es off his slippers. We begin our
dinners with substantial food and end
them with delcacies, While the Celes-
tial commences his repast with pre-
serves and swcetmeats and finishes
loI ,,ip
heaven tn the sky: the Chinese para
disc is in the center of the earth. We
lift our faces upward when we pray,
the Chinaman looks down. We locate
the seat of human intelligence in the
brain, while to the Chinaman it is sit
uated in the pit of the stomach.
One of the most prominent character
istics of the child of the Flowery King
dom is a mental slavishness which alb
solutely prevents any approach to orig
inality. THE thing that hath been is
that which shall be done" is maxim
which finds daily exemplifications in
the private, social and political life of
the Chinese empire. A few years ago
the wife of an American gentleman
whose business compelled residence of
some months in Shanghai engaged
China boy as cook and house servant.
When the new domestic was for the
first time ushered into the kitchen the
family broom CHANGED to be lying dag
onally acros the table. During stay
of six months it was found impossible
to cause that Chinaman to understand
that the table was not a proper place
fa, ~
from the front pavement of the back
yard walk, the son of China would
bring that broom the moment he had
finished with It's use and deposit it on
the kitchen table In spite of the most
earnest efforts to induce him to place
lit In the corner, to the kitchen table he
would go with 1t until his pertinacity
finally won the victory and the broom
remained on the table The Chinaman
was not an idiot, he was simply the vic
tim Of precedent. He found the broom
there when he came and no amount of
teaching sutficed to disabuse his mind
of the impression that the table was for
the purpose of holding the broom.
The Chinaman is the opposite of the
Caucasian In one particular, which, In
certain directions adds to his value as
mechanical laborer. He is or seems
to be absolutely destitute of nerves.
He can do one thing, however simple,
for eighteen hours day, day after day,
year after year, and never appear to
feel the slightest need of relaxation or
amusement, With the Caucasian par
ticularly with the American, repetition
of the same simple act becomes, first
tedious; then annoying; exasperating;
finally. uncomfortable: but on the China
man repetition has absolutely no effect
save, apparently, to whet his desire for
more of the same sort. He can go to
sleep when he pleases and does not
need to have the room darkened Or
quiet maintained or the mosquitoes
kept away, for to light, noise and mos
quito bites he pays not the slightest at
tention when he has made up his mind
that he is In need of repose. Some trav-
eler in China has said that il a COM
petitive examination We're instituted to
determine the Chinese ability to go to
sleep lying across a chair with head
down on one side, feet down on the
other. mouth open and fly inside, he
felt sure that 10,000,000 Cinnamon could
be found who would successfully meet
the test,
Chinese conservatism Is the result of
Chinese conceit. and the conceit of the
,,-tt hot 81 1on