The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-18
CHINESE AT SCHOOL.
Bright Young Pupils mt the Five
Points Mission.

Points Mission.
NEW YORK, June 17.-When the bell
rings at the Five Points Mission School,
600 children of fifteen different nationali-
ties flock in at the doors. They chatter
in fifteen languages and dialects. At re-
cess, Paradise Park. their playground, is
like a scene in miniature OF the confusion
Of tongues at the Tower Of Babel. Among
the children are Italians, Greeks, French.
Germans Bohemians. Scandinavians. Poles.
Irish, and Americans, besides Hebrew chill
dren from Roun:ania, Bulgaria, Hungary,
Poland, Germany. Russia. and other coun-
tries. There are. also. six Chinese boys.
OF all the children in this academy OF all
nations the Chinese are. perhaps, the most
Interesting
At one time the school had no less than
twenty. Chinese children pursuing English
studies, among them being several girls.
But their parents having moved to other
parts of the city, or to other towns. the
number has dwindled to six boys. These
lads wear their hair trimmed short. and
are clad in roundabouts. knickerbockers.
and hats or caps, like their white play
fellows. They are pure Chinese, both par
ents being from the Middle Kingdom.
years.
A small Chinese boy OF seven summers
is driving, reins in hand. Chinese lad of
twelve, who is bounding and capering
about like spirited horse. A little Amer
lean boy approaches a Chinese boy with
his fists doubled up as il he would box
with him. The Chinese boy lets fly his
right and his left like an athlete, though
with no intention Of hitting his challen-
ger, who SHES away. The games and
amusements OF the Chinese children are
much the same as those Of the American.
THE Chinese pupils" said the Rev. A.
X Sanford, the assistant superintendent
of the school. speak English without
foreign accent and as fiuently as do the
American children. Their English yocab-
ulary is not quite as large as that of the
American pupils, but as they speak Chi
nese also their vocabulary In the two
languages Is considerably larger than that
Of the white children of the same age.
They seem to be equally good In all their
English studies, and never fail to pass
their written examinations.
Three pf the Chinese boys are In the
highest claes In the school, and study Eng
iish grammer. geography, arithmetic. read
ing. spelling. and writing. They are as
quick Of perception and as intelligent es
lHe JULIET pUpnS, anu IdI mOTc pdticHt anu
piodding. They study tirelessly till they
learn the lesson In hand. and learn 1t thor
oughly. On the playground they show
high spirits and frolicsome disposition.
but they never make any mischief in the
school.
They are more obedient than the ether
pupils. This is perhaps due to the fact
that respect for elders is ingrained in the
Chinese people. and that from their era
dies the Chinese children are taught rev.
erence for their parents and implicit ODE
Gience."
The Chinese boys do not seem ambitious
of cutting a great figure in life, yet they
have good deal Of pride and like to shine
in their classes. The assistant superin-
tendent had never heard one Say that he
wanted to become President of the United
States. yet they liked TO answer questions
which the others missed. Every Tuesday
and Thursday morning in the school year,
between the hours of II and II, the school
holds exercises. open to visitors, in which
the pupils give recitations and declama-
lions. The Chinese boys do their share.
and usually recite patriotic American
poems. Sometimes the father of a Chi
nese boy visits the school and watches his
son go through his English lessons with
fond and proud interest.