The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-07-29

The Occidental woman newly arrived
in the Orien: finds that her daily and
domestic life differs materially from any
Thing her widest Imagination had
pictured She had been told that she
ould be free from the servant question,
that constantly recurring question u
which no solution has been found in
this country. that daily burden which
makes the lives Of American women
miserable She had been told that she
hal only to give orders and things We're
done that she would recliue upon her
easy chair and call upon Boy to fetch
ard carry "a Will. But such state of
affairs seemed so ideal. she could not
take II in: she never dreamed how
Thoroughly she would be relieved Of that
"old man of the sea" who hangs about
the necks Of American housekeepers
1t must be remembered that in speak
ing of Europeans in China. Americans
gre meant as well as any ether nation
atty. To the Chinaman all white people
are alike. and an European; he cannot
grasp the idea Of any world outside OF
China: except Europe. and this he does
in a very vague sort Of fashion.
In Hons Kong. as in all the Orient.
there are servants galore; and ,tsod
ones. too. 90 be had fo~ the asking
True. one must he surrounded bv q small
army of them for it requires the services
Of three TO accomplish in a DAY the work
Of one good one here but the wages Of
the three amount to not much, Il any.
moro than what is paid fo~ the one
here. and the comfort cf the house
keeper is very app9eciahly augmented
by having not only place for every
thing but a servant fer everything
ono n the frs things 81 European wo-
man must learn ana then learn 20 ignore
Is the fact that Chinese servants have
little or no respect Cor womanlIiud. Eu-
re0eanS or otherwise They viii show
their disrespect in variety of ways
which the uninitiated fails - perceive:
for instance. they viii come into tHei1
,-r,eeucc with the queue wound around
their heads. which IS most disres0cctful:
our they never attempt the Ike With
man for they stand more or less in
fear Of men.
The women servants are not Ear behind
the men in this RESPECT. but there are
50 few Of them that they hardly count.
Caste prevails to an alarming extent,
which accounts for the necessity Of
large number Of servants.
The Boy is the most Important person
are In the family A good ono Is
treasure. for he ellis all the wheels of
thc domestic machinery. So that there
l. never hitch or delay % any sort.
He wears q pair Of full whi-e colt n
trousers. tied tight around the ankls:
they are SO FUN around the waist that
they hans in folds; over these he puts
= pair Of dark oyc~alls. without any
seat. which makes h5m crcfesqUa
fzure When in the houss he wears 4
long white gown immacuiatciy clean;
short dark coat. or several ~ them.
according to the weather. is worn in
tn streets
The boy maintains very dignIled
attitude toward the master, and never
O. almost never offers advice or sug-
gestions regarding his work. his atti-
tude toward the mistress Is that Of
armed neutrality. Occasionally, one
bursts through his frozen manner and
gives the master a "taIkee. talkee"
a striking instance of this came IN
der nv own observation. 4 gentleman
and his wife. nay host ana hostess.
eouna when they came 70 compare notes
FOR the day. that they had bo.h nade
engagements for the same hour. aud
fbrs both wanted the chair-cooli7s at
the same time. The gentleman. Ike al
good husbands waived his claim. and
giving way to wife's plans.
AS he was leaving the house the BOY
came 10 him end said: What for
YOU give Missee chri COOLEST You man.
vau tal1ee coolies; Missee woman. TO
count"
1t would require a whole page q The
Record" and a volume Of expletives. %