The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1904-09-07
Letter from China.
FROM THE REV. ]. L. STUART.


My Dear Br0ther-A few DAYS ago a Junior mis-
sionary remarked that many things in China re-
minded her of passages in the Bible and it occurred
to me that the readers of the CENTRAL would be in
terested to read something on this subject A few
days alter that l had occasion go to the country
10 perform marriage ceremony for of the
Christians, and ON the way the passage 'wateredst
with thy foot" (Deut. XII. Io) came to my mind
1t was suggested by seeing the people pumping water
from the canal TO water the fields. This is done
by means of the feet working the endless chain pump
which Is IN common use here. This pump is made by
putting three long, thin boards together at right
angels in the form of trough about four inches
wide and SIX inches deep. Little boards of the same
dimensions made to fit loosely in this trough and
joined together about one foot apart i'll an endless
CHAIN AT the loot OF the pump this endless chain
passes around wheel, which is placed i'll the water
and at the top 1t passes another wheel, which
has long axle and is supported on sockets on the
bank. This axle is furnished with treadles four at
one place, and at three four different places
Three or four stand, at each place. and tread
these treades, and the water comes in generous
stream and pours into the field 1t seems to me that
this is more like watering with the foot than any
other explanation have seen.
We went on to the wedding, and many things con-
nected with it remind us of Bible customs The we'd
ding feast is called wine feast The family of the
man seek the bride through a middle man, and her
family act through middle man or woman and the
bride and groom rarely see each other before the
marriage is accomplished When the engagement
is made earrings, bracelets, and ornaments for the
hair are presented by the groom, and of money
is paid as part of the price. When the time for the
wedding arrives, the groom sends bridal sedan
chair and the bride is escorted to his home with
music and gay procession.
The wailings for the dead seem to resemble those
SO often referred to in the Scriptures Two women
grinding at the mill is almost an every day sight it
IS SO common practice among them Two small
mill stones, from four six inches thick and twelve
or eighteen inches in diameter, placed above the
other, and turned by handle a simple crank In
my boyhood the phrase "a milestone about his neck"
suggested the large stones which were heavy enough
to drown hundred men, but it suggests one of
these (say) twenty pound stones that are more easily
handled
Soon after coming to China one of the senior mis-
sionaries suggested to that Abraham was not
fooled by the offer of Ephron when he said the field
| give thee, and that four hundred pieces of silver
was probably very good price for it. 1t certainly
illustrates what happens in this land over and over
again. The will insist on giving the property,
but when it comes to naming the price he knows how
to ask much it is worth and more too
Weighing the silver was the common practice of
China from the time of Abraham to the present day.
except in those places where recently the Mexican
dollar has become the Current money with the mer
chant"
In the Bible read of cutting off the head and
exposing it to view, and we see an illustration of that
custom much oftener than we desire ae+ sor;,, ,