Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1904-11-24
CHINAMAN AT EASE.
TAKES HIS PLEASURE IN A DIG
NIFIED MANNER.
Simple EnIoyments Satisfy Him and
the Utmost Deeorum Is Always OBJ
served-Western Holiday Makers
Might Well Copy Him.

With the summer weather the Chi
naman comes before us prominent in
his artistic silks and in his native
nal1edness, says the Shanghai Times.
His temperament also becomes a no
ticeable feature to the observant for
eigner and the manner In which he
takes his pleasures contrasts marvel
ously with that of the energetic occi-
dental human being. In the early
hours of the morning, when the rays
of old Sol are tempered with the dis
ippating dews Of night, the wealthy
native, as well as the worker of low
degree, may be seen carrying the cage
containing the favorite singing bird to
the native gardens or other tree-em-
powered spot and listening in contem-
,plative ecstasy to the joyous greet
ing which his Gagged friend pours
forth to the coming glory Of the day.
AS soon as the golden beams become
oppressive he retires to his domicile.
whether to labor or sleep It's hard to
tell. In any case he is wise, for has
he not caught the beauty Of the
grandest part Of a summers day the
majesty Of dawn?
Again, when sunsets glow has fall
en- dead in the west the Chinaman
pours forth to his diversion. To stand
for hours with waving fan on the curb
of our thoroughfares watching the
procession of vehicular and pedestrian
traffic brings him apparently the de-
light which a Londoner can obtain
from a lord mayors show, daily re-
peated, while a volunteer parade
brings him forth in numbers proper
tionate to the metropolis myriads
called out by royal pageant.
Thus in dignifed, contemplative
manner does the Chinaman display his
idiosyncrasy of pleasure.taking
Again, the native of younger blood,
imbued with a tinge of foreign taste,
rushes madiy through the streets on
the whirring wheel or drives luxuri-
ously reclining in his smartly appoint.
ed carriage, behind the fastest trot-
ting pony, steered by a reckless ma
tive Jehu, which his means are able
to procure. The visitor to the various
public resorts OF the Chinese in the
settlements will invariably gain an in
teresting insight into the Chinaman
and his pleasure.taking and one strik-
ing feature cannot pass unnoticed.
Whether coolie, merchant, office boy
or mandarin in public, the Chinaman
at play is invariably respectable. One
hears much of the native immortality,
but decorum, when in the public eye,
and absolutely moral behavior, char.
acterizes even the biggest rake among
| the Cinnamon of our settlements.
Drunkenness is a vice which is usual
| ly kept within doors, as are all other
reprehensible practices. Quarreling
is almost an unknown thing in pub
lie resorts, and the customary division
of the sexes necessitates that the gal
lantries Of the masher shall be dis
played in private only. Never does
one witness anything approaching the
college student of Europe on the ram
page, or AIRY and 'Arriet on bank
'oliday tear. The Chinaman takes his
pleasure as he takes his business, with
a calm, calculating philosophy, which
constitutes one of his greatest varia'
| lions from the habit of mind of the
| vivacious European. We are not sure
that the idiosyncrasy is not supreme
| ly praisewoTthy.