Evening star., 1907-06-23
IOHN CHINAMAN is AFRAID OF
SPOOKS AND SPIRITS.

and the writer of charms does thriving
business. John has all the inveterate gam
bler's belief in good luck" And he is
superstitious to the last degree. Mr.. Charles
NJ. Alexander, the famous evangelistic
singer, fell with his horse few weeks ago,
during visit to southern China. He lay
unconscious, but none of the coolies accom-
panying the party would help pick him up.
They thought they might displease some of
the spirits who wanted AleXander's life. AS
1t was. he lay helpless and unassisted until
missionary and native Christian came
along to pick him up, and he was in a semi
conscious condition for several days sub
sequently. Similarly, one Chinese Will
watch another drown without stretching
forth a hand to help him.
Every imposing residence in China has
pasted on it's doors hideous images to scare
off the evil spirits. Streets do not run
straight, in order to battle the spirits Inns
and large residences have stone screens in
front of the principal entrances, so that
evil spirits may not find their way In.
Charms hang over almost every doorway.
Graves can be located only after the dis
positions of the spirits of wind and water
have been consulted-and, in the case of
wealthy persons, it requires a deal of time
and money to find out what the spirits
wish. Much of the native religion is asso-
ciated with the dead. The Chinese are fear
full lest their dear departed should return
to trouble them. Therefore, the massive
coffins, the Offering of food at the grave
and the burning of paper images OF money,
houses, clothes, servants, ana even, III one
case l witnessed, paper Jinrlcklshas.
The nearest approach to street idols seen
in China is the oven wherein is burned
every scrap of paper that floats about the
streets lest it contain a sacred character,
and also paper prayers. The Chinese be-
lieve in the fire route to the spirit world.
Down in Canton every houseboat has its
little sanctuary in front, before which a
light is kept burning. In that part of the
country 1t is also the custom to burn in
cense daily outside the doorway.
OF all the religious tenets Of the Chi
nese, that of ancestor worship is the strong
est although 1t can hardly be disassociated
from spirit worship. 1t is probably less a
matter of love for ancestors than of fear
of their spirits which lies at the bottom of
the Chinese regard for the departed. The
great occasion for doing reverence to an
cestors is the new year; elaborate Offer
ingS are made before the ancestral tab
lets, and afterward there are feasting and
music.
So nwrought is ancestral worship with
the social. civil and political life of the
Chinese that 1t Is very difficult for Chris
tian convert to separate himself from 1t all,
especially on the occasion of funerals and
the new year. Certain veteran mission
aries assume the position that the venera-
ton of ancestors should not be regarded as
idolatry; they prefer to look upon it merely
as fiial respect, just as the northern states
missionaries to take this ground serious
obstacles would be removed from the paths
of many natives who want to enter the
church.
Among the Chinese it is commonly re-
ported that Europeans have no respect
for their ancestors An interesting con-
cession to this feeling is to be noted in
the practice of many missionaries, who
prominently display family and ancestral
portraits where native guests will see them
II Il
One needs a strong stomach to travel in
the east, but the famous Llama Temple in
Peking is enough to turn the strongest.
This is supposed to be Buddhism at it's
best-Buddhism straight from Llhassa, the
home of the grand llama. In its prime
the building was no doubt splendid, and it
has many interesting carvings and bronzes;
but as whole 1t is in a state of miserable
decay. Its dirt and griminess and squalor
however, are nothing compared with
| the filth and odouSness of the priests They
are the most repulsive lot of mortals it
has ever been my bad fortune to meet
| Their unwashed, unkempt external appear
! ance is less hideous than their manifest
| moral rottenness. One does not need to
! hear the tales with which the community
abounds to learn that here is depravity re-
' markable even for China.
There are some 500 OF these yelloW-robed