New-York tribune., 1907-09-05
SERVANTS IN CHINA.
An american Woman's Domestic
ProbIemS an FOO-Ch01c.

- American woman who has just returned from
1a-r soiourn in Foo-Chow, China. where her hus-
- is an exporter, is the envy Of her housekeep-
trg friends because of her immunity from the 90
-or,3c nroblem She employs ten servants. when
= +ra equivalent OF four in this country. from 4
o1o+ar,- 11oint Of view All under the direc-
;ior OF a head house boy: an important person IN
,ro Augio-SaXon household on Chinese soil ms
,,r,;cular boy is IN the neighborhood or nIty
ears old and stands six feet TWO inches in his
-aclrnps 10 Kim are given the orders for the day
1s fn turn transmits them TO the cook. tie second
house boy. the gardener, the Gatekeeper and the
Ok coolies the case may be-
The house boy IS a most resourceful creature Al
\, dinner party given by the American woman one
~ the guests entered after the fish course had been
se-ved The hostess signaIled 10 the house boy TO
serve the man soup. though she did II with much
+reuidetion scarcely expecting that there was any
left The house boy was gone an interminable
time and the hostess got more and more nervous
Fut he Gnally came 81 with & plate OF soup which
was not the same as that first served When me
,artv was over she asked the reason. He SAID
Soup all gone Party DOWN road Run set some
With more ambition tilan olscfetlon. one OF t'-9
,ool,es had been sent to the house Of neighaor
who was entertaining. THIS trait. the American
woman said. is universal The servants are not DIS
bonest Vet they Will -:;hout consulting any orc,
lend everything from china and silverware TO food
n case their coolie friends stand in need OF Il for
a function OF any sort.
Her cook gets Up tie most beautiful dinners. ana
sn upon what is no: much more than a charcoal
trszier Thinking 10 tighten his laboTs, the Ameri-
can woman bought a fine steel range Of modern
construction expecting the addition 10 the culinary
departmemt TO be received With enthusiasm MOI
st all. The Chinese cock wouldn't look at IL and
so il was stored away. wrapped in oiicloth TO pre-
rent rust. for in The rainy season IN emma iron anu
steel will corrode within twenty-folr hours
FIVE MEALS \ DAY
Five meals a day seems an excess Of good living
10 the average American, and somewhat OF bore
ss well. Yet that is what the American hoLseV'le
In China must make up her mind 20 The first meal
of the day is taken in bed II consists OF light
-ensst Of coffee fruit mineral water and the like
Dz-gF gFp ~ u lN
the bath. LAYS OFT clothes for the day and ar
ranges things about the apartment He then re
tires and when breakfast * served ct o'clock in
the dining room greets his master and mistress
with the utmost ceremony
Owing 20 the oppressive heat during the middle
of the dav nearly every one rests. Tea is served
st O'Clock and consists Of preserves, sandwiches.
cakes and tea. Dinner is formally served at
o'clock After this. pleasant days. there is ten
MS or sport Of kind. and each person has
three chair coolies at command 10 carry him 10
the grounds in the chairs. All these men wear
white uniforms except for some distinguishing
color 10 mark their distinctive households The
sensation Of riding in a chair. the American wom-
an says, is not dissimilar 10 that experienced in
q baby jumper and is not unpleasant when one
becomes accustomed to It
The streets Of Foo-Chow more than
lanes she said. lust about wide enough for two
chairs TO PASS abreast 1t is sometimes a ques-
ton where 10 disappear when a mandarin aP,
rroaches for in such event every one is obliged
TO disappear OF the earth HIS outTunners come
tearing down the street, and everybody no matter
VINO must make way for the dignitary- 1t is
sometimes necessary to squeeze into a shop door.
sny=here TO get out Of the way
WHEN SHOPPING.
The pleasures Of shopping not altogether
the same as ours There are no bargain sales
although q knowledge Of bargaining is absolutely
indispensable when trading among the almond
eyed CelesIiais There are tempting displays
of marked down goods. but for all that IL Is pos
sible TO get handsome gowns made by native
iaiors which in point OF style equal those made
in the States In Yokohama for instance. had
tailor gown made which was so eXquisitey hn-
ished that It could easily have been worn wrong
side out. and it cost only one-Guarter the price
would have had to pay for il here
'of course the best gowns are all imported
although the local tailors are very good. A Chi
nese tailor viii squat down the floor and sew
all day long in that position The initiative fac
ulty Of the people comes into play admirably In
tailoring. If il is possible 20 give them fashion
OF q correct drawing Of the article desired they
can copy Il accurately. but If the craftsman hap
pens 10 be an amateur and draws the lines
crooked then the gown VIII show his faults 10 i
With their long fingers and ugly nails they can
shirr and tuck chiffon neatly woman and
devise some beautiful garments
They love pretty things. 1 had just received
q large box of hats and gowns from Los Angeles.
and one day. entering my room unobserved. l saw
there my house boy with one OF my new hats IN
his hand edniring it
'Wl97 hat out Of box? inquired
Bug on it laconically explained the house
boy which showed that while his curiosity might
get him into trouble his qui, Wit would always
help him out.
In the compound where I live there are. besides
downs, warehouses, and the comprador's house
The conprador is a very important parsonage in
all tea importing firms. In fact. he is essential.
silent PARTNER as Il were. who acts middle man
between his people and the English merchant, for
the Chinese, especially those back in the country,
viii not deal directly with the English My hus-
bands comprador is a mandarin of the third de-
gree and man of great intelligence and superior
education
REVOLVING CUSTOMS.
But everything is not pleasant in China The
American branch
Min River, near her home, dogs feeding the
remains Of dead babies, and there is a sign
the bridge which reads:
No female children allowed 10 be thrown in this
ditch
OF the chiidishness of the Orientals the Ameri-
woman had q curious example night when
her family and every one In the vicinity
aroused by the most fiendish and terrible sounds
imaginable. There were great yelling and screech
ing and beating upon all sorts and kinds Of instfu
raents while chains were dragging over the pave
rnent 10 increase the coTnmotion. The Chinese
in great state Of excitement. and perfectly livid
from fright. Great dragon swallowing the moon."
they cried
II was eclipse of the moon. and they sought 10
avert what in their minds most terrible
calamity by the worst medley of sounds they were
capable Of producing When the moon finally ap-
peared round and full from the shadow that had
INSTRUCTED II they rejoiced greatly and felt that
TIER hdeous noises had been the salvation Of the
moon.