Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-01-10

tries. forms the very heart
81 and center OF the life of China
III III Population being so much
greater there than in any 9th
er country. 1t follows that the average
home must occupy very limited quar-
ters- But the natives Of China have
learned to make real abiding place
in the smallest possible space. so that
single room with mud floor and
sometimes a low attic overhead. where
the children sleep forms the extent
Of great numbers of homes among the
respectable people OF that country
In any small village or hamlet IN
central China you viii find the one
or two streets lined on either side
ings. with roofs OF thatch or tiles.
| There may be lalf dozen houses
under one long roof but partitions ex-
tending the whole width Of the build.
ing separate them from one another.
China Is full Of villages. as the farm
ers group their dwellings close togeth-
er for safety. A square hole halfway
up the front wall. covered with light
paper or else transparent oyster shells,
answers of a window. This. with the
| front door. which usually stands open,
In pleasant weather. admits the light
and air into the abode The house
! itself is very poorly constructed. as
| it Is made of a single layer Of adobe
bricks piled up on their thin edges
and plastered over on the outside.
There are very few really substan-
tiai buildings In the whole OF China
except an occasional temple. But such
are the homes where are born and
reared large families of children and
where parents and grandparents i've
/ from one generation to another. Per
| haps the ancestors of the grandfather
have lived in this very spot for hun-
dreds of years! The house may have
been torn down and rebuilt many
times. but the sacredness of home has
never been removed from IL. II is
very likely. too. that some of these
small. one or two roomed abodes have
been the birthpiaces of some Of the
renowned men of China. It is just
here that class distinction. for which
| China is noted. makes break and
does not recognize caste; for II Is In
teIleet and learning that counts for
most in China.
There may be low lean-to at the
back of this dwelling. and in II you
viii see piles of sticks. dried leaves
and bundles OF cotton stalks. This
is the fuel stored UP for the winter
months and is sufficient TO furnish fire
for all the cooking in that large fam.
! lily. Fuel is scarce in China. end
every possible material that cannot
be used for anything else is utilized
for IT, You WIFI learn on this visit
that of all people on the face % the
earth the Chinese take the prize for
real practical economy, The stove
is made OF few fire bricks so arr
ranged with a hole in the top that
large copper pan can be placed direct
~ over the fuel. and very close to il
SO that not any OF the Leat is lost.
and the stew, or rice, is almost in
stantly simmering. and before you are
aware the meal is ready for the table.
AT the table each ones place is not
ria-ked by knives. forks. plates.
SPOONS. and so forth. but there is only
q pair of chop-sticks and small por-
celah spoon for each member OF the
family. A large dish of sfeamiug stew.
in which there are plenty Of pieces of
pork and dihctent kinds Of vegetables.
is place in the middle Of each Of the
square tables. for there are usually
several Of these. according TO the
number OF the household Perhaps
come dried fish is also there. and be-
fore the meal IS finished each person
is supplied with a heaping bowl Of
steaming rice. This is held close to
the mouth and is literally pushed into
it with the cbopsticks. All eat with
the regularity Of cIockwork except
now and then a hand is reached out
to take a spoonful Of the stew or a
nibhle at the dried fish 10 make the
rice so down better
10 a corner OF the room the visitor
VII see pile Of kin-covered boxes
or trunks, which perhaps reach near
ly to the ceiling In these boxes are
most carefully folded and packed
away all the best clothing as we'll as
the treasures aud heirlooms OF the
family
II is in these boxes that all the we'd
ding ourfit OF the bride is kept All
the jewels. and 3 hateyer Of worth or
beauty the family possesses are found
here: these things are only brought
Out on special occasions. for instance.
at weddings or at the New Years
tine or on other holidays
Il Is remarkable how much these
people can stow away in the smallest
space and yet not give the appearance
Of things being crowded This knack
Of filing Up space always seemed to
me a. a special gift-an inheritance
from long line Of ancestral training;
else il eoald never nave been so per.
fectlg developed as Is seen in China
In addition 70 the numbers in the
family We are talking Of. there may
% seen dogs. cats. and perhaps a fam !