The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1913-01-10

"A quotation from Mencius, the
great expositor of Confucius, who
lived B G. 372 to 2S9. In the origi-
nal. word meaning Beware pre-
cedes the warning, and a more literal
translation of the passage would be:
Bewarel What proceeds from you
will return to you again."
II seemed to me this was taking
great deal for granted. feared that
the professor, like many savants who
specialize, was straining the fact to
fit his theory, but he very promptly
disabused me.
THE supposition that the words are
paraphrase Of Mencius," he ex-
planned, would not be tepable, per-
haps-the idea is not anomalous
were 1t not that we find running
through the series, other quotations
that are unquestionably Of Chinese or
lgin. The first letter, for example,
concludes with: The ways OF our God
are many. On the righteous he show
ers blessings; en- the evil he pours
forth misery. This is from the Book
Of History, or 'Shu King, in which are
the documents edited by Confucius
himself 1t usually has been rendered
in this way: The ways of God are
not invariable. On the good doer he
sends down all blessings, and on the
evil doer he sends down all miser-
les. That is the more exact render
Ing. And again, in the second letter
we find" He paused a moment, TAX
Ing up the second sheet, and focusing
his dim eyes upon the lines 1--WE
find," he went on, "'Fine words and
a smiling countenance make not vir.
tue, which Is from the Lunhu, or
'Analects' Of Confucius, in which the
views and maxims of the sage are
retailtd by his disciples. Smiling
countenance' is hardly the best trans
lation. 'lnsinuating appearance is
more nearly the English equivalent,
and should prefer are rarely con-
nected, or associated, with virtue to
make not virtue"
Those, of course, are Enthusiastically
TRANSACTIONS, agreed.
And so are the concluding SEN
fences Of the third, the autograph
letter." he assured me. "'Say not
Heaven is high above! Heaven
ascends and descends about our deeds,
daily inspecting us, wheresoever we
are find 1t in one Of the sacrificial
odes of Kau, and 1t is the best rem
dered OF all the excerpts"
SO your conclusion as to the au-
thorship is-?" | uueried.
Chinese. undoubtedly" he an
swered. These were written, should
say, by Chinaman, educated, prob
ably, in this country. His English is
the English OF the educated Oriental,
but the quotations from Confucius and
his commentators are characteristic
With the average Chinaman, to know
Confucius is to know all; what he
said Is all-sufficient; what he did not
say is not worth saying. Another
identifying feature is the effort to
make afraid. Their religion is fear"
Having concluded his exposition,
Professor Griffin was disposed to en-
ter upon more or less lengthy dis
course on Chinese character and lit
erature In general. However illumi-
native this might have been under
ordinary conditions, was assuredly
In no mood to listen TO 1t at this time.
The information he had given me,
while 1t merely verified suspicious
which had held from the first, set
me to specializing on the individual
source Of the letters; and with so
modern an instance at hand | was nat.
urally disinclined to consider the au-
thorship of writings dating back often
thousand years and more beyond
the Christian era.
With what grace l could. therefore.
discouraged a continuance OF the
theme, and having thanked him most
heartily, pocketed the notes with
which he was good enough to furnish
me, and prepared to depart. But as
stood at his study door. his lean.
scholarly hand resting in mine, he de.
tanned me for final word.
THE symbol" he exclaimed. his
pale eyes lighting at the recollection.
We forget the symbol"
"Oh, yes" returned. my interest
revived, that silhouette at the hot. |
tom"
1T Is Enthusiastically Chinese" he
said. Il am not very familiar with
the symbolism of the East, not al ia.
miliaF as ] should be, possibly; but
Chinese writing. you know, in its or. |
igin, is picture writing with the add. |
ton of a limited number of symbolical
and conventional designs. This figure.
l should say, represents a lorcha. or
small Chinese cOasting 1unk and yo,,