The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-01-07

~ boys play football. Such serpentine
contortions Of the body, head and arms
You never saw. The dance Ii usually
accompanied with singing ON the part
Of the dancer, II yells and cries and
laughing can be called singing. The
motions made have certain crude
beauty, but are not attractive to US.
"The sexes are rarely seen together
on the streets or roads. When men
and women do walk, the man proceeds
about ten feet ahead Of the woman.
II there are any children, they walk
with her. The older boys and girls
and young men and women are scarce.
ly ever seen to speak to one another.
There is no flirting on the corners and
walking arm In arm. We have often
seen men and boys with arms around
each other, or one holding an umbrel-
la over the other. But we have not
seen women or girls do that nor the
sexes do It for one another. The Bur.
mans both lose and gain by these Gus.
toms, as you may see.
In this country, for some reasons
hard to explain, these seems to be a
mixture Of great sorrow and great hi.
larity at funerals. A death seems to
be the signal for strong crying and
tears on the part Of those nearest in
relation to the deceased, and also for
tn gathering Of q great crowd of chill.
dren, ostensibly to have good time.
At least they have it. The native
band produces continuous noise from
the death till the last rites are carried
out, for every minute Of the night and
day. The young men take especial
delight in playing In the band and
joke and laugh and have good time.
At recent funeral here there were
men dressed up as clowns, who wnt
through very humorous antics. There
was g. quantity Of explosive wrapped
in cloth in the form Of canon and
mounted on wheels. This was set oil
at the grave and chased all about
striking the people. somewhat after the
manner Of certain little July Fourth
novelty we used to have at home. For
the coffin, four wheels were fastened
together rigidly In tn shape OF a wa
gon running gear, and on this a struc
ture was built Of bamboo framework,
covered with different colored paper
to represent sort of pagoda. 1t was
so high that II could not have passed
underneath the wires in our cities IL
u. s. After the coffin was placed OF
this, and while the procession tarried
the small boys amused themselves
with the 'hearse' by pushing 1t up anc
down the street and jumping on for {
ride-this to the great danger of break
ing off the tottering top Or wreckint
the vehicle. Hundreds Of people look
ed on and laughed. Oh. the farce ant
mockery OF it all! We sometimes sa,
that friends should not sorrow whei
death lays his heavy hand on som,
dear brow. But We cannot mean t.
encourage anything that would brinl
us to this. What We consider as thu
most sacred sanctities Of the human
heurt are treated very lightly wher'
the prince Of devils holds sway.
But in Burma mems hearts are tn,
same AZ ours. God hath made us o
one blood. The same sweet and low
ing influences that tell at home tel
here. Hearts are softened as We tel
of the wondrful gospel truths. Their,
is a Transformation worked by thi
Truth that is not marked by emotion
yet is unusually staunch and strong
A man who is as vacillating as a.
Oriental will he made as true as tn
needle to the pole"