Catoctin clarion., 1917-04-05
News From The Orient.
Nanking, China, Jan. 25, 1917

Dear r.
Every time read the interesting
literary letters that come from home
VOW that I'll never send anything but
post cards, for what scribble off must
give some of you a dreadful jolt. You
know have quite an extensive cores
pondence, and very little time but recess
time to devote to it. However. this New
Years holiday is the luckiest thing that
has happened to me. for | believe I'm
really going to catch up. Last Friday
night we had a bright little entertain
ment at school. One feature of the even
ing was a minstrel show, half Chinese
and half our own southern dialect. You
can have more fun with the Chinese
language than with half dozen clowns.
When you come out you will not have
any trouble learning it, as people with a
sense of humor and who are good natur-
ed get it more readily than quiet, studi'
Gus folks. Your lovely Xmas gift came
last week, and as it was twelve weeks
and one day on the way it had time to
grow lower each day of the trip. Now
I'm accepting it in the spirit in which
it was given" but don't bankrupt your
self like that again.
Had quite an interesting experience
last week. In Peking they frequently
have terrible dust storms, and further
north they have them almost constantly,
but they are rare in Marking. Last
week we were visited by one. The dust
sits in through every crack in the house;
you eat your peck of dirt the first five
minutes you are out and you are literally
baptized, or shall say immered in dust.
But the interesting feature to me was
the absence of clouds in the sky. The
sun was shining brightly but because Of
the dust clouds in the air it looked like
huge silver disk hung up in this grey
background. 1t gave me sort of desert
feeling.
No doubt | have told you how for
weeks the people have been preparing
for China New Year. Dried fish, carrots,
cookies, cakes, candies, all sorts of
special eats, have been prepared. Best
of all, everything washable has been
thoroughly cleaned. Every one must
now pay his bills, every fellow wants
money, everything cost as much more as
they can possibly extort. AS the Chinese
work all week long and have no day OF
rest, rest and change is some times
necessary, SO they take as long as possi-
BILE at New Year loafing around, having
a good time and Strengthening out their
business affairs. Official China has
adopted January 1st as their New Year,
but it will be generation before the
new calendar goes into effect with the
masses. On New Years eve we went to
feast and got home at nearly midnight
to the accompaniment of guns, pistols,
firecrackers, etc. The next day | went
out and viewed as many of the festive
scenes as possible. Everybody calls on
everybody else, gifts are exchanged and
all children under fifteen receive gifts
from their elders. The streets are gay
with their long rows of flags hung out by
the dozen and every house is gayly plas-
tered with large, red posters, and some
with pictures. On these are many New
Year greetings. On our front gate is
plastered sign saying, "Open this gate,
find happiness within, and was put there
by the Chinese. On New Years night,
January %, crowd of thirty from school
went to a Chinese theatre. This was
perfectly proper, else of course we would
not have been allowed to go. 1t was
some experience. How wish l could
paint the scenes and send you Victrola
record of the rest. A Chinese gentleman
Interpreted for US. so can tell you the
plots. But first a description of the
buildings is in order. Just like the old
Elizabethan-s square balconies divided in
to sections, on either side stage pro-
truding in front, rooted and resembling
a temple. Around the building and over
the stage also were hung many magnifi-
cent banners, but of course there was no
such thing as scenery or stage curtain.
On entering you were conscious of the
fact that the show was of no account
compard with you. Your head resound-
ed so from the orchestral music that you
feared some blood vessels might break,
and the blaze of color from the gorgeous
costumes made you wish you had worn
your smoked glasses. On the stage were
a number of chairs, tables and kneeling
pads. Whenever these were needed
some one stalked across the stage,
placed them where desired and then
flung them on heap. The orchestra,
consisting of several pairs of bones,
Chinese violins, some things worse than
cymbals, and strange drums, was entire
ly adapted to all that went on. There
was no ordinary talking done on the
stage. Some times it was real singing
Chinese variety and some times the
half-singing, half-speaking so effectively
done by our "ragtimers" at home. AS
soon as we were seated on the hard
benches there was placed on a rail before
each bench, peanuts, watermelon seeds,
green olives, sponge cakes, sugar cane,