The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1926-03-13
VIEWS on CHINESE
POP ULA c E
tBy Bril- F. Adams)
CONTINUED from Page %


stratiye, less vehement, but more
dependable and freed from the ur-
gent appeals of specialized facts,
opinions and cultivated needs, offer
fewer surprises, either delightful
or reverse and escaping the hurts
that come to those of over devel-
Oped temperament. They involve
free, good nature, gentle, easily
assumed good humor that renders
them very attractive. They are
very grateful for kindness. Give
to some Chinaman a book full of
pictures of modern mechanics, war
o. industry, and to his wife, one of
foreign women's interests, and in
return for providing them with
materials for a Thousand interest
ing discussions, you have won two
lifelong friends.
Dignifed People
1t means something there to
have a home to visit in, for if there
Is one thing that excels all others,
II is their exquisite idea of hos
pitality and their perfect and Dig
nifed manners. ] have been about
a great deal, but nowhere have /
seen such project manners. At
times there is certainly lack Of
daintiness, but the expression is
always Of just perfect liking and
welcome. just to see two sweaty
coolies greet each other is a lesson
in the art of welcome. Their
smiles are full of good nature and
pleasant feelings, and there is so
much personal respect in their
queer way Of each grasping his
cwn hand, shaking hands with HIM
self and bobbing in funny bows.
Il appears as though each is in all
cruth congratulating himself upon
his good fortune in this meeting.
The phrases they use are extrava-
CANT in seif-depreeiation and fat
terry on the other party, but even
the most illiterate of them SO in
huences them with an impression
at least Of genuine cordiality that
the whole performance becomes
real and natural.
The real, old-fashioned China
man, unspoiled by modernism,
meets you at the inner court of
his compound with a dozen pro-
found bows. He welcomes you to
his howell, inquiries concerning your
honorable health, apologies for
his clumsy, ignorant servants.
you are meanwhile cheerfully
smiling. describing the unworthy
good condition of your innoble
health and insisting that he pro-
esed your honorable and altogether
insignificant self into his glorious
and honorable abode.) The SER
wants bring you hot towels.
They are scalding hot and must
be handled with care. You wipe
your hands, face and neck, enter
che next court and start again the
argument as 10 who shall enter
first. You may here, quite proper
", speak q few words about the
weathef. 1t is fine, you euIogise
the gods for sending weather ap-
rrOpriate TO the occasion which so
Rlnrihes your stupid and lowly self.
II IL is dull, wet, or sloppy, it is
Of course significant only of the
disgusting event Of one so low,
born as yourself, calling upon your
friends illustrious self. This will
be calamity reposed by your host.
By this time You are fairly entered
upon the visit and after the due
polite contentious at each door of
entry, you have arrived at the re-
ception room. II there Is COM
pauy they all arise and presenta-
tons take place, then come re-
freshments, described by your host
a. horrible scourings or In some
equally euphemistic phrase and BY
your feelingly equivalent express
sion Is your degrees of culture
may suggest.
First Visit Tiresome
I am not denying that this first
and formal visit may become tire
some In fastidious, studied and
somewhat skilled courtesy; but
later Il win become less serious
when you and your host may in
spect his garden. OF course, your
first dinner win be full Of moments
Of ehagrin Gin recollection only)
Being an American you viii care
fully deposit your chicken bones
~ the side Of your plate and here
By In the Chinese eyes cast reflec-
ton upon the poverty OF your
host. who viii be supposed, by
your actions, TO be too poor to af-
ford enough servants to clean the
dishes Of debris which YOU should
have negligentiy dropped upon the
aoer.
Not until you have visited his
place several times win you tif 81
mani meet your hosts wife or
daughters, unless the latter are
very young. In the latter case he
will present his children aud you
win find them, really and truly,
the sweetest aud entest little men
and women that you ever saw.
They don't romp and play like you
and used to, nor do they have a
quick temper. nor thrust out their