DOMESTIC LIFE IN CHINA. THE dwellings of the opulent are remarkable for the taste and elegance displayed in the arrangement of the furniture, and still more for the noiseless tranquillity that pervades the whole scene. The fondness for gaieties which they evince so strongly in some of their superstitious rites, and on many festive occasions, seems among the more intelligent to give way to a decent plainness in the decorations of a room, as well as in the adornment of the person. Amidst many peculiarities, the Chinese possess a large stock of good sense, an endowment of the mind, which scarcely appears to be compatible with an excessive love of finery. The native processions are made up of emblems, pageants, costumes, and ensigns, so gay in outward show, but so cheap and worthless in reference to the material of which they are composed, that they would lead us to form a very mean opinion of a people who can feel a complacency in trifles so unworthy and contemptible. The writer has seen and taken a silent inventory of many of these; but there is one that is still vivid in his recollection. A piece of solemn pomp had been got up by persons whose business it is to manage these things, in the behalf of some individuals of rank, as it might be inferred from the genteel appearance of the men and the graceful attractions of the females. The procession consisted of different groups, which were differently equipped in point of dress, badge, and ensign. The outfitter is obliged to furnish men as well as clothing, and of course engages those who may be obtained at the least cost. Hence one of these groups was composed of squalid beggars taken from the way side, who were glad to wear a few articles of gaudy attire, and walk a mile or two for the consideration of a very slender pittance. But the effect of their scarlet robes and their bare legs and feet, lean and scabbed with sores, was irresistibly ludicrous. The stranger laughed, the other parts of the procession with the bystanders took up the strain, and lastly the poor wretches, as if in mockery of their own misfortunes, joined in the chorus. These ostentatious doings are in obedience to ancient custom, which has a paramount authority in China, and are mentioned here for the sake of being contrasted with that sober neatness which pervades the apartments of a wealthy native. The hall in which he receives his guest is open in front, and has a screen in the back. Before this screen, a square table is usually placed, which may either serve as an altar for the reception of offerings of meats and incense, or as a board for the entertainment of the host and his friends. A row of chairs runs from the bottom to the top of the room corresponding with the ends of this table. A quadrangle is thus formed, at the top of which stands the table, on each side a line of seats with high and perpendicular backs, and at the bottom, which is left unoccupied, the party enters. The visitor bows as he advances within the ranges, and is forthwith invited to sit down, which he does, after some hesitation, by taking the lowest room, or the seat at the bottom of the line. He is scarcely seated before he is told, with a peremptory tone, a little softened by the melodious accent of kindness, to "come up higher." As soon as he has consented to this new arrangement, the host sits down on the seat immediately below the stranger, and thus awards to him the higher or more honourable place. If the stranger be from a far country, he is treated with the same distinction, as the writer of these remarks has often experienced. The ladies of the household are not called for to welcome the stranger, who, though he is presented with a cup of tea, that is fuming with aromatic odours, owes nothing to the kindness shown him by the mistress of the family. Etiquette and some ungenerous misgivings still keep the Chinese from treating woman, among the higher circles, with that honourable confidence which she shares so largely and so worthily in this land of Bibles and tracts. When the writer and a friend once called upon a gentleman of high literary attainments, he indulged the females of his house so far as to allow them to come and gaze at the foreigners. But, ignorant of our habits, he thought it necessary to apologize for this departure from prescript of ancient custom, which he did by telling an truth. For he said, the ladies did not understand propriety, um shik to le, though it was plain they came by his invitation, and retired at his command. A Chinese is a sovereign in his own G un house, at least in form, though it appears, that through the tact and contrivance of the wife and her companions, he is sometimes ruled instead of ruling. When a gentleman makes a feast, he invites his male friends, whom he entertains in a tent reared for their accommodation, in distant similitude of the mode in which Ahasuerus provided for his princely guests, as described in the book of Esther; or he finds room for them in his hall of audience. The guests seat themselves round small tables placed in different parts of the room, which are garnished with fruits and flowers. After a few minutes are spent in tasting these prelusive dishes, and in discussing their merits, the first course presents itself. It consists of a certain number of basons filled with soups and stews, often of the most farfetched and costly sort. Among them, the tripang, a kind of sea slug, (Holothuria physalis,) sharks' fins, and the edible nest of the swallow, make an important figure. They are so ingeniously dressed as to have a high and racy flavour, even to the taste of a European, who only misses the potato or some humble vegetable to subdue the lusciousness of these viands. The guests help themselves as well as they can with a spoon made of porcelain, or with their chopsticks; these are merely two slips of wood or ivory, which the user contrives to hold so cleverly between his fingers, that they lay hold of a morsel with the despatch and firmness of a pair of nippers. Each guest is furnished with a small bason, which is filled from any of the larger he may set his mind upon. This bason he empties, by an action compounded of drinking and feeding oneself with a spoon; for, applying his lips to the edge of the vessel, he sweeps the contents into his mouth. The want of grace in the mode of eating is compensated in some measure by the elegant style in which they pledge each other. The gentleman, who solicits the honour of taking wine with his friend, rises from his seat, bows, empties his cup, with a quick evolution of the hand, turns it so that its bottom is apparent, and then takes his seat again with a courteous inclination of the body. The courses are brought in and removed in silence, and with much decorum. The voice of complaint or chiding is not heard; if the host has any wish to communicate to the steward, he does it in an under tone, just as we see in well-regulated houses in this country. The good order observable among the servants of a Chinese house, is owing to the principle of subordination, which is well understood and strictly enforced by themselves. While the master of the house is entertaining his friends in the hall, or the temporary abode of festivity, the lady receives her female acquaintances in one of the retired apartments, whom she welcomes to dainties as choice and as costly as those offered by her husband. Fashion has imposed this partition, which reaches as far back as any record that can be found bearing upon the subject. At marriage feasts, women seem to bear a principal part in conducting the ceremonies, though they choose to eat by themselves. They then assume a tone of command, and give their orders with an absoluteness which astonishes a stranger, who may have heard much said about the degradation of the Chinese female. Degraded she is, because her heart is filled with superstition, and her mind a stranger to that knowledge which ennobles while it saves;but there is a dignity in her carriage, and a freedom in her air, which are very striking, and often engaged the attention of the writer, who saw many thousands of them. In the dwellings of the poor, the wife is obviously on a parity of condition; she governs the children, prepares the meal, and then sits down and eats with her husband and her children. In the midst of her poverty, the erect attitude, the sonorous voice, and the firm look, bespeak a consciousness of her own importance: a consciousness that is not without foundation; for, besides taking the oversight of the family, she is ready to trudge to the hills, to fetch fuel, or to enter upon any other laborious undertaking, notwithstanding the smallness of her feet. If her husband is sick, she cheerfully works for his maintenance, and nurses him with a kindness and fidelity truly exemplary. A poor fellow afflicted with the dropsy, dwelt within the range of the writer's walks, and attracted his attention by a pale visage and an incessant cough. He lived with his wife and children, in a weather-beaten hovel, and had nothing to support himself but what he received from the earnings of his faithful companion. The apartment was the picture of distress; but nothing in the shape of misery could overcome the courage of the wife: she recounted his symptoms with clearness and precision, listened to advice with intelligence, and talked of her toils and hardships with resolution. It pleased God to bless the remedies resorted to; and, when the writer returned to the country about eight months after, he found the man restored to health, the wretched hovel exchanged for the neat cottage, and the smiles of gratitude instead of the complainings of misery. Domestic virtues are in great repute among the Chinese, and that woman is most highly commended, who best discharges the duties of a wife and a mother. Praise so judiciously bestowed, acts as a great incentive to good conduct, and confers a merited reward upon those who best deserve it. The young woman looks forward to the matrimonial state, which in China is very honourable, and asks how she can best qualify herself for that condition. The execution of some well-digested plan of conduct or scheme of happiness, interwoven with the comfort and best interests of her husband, is perhaps the scope of her wishes. Him she treats with a respect which is very becoming, and loves with an affection which often leads the espoused damsel to resign herself to the nunnery, and the woman more advanced in life to perpetual widowhood. "There is but one heaven, and my dead friend was that heaven," said a young woman, when her parents remonstrated with her for spending her nights and days at the grave of her lover. A widow at the grave of her husband is one of the most affecting sights the traveller meets with in China. Her loud and agonizing yells, the impotence of grief and despair with which she sinks upon the earth, or the violent efforts she makes to bury herself with the coffin, forcibly remind one of the apostle's words, sorrow as those who have no hope." The qualities just assigned to the female character in China are set off by a modesty and a softness of manner, which are not forgotten or laid aside even under the most untoward circumstances. This is spoken advisedly, and with a reference to facts. 66 The barbarous custom of binding up the foot is still adhered to by all who are not compelled to become servants, or to earn their living at the oar, because a small foot is regarded as a fine accomplishment. It is not done to confine the female at home, or to humble her condition; but to improve her beauty. She has naturally a small foot, and therefore is less in need of such a perverse attempt at improvement. She can walk, but her gait is laboured and mincing; yet upon these little feet she will find her way to the mountain's brow for a bundle of grass, to the public theatre to view a dramatic spectacle, or to the distant abode of a friend to spend the day in social converse. She may often be seen a little after sunrise, neatly attired, on a journey to visit an acquaintance, with a little maid who carries a box filled with such things as her mistress may have occasion for during the day. As to the awful crime of infanticide, it will be sufficient to remark here, that the data upon which this charge rests are very insufficient, and before any thing be affirmed positively upon the subject, it ought to be investigated by persons who will not build a general statement upon a few isolated facts. An edict issued a few years ago, in a certain part of the country, severely condemning the practice as a thing most monstrous, shows that murders of this sort are not uncommon; but, at the same time, it proves that it is not a national vice unchastised by public opinion. Only hard pressure of circumstances drive mothers in China to commit deeds so revolting, for they are not surpassed by any nation in kindness to their children. In England, we hear much about infanticide in China; but in that country we see and hear little-to the credit of humanity be it spoken. We have passed some encomiums upon the arrangement of a Chinese room, and upon the fare which adorns the table; but we cannot say much about the comforts which give a finishing charm to the whole. We look for the cheering fire, with its most necessary appendage, the chimney, to temper the keen blasts of winter, and to illuminate the social circle, and behold a man, who sits with his hands folded within his sleeves, his body loaded with clothes, and his eye demurely fixed upon the sad | think the meanest article unworthy of and dripping sky, that frowns upon him a neat arrangement as well as a place. through the open door, the unclosed The value of an English farthing is diwindow, or the one-sided piazza. The vided into five or six representatives in warm carpet, the soft bed, and the copper coin. One of these will purdowny pillow are missing, save where chase an orange, and three a bason of the rich have taken a hint from the jelly, or enough blue dye to make an foreigner, and purchased these pleasant old suit look like a new one. Each of items of luxury. The Chinese bed- these small coins has its recognized value stead resembles a small house, is made in the market, a fact which the Chinese of wood, and curiously carved. Within well remember, and estimate it accordthis enclosure, the native may seek for ingly. warmth with the hope of finding it, though the room may be chill and dreary. Instead of the easy bed, we have a deal board; and for the elegant assortment of sheets, blankets, coverlet, and so on, we find mats and padded clothes. But happily their natural clothing of flesh is more yielding and less sensitive than ours, and hence a native will sleep with complacency with a board for his bed, and a stool for his pillow. The Chinese are neat in their attire, and neat in the management of their goods and chattels; but, from a parsimonious use of that wholesome element, water, they deserve not much credit for personal cleanliness. Instead of a copious ablution, they content themselves with a wet cloth, which serves for washing and wiping at the same time. It is amusing to see a common man set about this process: he takes a small tub with a quart of water, and a cloth about a foot square, puts his feet in the tub, and after they are thoroughly cleansed, proceeds to bathe his face and hands with as much of the dirty fluid as the bibulous nature of the towel will hold. This negligence, in respect to cleanliness, so essential to health, entails many cutaneous diseases upon him, insomuch that there is a new field for medical inquirers under this head alone. He never has recourse to that snow-white and soothing layer of linen, in which Europeans invest themselves for beauty, for health, and for comfort, and so possesses not one of the most valuable things a wardrobe can yield. The common people are well characterized for their frugality in the use of money, and their care of every thing that belongs to them. The Chinese are excellent commentators upon the old adage, "Waste not, want not ;" for they lay up in their proper places trifles that we should tread under foot, and never Apart from a frugal employment of means and money, they have such a skill in the science of economy, that they know how to turn every thing they possess to the best account. The common people are excellent cooks, for example, and not only dress their rice in a way almost inimitable by us, but a variety of meats and vegetables so tastefully, that they often have a gentleman's board in miniature. Their knowledge of cookery will enable them to prepare a savoury mess out of things which in most other countries would be rejected as unfit for food. The many things which have been said about a Chinaman's want of discrimination, have been suggested by a fact, which is highly to his credit, namely, that the sea, the lake, the stream, or the freshet cannot produce any thing in the shape of animal substance, which he will not by his art reduce to something that is agreeable to the taste and nutritious to the human system. The writer has more than once shared the hospitality of the Chinese, and hopes that the time is coming when he and many others shall have licence to do it again. L. OLD HUMPHREY IN HIS SCHOOL DAYS. To call to remembrance the days that are gone by, and to live again through the scenes of our boyhood, is a favourite occupation with most of us, in a period of leisure. No wonder that old men, who usually muse away many a solitary hour, should now and then indulge in so agreeable an employment. Though life is but a dream, there are parts of it that we would not willingly forget. Blotted and stained, as the page of the past may be with errors and infirmities, with faults and follies, with sins and sorrows, yet do we love to turn back to such passages therein as have afforded us interest or pleasure. I am about to tell a tale of my boy hood. How few of my youthful companions are now inhabitants of this world! Like a shock of corn, when almost all the field has been gathered into the garner; like an aged oak left standing when the woodman's axe has been at work far and wide around it, stands Old Humphrey. Well! well!—a little longer. As among boys, so it is among men; the least deserving sometimes obtains the greatest reputation. An instance of this is about to be given. From about five years of age, to thirteen and a half, I was a scholar at a country boardingschool in a retired village; and it might be about a year before I quitted the place that the school fright occurred, which is to be the subject of my present observations. It was near the close of a day in autumn, when two ill-looking fellows called at the school, requesting permission to sleep in the barn. Their appearance and their request seemed very suspicious, and we soon put it down as a settled thing that they intended to rob the house during the night. Our master being from home, the men were refused permission to lodge in the barn, and went away muttering to themselves. Presently some of our schoolfellows, who, acting the part of scouts to our general body, had watched the men, arrived with the alarming intelligence that they had gone up a lane, and whistled loudly, when a third man joined them; finally, they all went away together. Although considerable fear was excited among us, it was not to be supposed that thirty or forty school-boys were to be long intimidated by two or three men; but, as it was confidently believed that an attack would be made upon us, the necessary preparations for defence took place. All our bats, tipcat-staves, and sticks were got together. The very pitchforks in the stable and barn, and the cutting-knives on the hayricks were collected. Every one had a weapon; and, animated by our numbers, we began to talk largely of the achievements we should individually perform. Well do I remember that among our offensive and defensive weapons was an old rusty scythe, the very appearance of which was terrible. It was universally agreed that the rogues would stand no chance against the scythe. Each of us in turn took up the deadly instrument to show how we could play the character of Death, and mow down our enemies. Truly, "childhood and youth are vanity," Eccl. xi. 10. As night approached, we became, somewhat more temperate in our words and actions; but having committed ourselves to each other by our boastful expressions, we displayed as little as possible of the fears we felt. Bedtime arrived, and we retired to our several apartments. The room which we expected to be attacked was over the school; sixteen or eighteen of us slept there together. In that room many ridiculous exploits were acted, in showing each other our different methods of attack, and the way in which we should knock down the rogues as they came up the stairs. In this way, poor foolish lads as we were, did we manifest our folly; but "foolishness is bound in the heart of a child,” Prov. xxii. 15. When we were all in bed, half undressed, with our weapons so placed that we could get hold of them immediately, we attempted to keep up our declining courage by conversation, but, somehow, we could think of nothing but dismal tales of housebreaking, footpads, and desperate highwaymen. With these, for a season, we afflicted each other, till imperceptibly growing weary, some of us fell asleep. Our usher, who was very young, and slept in the same room with us, at last came to bed; but instead of affording such of us as were awake, any encouragement, he expressed his apprehensions for our safety in alarming terms, and deposited his weapon under his pillow to be ready in case of need. Our usher was a clever young man, but he had not a deep and holy reverence for divine things, otherwise he might have encouraged us by referring to the goodness of God, and his promises of protection to those who trust in him. Such promises are abundant in Holy Writ, and suited to all occasions in the experience of those who fear the Lord: "Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness," Psa. xci. 5, 6. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee," Isa. xxvi. 3. A silence of some length took place; some of us were asleep, and very few of us quite awake, when a most tremendous |