The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1894, Page 42

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Food and Dress in China.

The staff of life in China is rice. Itis eaten
everywhere, excepting among the very poor in
the northern provinces. In all other parts of
the country the big bowl of rice is the chief
dish on the table. At the table a basin is
placed opposite each person and beside it a
pair of chopsticks, while in the middle of the
table stands a big bowl of steaming rice. Each
person fills his basin from this bow], and hold-
ing it up to his chin with his left hand, he
shovels its contents into his mouth at an as-
tonishing rate. Dotted about on the table
are small bowls containing vegetables, fish,
or meats chopped fine. Each diner helps him-
self from these common dishes with his chop-
sticks, between his mouthfuls of rice.

Pork, mutton, beef, goat’s flesh, and ducks
are the meats most commonly used; but in
some places less savory dishes are eaten. In

Canton dried
rats have a rec-
ognized place in
the poulterer’s
shop and find

ready sale.
Peoplewhohave =
a tendency to
baldness use ~
them particu-
~ larly, the im-
pression being
that the flesh
of rats is an
effectual hair-
restorer.
In dress the

Chinese are wise
- with but few ex-

ceptions. They wear nothing that is tight-

fitting,-and the dress of the women resembles
that of the men. The mode of doing the hair
varies in different provinces. At Canton the
women plaster their back hair with some sort
of mixture into the shape of a teapot handle;
while the young girls proclaim their unmarried
state by cutting the hair in a fringe across
_ their foreheads.
a The treatment, however, of the face and
| feetisless reasonable. By an extravagant and
_ hideous use of paints and cosmetics, Chinese
girls conceal the fresh complexion of youth
and disfigure their features. They pluck out
many of the hairs of their eyebrows with twee-
zers, in order to make them into graceful
- curyes.
_ The practice with regard to the feet is well
known. Some say they do this to imitate the
peculiarly shaped foot of a certain empress.
_ Others say the men had it done to restrain the
en from gadding about. The feet are first
nd when the child is about five years old.
toes are bent under the foot and the in-
is forced upward and backward. The
worn haying high heels, the foot be-
‘clubbed, so the women really walk on

‘

pegs—in fact they can not walk at all and
are dependent upon their sedan-chairs.

The men shave the forepart of the head and
wear the queue. This custom began by the
command of the first emperor of the present
dynasty in 1644. Pride is taken in having
the queue as long and as thick as possible,
and when nature has not been very generous
a plait of silk is introduced. As the men can
not shave their own heads, the barbers thrive
in China.

2 «0-9 +

Missions to the Chinese in the United States.

“Tf a stranger sojourn with thee in ay land, ye shall not
vex him. But the stranger who dwelleth with you shall be
as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thy-
self."”— Lev. 19, 33. 31.

Fa-KI-KWor, meaning the Flowery Flag Na-
tion, is one of the names given by the Chinese
to the United States. Jesus-land is another
name. The following are a few facts for mis-

sionary item gatherers:

‘The Lutheran Pioneer.

to this a Chinaman could not send for his own
relatives to come to America without a special
permit. ‘Then, in May 1893, the Geary Ex-
clusion Act was to have been carried out, the
requirements of which are known to all of us.

It costs $60 to send a Chinaman back to his
native land.

Some of the Chinese girls rescued by the
Home in San Francisco are bought in China
for $10; they help support the family who
owns them until they are old enough to be
married, and then they are again sold for from
$600 to $1000. ‘‘One of the girls, when a baby
five years old, was compelled to sew on buttons
from morning until midnight. When she grew
tired, and her work lagged, her ears were
snipped with a scissors to arouse her.’’ It is
against the law of our land to bring these girls
here, but many are smuggled in.

At first, when these girls come to school,
they believe Joss to be all-powerful, but by

and by they
learn of God.

One day, after

athunderstorm,
one said, ‘'I
think God have
a big drum in
heaven,’’ ‘‘God
walks on heay-
en’s floor.’’
‘““When the
clouds burst we
see the golden
streets of
heaven,’’ said
others about
thunder and
lightning.

The Chinese first came to America in 1848.

There are about 130,000 Chinese in the
United States.

One thousand two hundred and fifty Chinese
children are in San Francisco.

Five dollars a month will support a China-
man, and he can supply himself with all he
eats for six centsaday. This is why Ameri-
can laborers complain of more Chinese work-

men coming to our country.

The Protest-
ant Missions began their labor of love among
these people in 1852.

OEE.

“It Meant Me.”’

A pastor tells a story of a lady getting into
& conversation with a workman, and finding
he was a happy Christian.

‘How long have you been thus rejoicing?”’

In the United States there are 47 Chinese she asked.

idol temples and 182 shrines.
are worth $62,000, and are well supporte

Certain articles are used in worship, and the
privilege of supplying these is sold to the
Every worshiper must have

highest bidder.
incense sticks, candles, and sacrificial paper.

These temples :
al address from the words, ‘Whosoever believeth

‘Six months ago,’’ he said, ‘‘I heard an

hath everlasting life.’ I could not take it to
myself then,’’ he said, ‘‘but when I went
home that night I thought that ‘whosoever’
meant me. I got out of my bed and got the

The American Chinaman offers to his idols Bible to see the words, and there it Was) who-

roast chicken, roast pig, and any table luxury.

The first treaty between China and the

soever.’”
‘But you knew it was in the Bible, didn’t

United States was in 1868. ‘his opened the Jour

Golden Gate to nearly 100,000 workmen with

‘Yes, but I wanted to see it with my own

almond eyes, yellow skins, and heathen eyes, and I’ve been resting on it ever since.”’

thoughts and speech. In 1882 Congress
stopped immigration from China for twenty
years, and in 1888 our- government enacted
what is called the ‘Scott Act.’ According

———- eo

Tue wealthy miser lives as a poor man here:
but he mast give account as a rich man on the
day of judgment. ;

-