ENPages
Image 36
The Practicable Chinese.
To show that Chinese actually face the past in their thinking cf. the following T'ang poem by Ch'en Tzu Ang sung while standing on Yuchow Mountaintop 登幽州臺歌 by 陳子昂
前不見古人 [marks] 後不見來者 [marks] 念天地之悠悠 [marks] 獨愴然而涕下 [marks]
Before me I see not the men of ancient times Behind me I see not those who are to come. Meditating on the infinititude of the universe Lonely snow fills my heart, and tear drops fall. Translation by M.H. Ruck China [Bookman?] June 1919
cf. also Chinese gestures when saying next year, last year etc.
cf. Also 從前 and 後來 空前 絕後 with ancestors or descendants, no relation to past or future events.
[break]
The nine classics compare the Four Books and the Five Canons. The 4 Books are: the Analects (Lun Yü) the Doctrine of the Mean (Chung Yung), the Great Learning (Ta Hsüeh) and the Book of Mencius (Meng Tzu Shu). The Five Canons are the "Canon of Changes" (I Ching), the "Canon of History" (Shu Ching), the "Canon of Odes" (Shih Ching), "Canon of Rites" (Si Chi), and the "Spring and Autumn Annal" (Ch'un Ch'iu.
Image 37
Shansi The state of China had developed its military strength in guarding the frontiers against the nomads of the desert. It is quite probable that it embodied stray strains of nomad blood. - Satauette "Develop of China It is possible that the nomading traits of Shansi men today is a development of this old trait. - Anon
Points to note in dealing with Chinese: When you talk to a Chinese and others, listen at your door; it is often more to drive them away as to let them stay. It allays suspicions They think nothing of sending a letter to your table
Will yell at you on the street, or talk about you to others as you pass.
Will enter a room unannounced. Why? Let outsiders enter mission compound, gather fuel, or sift coal. It is a custom. You are only a guest.
3 parts watchman 7 parts master.
Don't sympathize to much over a hurt child.
Don't point at or caress strange children.
Never use physical force.
Never carry revolver - gun never has enough ammunition. - smile - they smile back.
Two things to emphasize in preaching: (1) Christianity is not a Western religion (2) Christianity not a kuei-chii but a ch'in.
Never remind foreigners of faults of servants
When lost things in house hunt for the articles in presence of servant and say "I wonder where I laid that thing"
Use li in asking the way 有禮走 [pien?] 天下
Missionaries pray not for what they want but for what they can.
Take on Chinese name is typical of the adaptation which every foreigner guest makes in China
Chinese never gloat over a concession you make to them.
Chinese are not snobs.
Image 38
(continued)
In China you can ask any question and also give any answer. cf. 給了多少錢, ans 沒有給多少錢
It is wise for all to sleep in afternoon. Two kinds of missionaries those who stay, those who don't. Those who take naps in afternoon stay.
Never can get out of sight of either a living or a dead Chinese. If Chinese people were to hold hands they would encircle the earth ten times. If they went past you single file the procession would never end.
Chinese think sullying into a handkerchief and putting it in pocket very queer + indelicate.
Japanese can detect odors of foreigners, a Japanese student in America wrote Doctor's thesis on odors of Westerners. He attached the odor to the greater amount of meat which Westerners eat compared to Orientals.
In walking abreast Chinese "sift thru" when meeting others.
When passing a man who is carrying goods on a pole always pass him on the side where his carrying pole is not, and you have no difficulty in passing.
Describe customs in cart riding - get off at village or else get into cart + close blinds. Carts with women must give way to carts with men. Never lose temper with a carter.
Overcleanliness in hospitals does not appeal to many Chinese who sometimes care more for personal freedom then the rules of hygiene of which they are ignorant. If reproved they will go to a native doctor where the standards are not so high. "It is only the very progressive who have learned to value the rewards of science enough to pay what they cost in self-discipline and vigilance. To lose patience - to maintain standards while loving the hearts of the people - is to fail of the goal - Educ. Rev. Oct. 1920
Mr. [Stinmeyer?] tells of stopping at an inn in the early 80ties. The innkeeper sat on the [kiang?] beside him and asked him his age, country, occupation, etc. always getting nearer and apparently more in earnest, finally putting his hand on his
Image 39
knee-cap. Then suddenly starting out "You have one, you have one". Stinman asked "I have what!" What was a knee-cap (ken-tzen kai-er) The man had heard of foreign countries where the inhabitants had no knee-caps, and wanted to test it out.
Ruth cautioned Sien Tu never to use a wringer on our clothes. One day he had one. She told him to stop using it. A negro or a slave would have put it down at once, but a Chinese must have his personality respected. He will put it down when through and then never use it again.
When Chinese catch a servant in a theft of food they may dock his wages or say they will at the end of the month. If the servant in the meantime does good work the docking of wages is never mentioned. If he does not in the meantime do good work he is dismissed.
When Miss Paxton held meetings in Fenchow Jan 1921 on middle school classics teacher Mr. Sin Tsen San, an expectant magistrate was converted. He presented for many criticisms and written criticisms on estimate of Miss Paxton's influence on him. It is customary in China to criticize either favorably or adversely any man of note - whether his letters, his conduct, or his skill. This is may be done even of the magistrate who does not dare to retalilate. If others consider the criticism unjust or untrue they in turn are at liberty to criticize the entire[?]. These criterions are posted in a public place Mr. San gave a copy to Miss Paxton for her to keep so others might see what he had written about her. It was also pasted up on the church bulletin.
Image 40
Many years ago Mrs. Mabin Jone's mother, who was a lady of the highest ranks came into contact with "foreigners" thru her conversion to Christianity. After she first had eaten with some of them, she reported: "Americans eat just like goldfish - you see there mouths open and shut over the food, but you hear no sound - Omi Mustard Seed' Dec. 1920.
March 26, 1921 when General Chow and Capt. McConnell engineer were are on way from Ch'ik'ai to Yenning a fi shibbhine we met a party of men who had come from Ch'inchow in North Shansi and were on their way to Fenchow and Ninghaia in Kansu to ply their trade. "shuen shon i" at canbing the hair of women prostitute in those places. They were to get 3 tiao per person combed. Gen Chao had never heard of this practice.
The discrepancy in determining distances to places which travellers encounter in asking local farmers may be explained not entirely by ignorance but as follows: a village will extend five or ten li on either side of the village proper - any place in this area is still considered or reckoned to be the same distance to a given place, as the village itself is. Hence one should ask only at villages proper to insure a correct answer.
When Gar. General Yeh of Canton was captured by the British and detained as prisoner on the gunboat Inflexible (after the landlord went of