OCR Text |
Show CHINESE CHARACTEniSTlCS. riiftjf Indlrforaiico ff Satferlnar Their Dnitnoss Ionwty. Tho Chinaman Is not jrantonly cruel, but ho s marvolously indifferent to Iho sufferings of others, says 'tho Contemporary Con-temporary Beviow. Tho cpok will cov-or cov-or a rat with kerosene and sot it allnht, hot to enjoy its sutfprlngs, but because ho believes lis Bcrcarns will scaro its fellows away. A magistrate will fan himself gently on the execution execu-tion ground on which a yelling mate-factor mate-factor Is being gradually cut to pieces, not because he enjoys tho spectacle, bijt becauso it In all part of his day's wofk. A crowd of spectators will watch a child drown tjecauoo it Is no odo'b special business to savo It, and becauso to interfere In what doos not concorn you may Rive rlso to trouble. From what has already been said tta to tbo keen Interest taken by tho Chinese Chi-nese in money matters, it may bo surmised sur-mised that thoy should bo par excellence, excel-lence, a "nation of shopkeopcrs." And so thoy aro. To their credit bo It said that thoy havo thoroughly realized that bargains aro binding. Tbo tea raorchant may endeavor in every way to got tlio bettor of his European confrere, con-frere, but, onco tho mystlo words "putte book" that is, enter it In writing writ-ing havo been uttered, tho latter may rely on the transaction being faithfully faith-fully carried through. This comparatively compara-tively high standard of commercial morality naturally results in an orab-orato orab-orato system of credit, greatly to tho advantago of both contracting parties, and, hough tho "sQueeze," or perquisite, per-quisite, enters into every arrangement, it is not sufficient to stop tho wheols ot commerce, though, undoubtedly it frequently clogs thnm. Tq go back on your word in a bualnoss transactjdn, or to fall to moct your liabilities, causes a Chinaman to "loso facp," and this is tq him unbearable Tho sacrifices sacri-fices which ho will mako on tho ap-. proach of his now year to enable him to avoid being posted as Insolvent aro as extraordinary as thoy are admirable. admir-able. Nor would It bo right to, omit all reforenco to tbo fact that to their justice thoy frequently add generosity. I well remember a case in which an American, who has failed aftor years ot labor, was supported during the remainder re-mainder of his llfo by his "corapra-doro," "corapra-doro," as tho notlvo employed by European Euro-pean firms In tholr dealings, with Chinese Chi-nese (a. termed. |