| Show TO Till THi mu m IN IS FLAMES In the tho account of ot the tho death ot of LI II Hung Cluing Chang It Is stated that paper aier ef of effigies figleR of horses were burned In the courtyard for the tha purpose e ot of carrying carrIn the Immortal part of ot the great man to happy ha p regions beyond the yell veil veiland and that the names flames told the crowd crowll of ot In the street outside that the tho end had come The ceremony will strike western readers ns as most singular The flames flame ot of those e burning paper horses borses tell teU the World worM with sufficient force loree ot of tile the gulf gult of ot superstition that separates the tho Chi Chinese Chinese nese nose millions front from the rest test of or civilized mankind Can Con this gulf be bridged over our ourThe The Tue Chines Chinese people are arc not religious ly Iy y Inclined but they are arc superstitious to childishness no rio matter what their station In life lICe may m be anti and no matter note highly educated they tho may Inay be 00 And lid 1111 this title trait governs their acts act both bothIn In life lite und and death It explains many ot of their peculiarities acme ot of theIr vir Ir tuf s and not nOI a few of C their vices ices It ac uc accounts counts for much of oC their hostility h to top people p of other oIlier races At 11 an nn instance ot of their superstitious practices It can cnn bo be mentioned that hint an anIm Im edict has been tu calling alling upon nil all of or the civil and military oni om dais In Pekin to assemble nt It the Board of ot Kites the eleventh of ot this month and there drive away owa the drag dragon on which will wll at the time lime attempt to de do destroy stroy the still tun For Por this purpose pUrle e the Imperial Equipage dP nt will pro provide provide vide Ille Bongs and drum that a D sufficient noise may Inn IMS be matte made to accomplish this th purpose All these preparations are n hue due hueto to the tact fact that there hors Is III I to be an nn eclipse ot or the sun attn on that date clIte It II is almost Incredible that students of or astronomy who are arc I so 0 tAr far advanced that they thoy can predict lct L I accuracy I an eclIpse if f tho tue sun lun idt l to the belIs that It Is II that cn be driven n nt t f t ii away by hy noise but that seems to be bl bethe bethe the t Such Stint appears to 10 lie h b tIn tilt Chi Chinese hi hinell nyse nell iua of ot running the th The Chinese o tho the earth and air invie bio beings hostile t I The ce cu do not ot N m 11 It In Is said but they the spend much hi trying to o outwit and deceive them Hence they become In dealt and feel teel no compunction nt at prevaricating ng In order to o gain a desired end They believe Wo ve 10 ire are told loll that evil beIngs cannot turn urn n a corner olner conveniently but always 1100 In iii u ti 1 line Hence In Chinese houlles om Otis window U is hover hever placed opposite apposite another lest the spirits should find it easy to pass II SS through No Noone Noone Noone one thinks ot of building n a house In JIM lino with another It H la is sot set a alit aUttie Uttie lit lit In advance or a n lIttle lIttleto to the tho tear rear so 10 as nt n l to break the tho straight Ine Inc There Is III not a straight ht road from crom rain one ono village to lo another but circuitous paths The roads ate arc further as ns bail ns us possible so ilO ns os not nul to Indue tho the evil o spirits to 10 travel on oit them Dead bodies firt aro burled buried In Iii lucky places may 1103 ilia Do Ia found In the tho back yard or at In Iii tho kid lUU or anywhere and tilt nil the tito country c Is therefore dotted with graves rutS The Tho tombs are aro because tho the Chinese venerate their ancestors When these th e facts are nrc considered It ItIs Itis Is ill easily lood why the strangers tint to China Ave aru cordially tint hit tinted bitted ed and despised They Thc build railroads ns os straight ns as arrows from rout one etia lt city to lo and care not It If they the desecrate the tho graves grael that may na mn be Le In their thell Way cay ny liy I y III In buildings and streets they the break thu th charm of oC Irregularity ind facilitate the tho work of ot the tho evil U Foreign Improvements run nin contrary to t Chinese superstItions superstition In every direction and when they tire are upon the people such outbreaks as IlS the Ibe Boxer rebellion are arc the tho result Hven Ien such men mon as all LI 11 Hung Hun Chang have II e not always alway Influence enough to tu keep keell the till storm within proper limits What China first of oC all needs Is popular lar education Neither western religion western trade can cnn bo ho forded Cord the masses e until they shall have been taught tho the of or superstition The i ih school will 11 eventually become tho the cow Hal IIII between that country and the thO rest re t of oC the world flat Dut perhaps It must needs heeds pass under foreign domina domination tion tiou before the school can cnn be cst b really realty appears to lo be bc tile the ease case |
