Show ESE HESE DESCRIBES I ILAGE LIFE LE OF COUNTRYMEN'S COUNTRYMEN I s 'S Picture of Simple g and Customs of i Tillers of Soil By Y Y Y Y TSU 1 rs r's Note ote sote Dr Tsu is a a. a Chi Chi- olar LOlar who has won fame as a an n of social conditions In Thise This his e land and nd He took the degree degre of oft D If t Columbia university New ew nd has since become f at St St. John College IRK r May There I-There 11 There must be beA Americans A who making a aIn aon at t on to save the millions of s In s Chinese from starvation Jut 1st how these people live live how how aily round of work and pleasure from that of himself and his own great peat majority of the famine vie vic 4 tillers llers of the soil And as one onel l t mown the Chinese farmer in inam inam inn n am going to tell teil here some- some C J e way he lives in normal times cap for hard work worl is the that would strike the lie He works from I. I o sunset not hot six but seven days das The only time he leaves off Is is' i not notable ble birthday I wedding or 01 perhaps a funeral 11 lace Jape e. e 58 farmers do not dwell In isolated houses as ns American farmers farmers farm farm- ers era do but grou grouped ed together in villages vil vil- lages from which which they logo go forth each morning to the fields The houses are story one-story high with tiled or thatched roofs Joined to one another in single rows In front of the house is the village vII Ml lage square oblong in shape At harvesting harvesting harvesting har har- vesting time this thiR presents a lively scene for Cor here the grains are threshed winnowed winnowed winnowed win win- and dried in the sun and hay haystacks haystacks haystacks stacks are built At other times the place is quiet except for the activity of farmers farmers' wives in preparing the long warp for their home looms or In other housework and except for far the noise of children at play Every village of an any size has its own temple with atilt red walls and roof corners curved skyward Here in the temple the religious and nt much ch of the social life of the village is is centered HAVE FEW WANTS WANT Chinese farming families have but few wants which they easily satisfy with the fruit of their own labor Early in the morning the farmers farmer's first task is to set setoff setoff off for the nearest market town with farm products to sell carr carrying ing them In two huge bamboo basl baskets ets The man returns home at noon and after a a. meal shoulders his hoe and goes to work In the field until sunset On some mornings when he does not have to visit the market town he goes to the field early and instead of his returning returning returning return return- ing home for the noon meal the wife or an older child carries the meal to him and he eats it in the field The most important social function of the year jear ear is naturally the birthday annl I of the local patron saint I anni-I His Ills image occupies the seat of honor in the i village temple He may be a a. a mj mythical I personage or a historical one remembered remembered Dered in these latter days because o of a heroic ded er or a benevolent bene act which 1 hd ho nad lad done In his life and which is told in popular songs YEARS YEAR'S BIG FESTIVAL The anniversary of the patron saint Is the big festival festival o of the year ear A three- three day which would a procession of the saint through the territory ter- ter that he has Jurisdiction over accompanies ac- ac I comp companies h hv the l mu music lo c 0 of and I I 1 drums pageants banners torches and I firecrackers and theatrical performances in n the open air stage In front of the tem- tem During the celebration a country fair fairis fairis is s often held Traders from all over ove the countryside would come with their wares and the villagers would reve revel among them and buy what they need fo for forthe forthe the year jear until the next annual fair fai comes round again It It is the annual spree pree o of the villagers Let us see how the village is governed The ti pao literally meaning guarantor guaran tor for the peace ce 0 of the village corresponds corresponds corre corre- to the sheriff lIe He is responsible to the magistrate in tho the nearest walled city for the good behavior of or the villars villagers villa villa- ers rs as far as th the law i it concerned The chief person o of the village is the man who on account o of his advanced age wealth or scholarly attainments exercises moral Influence over the villagers DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATION Village organization is very democratic matters of importance are decided by the heads of the e families together in public publio meetings meeting with h the chief villager ll as asprer s presiding pre pre- 4 Nl jey i siding g ng officer iC The villagers e enjoy a large measure of self government without interference in interference in- in from the magistrate of the walled city But twice a year they have to send in their semiannual payments pigments for the land tax to the magistrate Except Except Ex Ex- Ex- Ex c pt for this this' transaction of tax payment the magistrate and the villagers gers leave each ach other severely alone Sometimes the city magistrate helps the villagers to op open n a school for the children but as a arule arule arule rule v village schools are arc locally supported Kau Tien Chih Fan is la the motto which the Chinese farmers farmer love to re- re pet peat It t means Living on on the Bounty of Heaven If JC heaven is kind and sends down the Hie early and latter rains rams according to their season and makes tho the sun to shine hine upon whatever the farmers plant In Inthe Inthe inthe the fields ields then good crops will reward their labor and they bear the sweat on their brow with a smiling heart |