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Show CHINESE CHARACTERISTICS. Cbilr InilltTeroiice to SufTerlnc Their llnlnci Ilnnity. Tho Chinaman Is not waptqnly cruot, but ho 13 marveloujly lndllfcront to tno Bufferlnes of cther3, cays tho Con-temppraiy Con-temppraiy Review. Tho cook will cover cov-er a rat with kerosene nnd set It alight, not to enjoy Us sufferings, but because ho believes Its screams will scaro Its fjKowa awny. A magistrate will fan hlmsolf gently on tho execution execu-tion ground on which a yelling malefactor male-factor Is being cradual'y cut. to pieces, not because ho enjoys tho spectacle, but becauso it Is all part of his day's worlt. A crowd of spectators will watch a child drown because It is no ono's special business to save It, and iceauEo to interfere in what dees not concern ypu may glvo rlso to trouble. From what has already been said ds to tho keen Interest taken by the Chinese Chi-nese In money matters, It may bo surmised sur-mised that they Ehculd bo par excellence, excel-lence, a "nation of shopkcor.crs." And so thoy are. To their credit bo It said that thoy have thoroughly realized that bargains arc binding. The tea merchant may endeavor In every way to Eot the bettor of his European confrere, con-frere, but, once tho mystic words "putte book" that 13, cuter it In writing writ-ing have bpen uttered, tho latter may rey on tho transaction being faithfully faith-fully carried throush. This comparatively compara-tively high standard of commercial morality naturally results In nn elaborate elab-orate system of credit, greatly to tho advantneo pf both contracting parties, and, though tho "squeeze," or perquisite, per-quisite, enters Into overy arrangement, It Is not sufficient to stop tho wheels of commerce, though undoubtedly U frequently clogs them. To go back no. your word In a buslnoss trqnsactfdn, pr to fail to meet your liabilities, causes a Chinaman to "lose face," and this Is tq hlra unbearablo. Tho sacrifices sacri-fices which ho will mako on the approach ap-proach of his new year to. enablo htm lo avoid being posted as Insolvent aro as extraordinary as they are admirable. admir-able. Nor wouH It be r!ght to omit all reference to tho fact that to their Justice they frequently add generosity, I woll remember a caso tn which an American, who has failed after yeats of labor,' was supported during the rei ' malnder of his Ufa by his "compra-dore," "compra-dore," as the native employed by European Euro-pean Arms In thou? dealings with Chinese Chi-nese la, termed. i |