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Show TOTS OF MIXED BLOOD 9 Interesting Study Made in Kindergarten in the American Metropolis Where Little Chinese Children Are il Taught Their Obedience. '1 JJhf '1 CCOItDINCI to an unot-jf unot-jf x t Acini census tho child-j9jAJw(jt child-j9jAJw(jt rcn ot New York's flwmij Chinatown number "Wlyi nbout 100. This census UMwftT4K vrns taken In Bhops, at "E"'"a tho schools and with the help ot the stray Chinese guides wTJo aro always ready to glvo lnfor-matlou lnfor-matlou and lend strangers to tho different dif-ferent points of Interest In that peculiar pecu-liar part of Manhattan. These 100 children Include not only tho pure-blooded Chinese, but nUo those of mixed parontago Irhh and Chinese, ltattan and Chinese or American Ameri-can and Chinese. It Is Interesting to study tho combinations of race The American and Irish traits In nearly ovcry Instance predominate over the Chlncso, whtlo with tho children ot Italian and Chlneso parents tho flral-larlty flral-larlty of complexion and coloring of hair and eyes make It difficult to distinguish dis-tinguish them from tho purcblcodod Chlneso. It Is not an oasy matter to And the children of Chinatown. Tho tlmo nnd placo must bo chosen well. They do not run wild In the streots llko tho children of other tenement districts. Especially Is this truo ot tho children ot pure Chlneso blood, who nro, as a goncral thing, carefully housed. The children of Chinatown aro not early rlsors. They are unllko tho American child In this as In many other respects. Tho saying "Early to bed and early to rise" Is without meaning to thoni. Tho Chlncso work lato and play late, rarely retiring boforo 1 or 2 o'clock In tho morning nnd stooping well Into tho day. Tho children are not excluded from tho work or tho play, and consequently ono seoks In vain for them In tho morning hours. Thoy aro still In tho arms of tho Chlncso Morpheus. Porhnps the best placo of nil to ' itudy them Is in the schools, for they aro elusive littlo creatures and ono must got them whoro thero Is littlo hopo of escape. Thero nro two kindergartens kin-dergartens In Chinatown. Ono holds Its scsslonb In tho lato morning hours, tho other only in tho after noon. At tho first ono you nro Introduced to Wing Quong, Besslo Wing, Kay Ouoy, Ka Son nnd tho "also rnns." Wing Quong engages special Inter-tst. Inter-tst. Wing Is to bo sent to China at tho request of relatives to remain intll ho 1r 15. Ho Is now nbout 7 and ookB serious enough nt tho prospect if the coming Fopnrntlon from his rcl-itlves rcl-itlves and school chums. Tho first quostlon tho American vomnn visitor Is sum to nsk relatcn, if courso, to tho Chlneso feet, for In the femlnlno mind tho boiind foot Is is closely associated with Chlncso :ustoms as tho opium plpo Is In tho masculine She Is nssurcd that the ustom has gono out with tho fashions fash-ions of yesterday. , Tho costumes of thlu school nro as hybrid as tho children. The Amorlcan dress prcvnlls. Thero nro funny little trousers which hnvo a homo-mndo look and awaken doubts l')i tho minds ot the lookers-on ns to tho direction tho wearer will tako. 'The Jackets aro of any shnpo or style, depondent nppar-ontly nppar-ontly on chnrltablo Impulses rathor than set Ideas. But If ono has a keen senso of humor, ns well as of pathos, ono should visit tho afternoon school. Hera the Chinese children como In costume lump JIM Half and Half, and thero nto many Interesting sights for tho 3tudcnt of human nature. This Echoolioom is on tho ground floor. It Is decorated with garlands of evergreen and colored papers nnd Is vory bright nnd cheery. When tho teacher is not thero on time, as sometimes some-times happens, Aunlo makes a vory good cicerone. Annie Is tho oldest pupil and sva fairly tall, pleasant-looking girl. Bho confides that her parontago Is mixed and that her mother Is Irish. Her last namo Is Leo In deference to her father. Tho children of mixed parentage par-entage have usually two names, tho Int name given by the mother. Tho nftcrnoon session opens with -taHH prayer In Chlncso and some hymns niallH nro sung, sometimes In Chinese, some- -i'l times In English. Tho prayer and H tho occasional hymn are the only lH Chlneso spoken In tho school. It Is n Cl source ot great grief to tho Chlneso ll Inhabitants that thero Is no place i'l whero tho children can bo taught their own language, but no such school ox- il Ists In Chinatown. The children havo wonderful mem- orlos, they are great Imitators. Tell i'l them a Ftory, elng thorn n Rong, and ' they will lupcat both pnrrot-ltko and jH 4BjSI I 209 I A Little Flower of Chinatown. H memorize what would be impossible JH to nn American child of tho snmo ago il and standing. But their, reasoning ol and thinking faculties nro not dovol- jl oped. Thoro tho Amorlcan child has aH tho advantage. il Tho Chlncso homo consists usually ot ' thrco rooms, tho front room In which I'l tho Idol Is, tho general living room fll and tho bedroom. Tho Chlncso worn jH en nro, generally speaking, good houso- ,IH keepers, and ncntnoss and order pr- lH Tho children aro so obedient that ll they seem hardly human to tho Amor- il Icnu observer usod to different man- llil ncrs, but tho Confucian dlsclpltno still iH provnlls and tho port, precocious, dls- il obedient child Is unknown In China- jH town. Just what form of disciplines jH has brought about, this result, who iH can say? Ono Chlncso child admitted 'H that ho wes whipped hen ho was -H bad, but tho Amerlcu.i tonchers say i'l that they never sec tho children pun- IB lshcd. But whatever tho method it is H efficacious and Is enrnostly rccom- '&a mended to mothers of different creeds iH and up-brlnglng. Now York Sun. e |
