University of Nanking - Linguist Yearbook (Nanking, China)

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1'HE LINGUIST 31. Gravss Again one of our number knelt beside her, and this time, brushing away several persistent tears, she responded. Her father had died, over two years agog he was now in need, and she was sending him money. Of 00urse he would get it, for that was the Chinese custom. Perhaps we did H013 think so, but all good Chinese observed this practice. Yes, it would be all right to visit her at her home over in the valley where the family lived. As we passed on, a gust of wind smothered the tiny flame before l10l', and she was left alone with her grief in the cold blackness, so like the engulling sea of heathenism. THE MEANING OF A SCAR I saw the scar m self or I mi rht have been tempted to doubt, his , B Story. Some years ago the old father of a Chinese man living m Clnnluang bcwme very ill. Both father and son were Buddhistsg so the son went at Once to the temple to secure the services of the Priests. They came into the home and began their A ceremony with its incantations and exorcisms. The Sick man became steadily worse. Finally the priest . 1 informed the sou that only one thing would avail to 16' E, Vllitke the father well-he must in ignorance eat fb Pllrtion of his sou's Ilesh. The young man believed the Pfiest, and with something of the spirit of Isaac who , - - L gladly 0ff0l'Cfl l1iluSelf, he eut a portion of flesh from lliS Own arm. This he had the cook prepare and give to his sic-k father. The sick man ate the morsel, supposing it to be a bit of beef, and for the time being improved. A little later, however, some one il1f0I'mCfl U10 fatillibl' that he

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30 SIDE LIGHTS ON THE CHINESE Our presence seem- ed not to deter her in the least, but as she swayed to and fro she softly continued her chanting and weeping. When- ever one piece of the brown, blot- ting- paper-like mo- ney had nearly burned out, the dying embers lighted another. Evidently the pa- per was made to burn easily, for from 'the merest 'suggestion of heat it caught, and flared up like celluloid. One of our party tried to learn more of the young wo- man's grief. For ,e , , he whom do you YVorship for the Dead Weep? H She asked kindly. But this patron of the dead gave no heed to curious foreigners, mere passersby who were altogether too inquisitive. Was your relative buried yesterday, or perhaps today?l' For reply the little black figure mechgmjcgilly lighted her paper, and chanted the low, minor dirge. We began talking among ourselves. We did not mention her igno- rance, but spoke of her sorrow. We forgot her queer custom, and thought of the utter devotion to her inbred rites. We did not scorn nor condemng we could only pity or sympathize.

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32 SIDE LIGHTS ONTHE CHINESE had eaten his own son's flesh. The shoek killed the old man. It also killed the sons faith in priests, and prepared his heart to receive the Christian message. On the day of his baptism he showed me the scar proudly, for God had used his saerifieial offering to bring him to the Savior. THE PROFESSOR EX PLAINS She's on the other side of the world, And the world, you know, is round: S0 her head is down in the air, my dear, And her feet are up on the ground. Thats why in China so many things ' Are the other way around- For their heads are always down in the air , And their feet are up on the ground. So their books begin at the baek, you know, And read from the top-side down, And the footnotes stand at the top of the page, And new paper is yellowish brown. But t-he brains of folks must be somewhat awry, And their judgement not quite sound, When they walk with their heads straight down in the air, And their feet away up on the ground. But perhaps in China they think of us As soberly walking around With our own heads down in the air, 1ny dear, And our ow11 feet up on the ground. So our books begin to read at the baek, And our top-notes are down at the foot, And our words may be written with twenty strokes, But the writing has never a root. We don't know the rules of politeness, my dear: Our ignorance is profound 5 - i It's because our heads are down in the air, And our feet are up on the ground.