YUEN-SHUH, A LITTLE STUDENT.
"But the worst part has now to come. As soon as the poor little fellow can learn anything, he is taught to worship 'Mother' and other idols, before which he has to bow down, and raise up his little hands, whilst candles and incense are burnt in their honour. So it is no wonder that as he grows older he learns his lesson thoroughly. At sixteen children are supposed to leave childhood behind them, and there is a ceremony for this."
"Do Chinese girls learn lessons? or is it only the boys?"
"In some parts of China there are, I believe, a few schools for young ladies, and instruction is given to them by tutors at home; but although two or three Chinese ladies have been celebrated for great literary attainments, these are quite the exceptions, and there are only a very few schools for any girls in China, except the mission schools. Those for boys abound all over the country."
"Did you ever go into a boy's school, father?"
"Yes, into several, where I saw many a little intelligent-looking boy working very hard at his lessons. One little boy, named Yuen-Shuh, told me that he meant to get all the literary honours that he could. Chinese boys are not allowed to talk at all in school-hours. Each boy has a desk at which to sit, which is so arranged that he cannot speak to the boy next to him. Little Yuen-Shuh had been to school since he was six years old.
"Another boy was saying a lesson when I went in, and therefore standing with his back to his teacher. Boys always say their lessons like this, and it is called 'backing the book.' The teacher, as they repeat their lessons, puts down their marks. When learning their lessons they repeat them aloud. There are higher schools into which older boys pass, and the great aim of the Chinese is to take literary honours, as nothing else can give them a position of high rank; but even a peasant taking these honours would rank as a gentleman."
"Will you take me to see a school in China?" Leonard then asked.
