Since first thy beauty met my eyes,
Light of my soul, my Ho-ang Ho.
“Oh! when I clasp thee to my breast,
Chang-fee, to whom the nations bow,
Shall not be half so truly bless’d
As Fa-fe-Fum and Ho-ang Ho!”
The birth of a son is an occasion of great rejoicing; the family, or surname, is first given, and then the “milk name,” which is generally some diminutive endearment. A month after the event, the relatives and friends jointly send the child a silver plate, on which are engraven, “Long life, honors, and felicity.” The boys are trained in behavior and ceremonies from their earliest childhood; and at four or five they commence reading. The importance of general education was felt so long since in China, that a work, written before the Christian era, speaks of the ancient system of instruction, which required that every town and village, down to only a few families, should have a common school. The wealthy Chinese employ private teachers, and others send their sons to day-schools, which are so well attended that the fees paid by each boy are extremely small. In large towns evening schools are held, that those who are compelled to labor through the day may not be without the advantages of education.
A Chinese school is a great curiosity to an American. They all study aloud, and it appears to cause no confusion with either teachers or scholars, though it would in a Yankee school. But their appearance is the greatest curiosity. Such a set of bald heads with young bodies, their only hair a braided queue hanging down the back—such young faces in the dress of old men, in frocks, leggins, and large shoes, with boys’ motions and actions, and the medley of voices—such a variety of grotesque sounds and tones, is a very novel sight, and would make a laughable picture; but it would be necessary to produce the sounds to give a correct idea of a Chinese school.
Of all the objects of the care of the Chinese, there are none to which they so religiously attend as the tombs of their ancestors, for they believe that any neglect is sure to be followed by worldly misfortune. It is here that they manifest a religious zeal which is hardly shown toward their gods. Their ceremonies connected with the treatment of the dead are of a striking character. Aside from the burial service, of which we have already spoken, there are others commanded by their ritual to be performed. The original and strict period of mourning is for a parent three years, but this is commonly reduced in practice to twenty-seven months. Full three years must elapse from the death of a parent before a child can marry.
A pleasing anecdote in relation to filial piety is related of a youth named Ouang-Ouci-Yuen. Having lost his mother, who was all that was dear to him, he passed the three years of mourning in a hut, employing himself in his retirement composing verses in honor of his parent. These are quoted by the Chinese as models of sentiment and tenderness. The period of his mourning having elapsed, he returned to his former residence, but did not forget his filial affection. His mother had always expressed great fears of thunder, and, when it was stormy, would request her son not to leave her. Therefore, as soon as he heard a storm coming on, he would hasten to his mother’s grave, saying softly to her, “I am here, mother.”