When I was a boy in China

by Yan Phou Lee

Yet he was truly good and kind.

Though the times when I required punishment were comparatively rare, I remember a constant sense of dread lest I should do something out of the way of a well-bred Chinese lad. The bamboo rod hung over my head like the sword of Damocles. My mother (who is still living) saved me from its blows many a time by giving me timely warning or by keeping my misdemeanors from my father’s knowledge. But she was not so foolishly indulgent as to spare me when I truly deserved punishment.

Our immediate family consisted of my parents, a brother four years older than I, one two years younger, and myself. I had two sisters who had died before my birth; by the course of nature, let me add, for the horrible practice of female infanticide was in our part of the empire only heard of in stories, and not without a shudder.

I have previously said we occupied a part of my grandfather’s house. The building had only one floor. The accompanying plan describes it:

PLAN OF A CHINESE HOUSE.

“A” stands for those spaces over which the roof was open to the sky, and which corresponded to the compluvium in the dwellings of the Romans. There were five of them in our house. Through them came air, wind and rain. You may easily conjecture that such openings in Chinese houses must be favorite entrances and exits for burglars and thieves. At night there seems to be no protection against such gentry except the wakefulness and bravery of watchmen, who, by striking the hour of night on a piece of bamboo in going the rounds, only warn the burglars to keep out of sight while they are near. The Chinese watchman serves the double purpose of a patrolman and a perambulating clock; and although clocks are in common use, my countrymen have not yet employed bells to toll the hour for the whole city.

If you examine the plan, you will see that there is only one regular entrance to the house. Having passed the door, you will be in the vestibule which opens on the large compluvium by three pairs of doors, all of which are thrown ajar on grand occasions; but ordinarily only a side pair are left open. Having passed them and descended by one step into the compluvium, you have a full view of the audience hall which is decorated and used on great occasions, as New Year’s days, weddings, funerals, birthday celebrations, or for extraordinary events, as the reception of distinguished guests, etc. On either hand are the two wings, library, and men’s living rooms. The only passage to the women’s apartments is through this audience hall. On that side also are three pairs of doors, two of which are usually closed, only the pair on the extreme right being in daily use. A screen stands before this entrance; for the worst thing that can happen is to have male visitors look into the women’s apartments and see the female members of the family. My grandmother occupied the chamber back of the ladies’ parlor, for that is usually considered the best room on account of its central location. The left wing back was occupied by an uncle and his family. Behind this section of the house was the kitchen and the chambers for servants and daughters of the house. The garden had a well, from which the women drew water. I trust I impress upon you that the house was divided into two portions; the front belonging to the men and the rear to the women. My grandfather’s rule was that no lady of the family should pass the boundary line except on “occasions.”

I make no mention of cellars because there were none. The house-walls were of slate-colored brick, the roof of tiles laid over slats and beams increasing in height from the vestibule to the garden. The rooms were lofty and airy, and but for storms and the winter’s wind would have been comfortable.

As I have before said, the house was plainly furnished. The audience hall was the festival room. A long table in the centre, with interesting vases and curios, stood behind a square one of mahogany. They were flanked by two rows of chairs of the same material, with tea-poys between that served to hold the tea-cups of guests. A couple of easy folding-chairs lined with leather, stood in front. On the walls were water-color paintings and scrolls.