Social life of the Chinese : with some account of their religious, governmental, educational and business customs and opinions, with special but not exclusive reference to Fuhchau . e god consulted or his represent-ative emblem. On this table, besides the candles and incense,are arranged fresh flowers, and tea or mock-money is also pro-vided. In front of this table, and farther from the idol, isplaced another table, having upon it a wooden platter aboutthree or four feet long by two wide, and several inches deep;the platter is nearly filled with dry sand. After the incenseand candles have been
Social life of the Chinese : with some account of their religious, governmental, educational and business customs and opinions, with special but not exclusive reference to Fuhchau . e god consulted or his represent-ative emblem. On this table, besides the candles and incense,are arranged fresh flowers, and tea or mock-money is also pro-vided. In front of this table, and farther from the idol, isplaced another table, having upon it a wooden platter aboutthree or four feet long by two wide, and several inches deep;the platter is nearly filled with dry sand. After the incenseand candles have been lighted, the supplicant kneels down andmentions his desires, with the usual ceremonies. Having risenfrom his knees, paper charms are set on fire, and while burn-ing, they are brandished over the pen, the sand, and the twopersons who are to hold the pen, for the purpose of purifyingthem all. These two men, standing with the table which hasthe platter of sand upon it between them, and with theirbacks to the idol, silently and reverently take hold of the drag-like utensil, one at each side, in such a manner that the end ofthe tooth under its front point shall rest in the WUTITC WITH A FOEKED PEN AN ORACLE ON SAND. 114 SINGULAR AND POPULAR SUPERSTITIONS. A peculiar kind of charm is now lighted and placed in thecenser standing on the table before the image for the pur-pose of purification. Another is burnt in some place near by,open or exposed to the direct light of the heavens. This isdesigned to cause the god to descend, enter the pen, and de-liver its oracle in writing. If he does not soon indicate hispresence, another charm is burnt. His presence is manifestedby a slow movement of the point of the pen, tracing charac-ters in the sand. After writing a line or two on the sand, thepen ceases to move, and the characters are transferred to pa-per. After this, if the response is unfinished, another line iswritten, and so on until the pen entirely ceases its motion,which signif
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookidsociallifeof, bookyear1865
