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 . among the hills orwoods, several miles from the city, where the ground affordsthem and their accomplices an opportunity to escape. Theyusually have spies or agents in the city, who give timely warn-ing of any attempt to arrest its managers on the part of man-darins, should such attempt be made. In the vicinity of the 288 MISCELLANEOUS OPINIONS AND PRACTICES. rendezvous, and at stations along the road en route from
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 . among the hills orwoods, several miles from the city, where the ground affordsthem and their accomplices an opportunity to escape. Theyusually have spies or agents in the city, who give timely warn-ing of any attempt to arrest its managers on the part of man-darins, should such attempt be made. In the vicinity of the 288 MISCELLANEOUS OPINIONS AND PRACTICES. rendezvous, and at stations along the road en route from thecity to it, there are men on the look-out, who carry early in-telligence to the gamblers of any suspicious-looking party whoseem to be approaching the rendezvous, so that they maydisperse if they apprehend real danger. Farces. The Chinese are very fond of farces. Theatrical playersgenerally perform them in temples or in private houses, andthey really are a part of the popular theatrical plays. A fewonly will be referred to as illustrations of the whole. A popular farce is that of a Buddhist priest leading a blindman to see the show of lanterns. This feast, or show of lan-. JiUDDillST rKiESi A liLINK MAN To SEE TUE bU0V7 OF LANTEIiNS terns, reaches its climax on the fifteenth of the first Chinesemonth. The thing which seems to be amusing is the mainidea of the farce. The priest has professedly abjured theworld, with all of its amusements and its diversions, and there-fore ought not to be fond of seeing such joyful spectacles asthe show of lanterns, and the blind man is wholly incapableof beholding the lanterns. As painted sometimes, the priestappears to be hurrying on as fast as possible his blind com-panion whom he is leading, each with joyful and animatedcountenances as they approach the spectacle. Another farce represents a tinker engaged in mending acracked water-jar for a pretty woman. While working at histask and chatting away with the woman, he manages to bre
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookidsociallifeof, bookyear1865
