《中國人的性格》第二章　節(jié)儉問題

《中國人的性格》是美國傳教士阿瑟·史密斯（明恩溥）基于1872年赴華傳教期間的社會(huì)觀察撰寫的著作，首版英文名《Chinese Characteristics》于19世紀(jì)末問世，。作者在華生活逾五十年，書中融合人類學(xué)視角與傳教士立場(chǎng)，記錄了晚清民眾的性格特征與文化形態(tài)。

全書以27個(gè)主題章節(jié)剖析中國人行為模式，包含“保全面子”“省吃儉用”等生活哲學(xué)，以及“漠視精確”“因循守舊”等社會(huì)現(xiàn)象。通過對(duì)比西方工業(yè)文明，著重探討東方特有的生存韌性，如環(huán)境適應(yīng)力與疼痛耐受性。書中案例多源自山東鄉(xiāng)村生活經(jīng)歷，涉及衣食住行、孝悌觀念等主題，部分結(jié)論因宗教立場(chǎng)存在視角爭(zhēng)議。該著作開創(chuàng)西方研究中國國民性先河，被譯成多國文字，成為近代中西文化互鑒的重要文本。

第二章　節(jié)儉問題

“節(jié)儉”這個(gè)詞表示持家的原則，特別是指保持家庭的收支平衡。遵照我們的理解，“節(jié)儉”這一詞，至少包括三個(gè)不同方面的含義：一是節(jié)制花銷，二是制止浪費(fèi)，三是盡可能用少花錢多辦事的方式調(diào)節(jié)收支平衡。無論這三個(gè)方面的哪一方面，中國人都算得上是杰出的節(jié)儉高手。

很多到過中國旅行的人，最初的印象之一，是當(dāng)?shù)孛癖姷娘嬍诚喈?dāng)簡(jiǎn)單。如此之多的人口，幾乎全依賴于品種很少的食物，如稻米、各種豆子、谷物、蔬菜和魚。以上諸種，再加上一點(diǎn)其他的食物，就是這億萬人主要的食品。只有在逢年過節(jié)，或者遇到特別的事情，才能增加一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)肉。

如今在西方各國，政府正在想方設(shè)法為生活非常貧困的人提供廉價(jià)且富有營養(yǎng)的食品，那么，有人一定也很想知道這樣一個(gè)不爭(zhēng)的事實(shí)。那就是，在中國最平常的年份里，每個(gè)成年人每天花不到兩美分，就完全能夠得到足夠量的生活食品。在災(zāi)荒的年份里，成千上萬的人更是靠每天不到半美分的生活費(fèi)來維持生命。這意味著中國人做菜做飯的水平是很高的。雖然在外國人看來，中國人的食物很少且不精，有些還淡而無味，甚至倒胃口。但又必須承認(rèn)，中國人做飯菜方面是超一流的烹飪大師。

在美食方面，溫格羅夫·庫克認(rèn)為，中國人應(yīng)該列于法國人之下，但在英國人（也許還包括美國人）之上。中國人的烹調(diào)水準(zhǔn)是否應(yīng)該排在哪一個(gè)國家之下，我們不敢說得像庫克先生那樣確定。但他們的水準(zhǔn)一定在某些國家之上，這顯然是無可置疑的。在以前的一些小文章里，我已經(jīng)說過，即使以一個(gè)生理學(xué)家的眼光來看，中國人對(duì)主要食材的選擇也算得上是很高明的。中國人的食物原料簡(jiǎn)單，烹飪出來的菜肴卻是花樣繁多，其烹飪技術(shù)之完美，這點(diǎn)，即使是對(duì)中國烹飪技術(shù)一無所知的人也會(huì)有所耳聞。

一直以來，還有一件事情沒引起我們注意卻是很有意思，它很容易被你去證實(shí)：中國人在做飯菜時(shí)很少浪費(fèi)，所有的食材都盡可能做到物盡其用。在尋常的中國人家，每頓飯后的剩余飯菜非常少，食物的價(jià)值很少被浪費(fèi)。即使有剩下的，都留待下次再用。想要佐證這一事實(shí)，只需看一看中國人養(yǎng)的狗和貓的身體狀況。這些家養(yǎng)動(dòng)物，靠著人們的剩菜剩飯艱難地“活命”，總是掙扎在“死亡線”上。

在新興的列強(qiáng)之國中，人們習(xí)慣于鋪張浪費(fèi)已是眾所周知的事實(shí)。我們毫不懷疑，諸如美國這樣生活優(yōu)裕的國家，每天所浪費(fèi)的食物，有可能足夠亞洲六千萬人過上相對(duì)寬松一點(diǎn)的生活。我們確實(shí)期待著能看到這些剩余的食物能使更多的人胖一些起來，正如許多中國人“酒足飯飽”之后仍把剩余的飯菜整理出來讓仆人和孩子享用。甚至在喝完茶后，他們把杯中的剩茶也要倒回茶壺，以備下次熱過后再喝！

還有一個(gè)無論在何時(shí)何處都會(huì)引起我們關(guān)注的事實(shí)是，中國人對(duì)食材并不挑剔，而且并不像西方人那樣過分地講究。天地萬物什么東西都遲早能成為他們的網(wǎng)羅中的“魚”，不能入口的東西寥寥無幾。在中國的北方地區(qū)，人們普遍驅(qū)使馬、牛、騾子和驢子干活。在很大一片地區(qū)，還使用駱駝。但我們下面所列舉出的事實(shí)，抖落出來會(huì)讓我們一些讀者看來，中國人顯然是太過于節(jié)儉了：通常，所有的這些牲口只要一死，無論它們是老死、病死，還是意外之死，都會(huì)被很快地吃掉。在中國人看來，只要牲口死了，就得把它吃掉，此舉乃是天經(jīng)地義，并不會(huì)引起非議。若是這些牲畜偶爾死于像胸膜炎肺炎一類惡性的傳染病，大家也依然是這樣做。自然，在他們看來，這類病畜肉并不如自然死亡的牲畜的肉，因此其出售的價(jià)格也較便宜。可最終，這些肉還都被賣光了，也都被人吃盡了。人們也都明白，這類病畜肉進(jìn)入人的體內(nèi)可能會(huì)對(duì)身體產(chǎn)生不好影響，但還是樂意少花錢冒險(xiǎn)去吃這種肉。無非是貪圖便宜罷了。

當(dāng)然，應(yīng)該說，真正吃出問題來的倒是不常見的。何止死馬、死騾、死驢，連死狗、死貓也一樣被吃了，并消化掉。我曾不止一次地親身經(jīng)歷過，因?yàn)椴豢捌鋽_，村民們故意用毒藥把狗毒殺，然后煮了吃掉。其中有幾個(gè)小心謹(jǐn)慎的人，提議去問問洋大夫吃了這種肉可能會(huì)有什么樣的壞處。但狗“已經(jīng)下鍋了”，這幾個(gè)人都曾吃過這種肉而沒得病，他們這次也不可能眼睜睜放棄這頓到嘴的美餐。結(jié)果，在此次大快朵頤之后，他們居然仍是平安無恙！

另一個(gè)與做飯有關(guān)的事例，也很能證明中國人的勤儉節(jié)約，這就是，他們?cè)谂腼儠r(shí)充分考慮到高效利用柴火。在中國，燃料是非常缺乏而非常寶貴的，一般而言，燃料有樹葉和莊稼的根莖。這種燃料的燃燒速度飛快，一把火就燒沒了。為了讓食物能熟得快，所有的鍋底要做得盡可能薄，使用起來更要特別小心。在此，順便說一下收集這些燃料的過程，這從另一個(gè)側(cè)面可以表現(xiàn)出中國人的節(jié)儉已經(jīng)到達(dá)了極點(diǎn)。在中國的每個(gè)小孩，即使他無力干其他的重活，但至少還能去拾柴火。到了秋冬時(shí)節(jié)，漫山遍野是拾柴火的大軍，蔚為壯觀。只見他們手持竹耙掃蕩田野，連一根干草也不會(huì)留下。孩子們都被派到樹林里去，把枝頭尚未凋零的秋葉打落下來，就仿佛他們收成熟的栗子一樣。至于田野中的稻草，甚至秋風(fēng)還沒有將它們吹起，就早已被那些勤勞的人們“抓捕”起來了。

所有的中國家庭主婦們都擅長(zhǎng)于最大限度地使用她手中的布料。她的衣服并不像西方國家同齡女性所穿的那樣，在裝飾和款式上過于浪費(fèi)，而是盡可能地省時(shí)、省工和省料。在外國人看來是一片小得不能再小的布料，在中國婦女手里同樣能派上用場(chǎng)。利用起來雖然說不上美觀，但真的是實(shí)用。這是議會(huì)中所有“家政研究”的女作家們做夢(mèng)也想不到的。在一處不能用的布料，在另一處肯定能用上。即使是那些零碎的布頭，還可以用來納成鞋底。一個(gè)倫敦和紐約的慈善家，會(huì)把自己不再穿的衣服送人。他內(nèi)心真切地希望接受者不要因?yàn)榭烤葷?jì)過活，而感到恥辱，否則，他們只會(huì)受到傷害。但是，不管是誰把同樣的物品送給中國人，盡管他們服飾的布料和穿著風(fēng)格與我們根本不同。但我們可以充分相信，這些衣服都會(huì)得到充分的利用，一點(diǎn)兒也不會(huì)被浪費(fèi)，甚至能與其他布料巧妙地配合在一起。

中國人經(jīng)常會(huì)給朋友送一些題詞的條幅。題完詞的紙被簡(jiǎn)單地縫在一塊絹帛上。用線縫而不用糨糊粘貼，為的是讓受贈(zèng)者好另有用場(chǎng)。如果他愿意的話，可以很方便地用來更換絹帛上的字。這樣一來，他就會(huì)擁有一塊可長(zhǎng)期使用的絹帛！

中國人的節(jié)儉也表現(xiàn)在小商販的買賣中。再小的細(xì)節(jié)，都會(huì)引起他們的注意。比如說，一個(gè)雜貨鋪的商人能準(zhǔn)確地報(bào)出各種火柴盒中火柴的根數(shù)。他也精確地知道每盒火柴能賺到多少利潤(rùn)。

中國人的舊賬簿用完后，每一張紙都能派上用場(chǎng)，或者是糊窗子，或者用來糊燈籠。

中國人的節(jié)儉甚至達(dá)到了這種地步，就連確實(shí)必要的食品也盡量節(jié)儉。他們會(huì)為了省錢而忍饑挨餓，而且認(rèn)為這是理所當(dāng)然。B.亨利博士在他的《十字架和龍》一書中記錄下了一個(gè)很好的例子：三個(gè)轎夫抬著他走了五個(gè)小時(shí)、二十三英里的路送他到目的地。然后，轎夫們又回廣州，去吃別人施舍的免費(fèi)的早餐。在吃早餐之前，他們走了四十六英里的路，其中一半還是擔(dān)轎子負(fù)重而行的，只是為了節(jié)省五美分！

還有另一個(gè)例子。兩個(gè)轎夫抬著轎子走了三十五英里路，然后撐著船回去。自早上六點(diǎn)鐘起，他們什么東西也沒吃過，卻舍不得花上三美分買兩大碗米飯吃。后來，那只船擱淺了，直到次日下午兩點(diǎn)才到達(dá)廣州。而這些人已經(jīng)是二十七小時(shí)粒米未進(jìn)了，還抬著一個(gè)人走了三十五英里的路。這時(shí)，他們竟然還提出抬著亨利博士前去廣州，繼續(xù)走十五英里，還要帶上他的行李！

對(duì)西方人來說，中國人如此節(jié)儉的活法，確實(shí)很難令他們贊同。這些做法完全是出于純樸的天性，但是我們不能完全表示贊賞。在這個(gè)國家的大部分地區(qū)，一年的好幾個(gè)月里，特別是北方地區(qū)（說起來很怪），男孩和女孩就像是穿著“伊甸園的服飾”，完全光著身子到處亂跑。或許，在他們看來，這樣不穿衣服讓孩子們更舒服一些，但其實(shí)，目的還是為了節(jié)儉衣服。中國人所使用的獨(dú)輪車，有相當(dāng)大部分推動(dòng)起來，發(fā)出咯吱咯吱的聲音。而只要加上幾滴油，車子的響聲就會(huì)消失殆盡。這種響聲從來不會(huì)停止，因?yàn)閷?duì)那些“渾渾噩噩”的人來說，咯吱咯吱的響聲要比幾滴油更便宜。

如果是一位日本僑民在租屋子，他會(huì)在合同里特別要求每天必須得有幾加侖的熱水，以方便他按照老習(xí)慣洗澡。中國人也有澡堂，但絕大多數(shù)人根本就沒去洗過。甚至，很多人連見都沒見過。一位外國婦人看見一位中國母親用掃帚拍去她孩子身上的灰塵，就好奇地問她：“你每天都給你的孩子洗澡嗎？”“天天洗澡？”這位中國母親不甚愉快地回答道，“打他生下來，就還沒洗過澡。”肥皂的零售商們喜歡把“像泥土一樣便宜”的字樣貼在櫥窗上，即使如此，也不會(huì)吸引一般中國人的興趣。

中國人一定把外國人都看做是“浪費(fèi)肥皂的人”，這正如意大利人對(duì)英國人的評(píng)價(jià)一樣。在中國，人們洗衣服時(shí)所用的肥皂，當(dāng)然是少得不能再少了。他們所洗過的衣服，與我們所說的清潔標(biāo)準(zhǔn)相比，顯然還有一定距離。我們不能把他們這么做的原因完全歸于為了節(jié)儉。因?yàn)樵S多中國人與我們一樣，盡管生活條件非常簡(jiǎn)陋，但依然喜愛干凈，其中有些人雖身處貧寒，但還整潔得值得我們?nèi)バХ隆?/p>

正是由于節(jié)儉的本性使然，在中國，要買任何現(xiàn)成的工具一般是不可能的。你可買到一些部分的“半成品”，然后自己動(dòng)手加工組裝。一般而言，自己動(dòng)手總比買加工現(xiàn)成的便宜，正因?yàn)樗械娜硕际沁@么想的，結(jié)果完全的成品當(dāng)然也就不出售了。

我們?cè)?jīng)談?wù)撨^許多中國人在物質(zhì)上節(jié)儉的方式，比方說，在普通人家的房子里，兩個(gè)房間的隔墻上會(huì)開一個(gè)洞。在洞中擺上一盞幾乎是不用花錢的小油燈，用以驅(qū)散兩個(gè)房間的黑暗。最具有典型性的節(jié)儉典范，可以在中國的諸如紡織、制陶、冶煉、工藝制作一類的小作坊里看到。在我們看來，這類作坊與其說表現(xiàn)出高明的手藝，不如說是表現(xiàn)中國人在節(jié)儉方面的某些才能。

就這些工作而言，中國人原本可以設(shè)計(jì)出更好的工藝方式，但是我們卻看到他們沒有人去改善一丁點(diǎn)。我們可以提供更好的方法，但卻提供不了任何一種如中國人這般用料少、成效高的辦法。他們似乎能夠勝任任何一種工作，他們的產(chǎn)品，無論簡(jiǎn)單或是復(fù)雜，大多數(shù)都有這樣的性質(zhì)。比如，他們的煉鐵爐就建在一個(gè)小院子里，總共就是那么一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)大，像是建一個(gè)大爐灶，一個(gè)小時(shí)就能用磚砌好，卻能長(zhǎng)期地用下去，很好使，成本幾乎為零。

在中國，即使在完成重大事務(wù)工作上，也會(huì)以節(jié)儉優(yōu)先。表現(xiàn)中國人節(jié)儉的最好、最典型的事例，莫過于對(duì)大量貢糧進(jìn)京的管理。這個(gè)過程井井有條，也可以說是完全缺乏管理。在中國，每年有大量的貢糧被運(yùn)到北京，這些貢品從南方運(yùn)抵天津，再從天津起運(yùn)至通州卸貨。堆積如山的稻谷要卸貨、稱量和運(yùn)輸，需要各種器械。然而，讓西方國家的那些“谷物交易商們”注定大吃一驚的是，在這里，完成這些工作的，只是靠一大幫的苦力，一些計(jì)量谷物的斗和數(shù)量不定的葦席，僅此而已。席子鋪在地上，然后倒出谷物，稱量，裝袋，運(yùn)走，最后收起席子。那壯觀的谷物交易所，最終所剩下的僅僅只是光禿禿的泥岸！

在美洲的煙草種植園里，最大的一項(xiàng)開支就是建一個(gè)又長(zhǎng)又精致的棚子，用來晾煙葉。而在中國農(nóng)村，種植煙草的人這樁花費(fèi)根本不貴。晾煙葉的棚子是用茅草搭蓋的，用過后，這些茅草與其他草一樣，又是很好的燃料。煙葉被摘下時(shí)，粗硬的葉柄依然留著，再用草繩扎住葉柄，這樣煙葉都連在草繩上，然后在夜里再把它們掛起來，就像衣服晾曬在繩子上一樣。這樣做，簡(jiǎn)直太容易而有效不過了！

每一個(gè)在中國居住過的人都能夠通過細(xì)心觀察，再補(bǔ)充一些有關(guān)中國社會(huì)生活的事例。但是，或許沒有比以下這個(gè)故事更為典型的事例了：這個(gè)故事是說一位中國老婦人，人們見她步履蹣跚地挪著步子，痛苦萬分狀，上前一打聽才知道，她是去親戚家，為的是死的時(shí)候能離祖墳更近些，這樣一來，就能節(jié)省一點(diǎn)抬棺材的費(fèi)用了！

英文原版

CHAPTER II. ECONOMY.

THEword "economy" signifies the rule by which the houseshould be ordered, especially with reference to the relation between expendittu"e and income. Economy, as weunderstand the term, may be displayed in three several waysby limiting the number of wants, by preventing waste, and bythe adjustment of forces in such a manner as to make a littlerepresent a great deal. In each of these ways the Chineseare pre-em.inenLly economical.

One of the first things which impress the traveller in Chinais the extremely simple diet of the people. The vast bulk ofthe population seems to depend upon a few articles, such asrice, beans in various preparations, millet, garden vegetables,and fish. These, with a few other things, form the staple ofcountless millions, supplemented it may be on the feast-days,or other special occasions, with a bit of meat.

Now that so much attention is given in Western lands tothe contrivance of ways in which to furnish nourishing foodto the very poor, at a minimum cost, it is not without interestto learn the undoubted fact that, in ordinary years, it is inChina quite possible to furnish wholesome food in abundantquantity at a cost for each adult of not more than two cents aday. Even in famine times, thousands of persons have beenkept alive for months on an allowance of not more than acent and a half a day. This implies the general existence in China of a high degree of skill in the preparation of food.Poor and coarse as their food often is, insipid and even repulsive as it not infrequently seems to the foreigner, it is impossible not to recognise the fact that, in the cooking andserving of what they have, the Chinese are past-masters of theculinary art. In this particular, Mr. Wingrove Cooke rankedthem below the French, and above the English (and he mighthave added the Americans). Whether they are really belowany one of these nationalities we are by no means so certainas Mr. Cooke may have been, but their superiority to someof them is beyond dispute. In the few simple articles whichwe have mentioned, it is evident that even from the point ofview of the scientific physiologist, the Chinese have made awise choice of their staple foods. The thoroughness of theirmode of preparing food, and the great variety in which thesefew constituents are constantly presented, are known to allwho have paid the least attention to Chinese cookery.

Another fact of extreme significance does not force itselfupon our notice, but can easily be verified. There is verylittle waste in the preparation of Chinese food, and everythingis made to do as much duty as possible. What there is leftafter an ordinary Chinese family have finished one of theirmeals would represent but a fraction of the net cost of thefood. In illustration of this general fact, it is only necessaryto glance at the physical condition of the Chinese dog or cat.On the leavings of human beings it is the unhappy functionof these animals to " live," and their lives are uniformly protracted at "a poor dying rate." The populations of newcountries are proverbially wasteful, and we have not the leastdoubt that it would be possible to support sixty millions ofAsiatics in comparative luxury with the materials daily wastedin a land like the United States, where a living is easily tobe had. But we should like to see how many human beingscould be fattened from what there is left after as many Chinese have " eaten to repletion," and the servants or children haveall had their turn at the remains! Even the tea left in thecups is poured back into the teapot to be heated again.

It is a fact which cannot fail to force itself upon our notice .at every turn, that the Chinese are not as a race gifted with that extreme fastidiousness in regard to food which is fre-jquently developed in Western lands. All is fish that comes totheir net, and there is very little which does not come therefirst or last. In the northern parts of China the horse, themule, the ox, and the donkey are in universal use, and in largedistricts the camel is made to do full duty. Doubtless it willappear to some of our readers that economy is carried too far,when we mention that it is the general practice to eat all ofthese animals as soon as they expire, no matter whether thecause of death be an accident, old age, or disease. This isdone as a matter of course, and occasions no remark whatever,nor is the habit given up because the animal may chance tohave died of some epidemic malady, such as the pleuro-pneumonia in cattle. Such meat is not considered so wholesomeas that of animals which have died of other diseases, and thistruth is recognised in the lower scale of prices asked for it,but it is all sold, and is all eaten. Certain disturbances ofthe human organisations into which such diseased meat hasentered are well recognised by the people, but it is doubtlessconsidered more economical to eat the meat at the reducedrates, and run the risk of the consequences, which, it shouldbe said, are by no means constant. Dead dogs and cats aresubject to the same processes of absorption as dead horses,mules, and donkeys. We have been personally cognisant ofseveral cases in which villagers cooked and ate dogs whichhad been purposely poisoned by strychnine to get rid ofthem. On one of these occasions some one was thoughtfulenough to consult a foreign physician as to the probable results, but as the animal was " already in the pot," the survivors could not make up their minds to forego the luxury of a feast,and no harm appeared to come of their indulgence!

Another example of Chinese economy in relation to thepreparation of food is found in the nice adjustment of thematerial of the cooking-kettles to the exigencies of the requisite fuel. The latter is scarce and dear, and consists generallyof nothing but the leaves, stalks, and roots of the crops, making a rapid blaze which quickly disappears. To meet thedeeds of the case the bottoms of the boilers are made as thinas possible, and require very careful handhng. The wholebusiness of collecting this indispensable fuel is an additionalexample of economy in an extreme form. Every smallestchild, who can do nothing else, can at least gather fuel. Thevast army of fuel-gatherers, which in the autumn and winteroverspread all the land, leave not a weed behind the hungryteeth of their bamboo rakes. Boys are sent into the trees tobeat off with clubs the autumnal leaves, as if they were chestnuts, and even straws are scarcely allowed leisure to showwhich way the wind blows, before some enterprising collectorhas " seized " them.

Every Chinese housewife knows how to make the most ofher materials. Her dress is not in its pattern or its construction wasteful like those of her sisters in Occidental countries,but all is planned to save time, strength, and material. Thetiniest scrap of foreign stuff is always welcome to a Chinesewoman, who will make it reappear in forms of utility if not ofbeauty, of which a whole parliament of authoresses of " Domestic Economies" would never have dreamed. What cannot be employed in one place is sure to be just the thingfor another, and a mere trifle of bias stuff is sufficient for thebinding of a shoe. The benevolent person in London or NewYork who gives away the clothing for which he has no furtheruse entertains a wild hope that it may not be the means ofmaking the recipients paupers, and so do more harm than good. But whoever bestows similar articles upon the Chinese,though the stuifs which they use and the style of wear are soradically different from oiu"s, has a well-grounded confidencethat the usefulness of those particular articles has now at lastbegun, and will not be exhausted till there is nothing left ofthem for a base with which other materials can unite.

The Chinese often present their friends with complimentaryinscriptions written on paper loosely basted upon a silk background. Basting is adopted instead of pasting, in order thatthe recipient may, if he chooses, eventually remove the inscription, when he will have a very serviceable piece of silk

Chinese economy is exhibited in the transactions of retailmerchants, to whom nothing is too small for attention. Adealer in odds and ends, for example, is able to give the precise number of matches in a box of each of the different kinds,and he knows to a fraction the profit on each box.

Every scrap of a Chinese account-book is liable to beutilised in pasting up windows, or in the covering of paperlanterns.

The Chinese constantly carry their economy to the point ofdepriving themselves of food of which they are really in need.They see nothing irrational in this, but do it as a matter ofcourse. A good example is given in Dr. B. C, Henry's " TheCross and the Dragon." He was carried by three coolies forfive hours a distance of twenty-three miles, his bearers thenreturning to Canton to get the breakfast which was furnishedthem. Forty-six miles before breakfast, with a heavy loadhalf the way, to save five cents!

In another case two chair coohes had gone with a chairthirty-five miles, and were returning by boat, having had nothing to eat since 6 a.m., rather than pay three cents for two}arge bowls of rice. The boat ran aground, and did not reachCanton till 2 p.m. next day. Yet these men, having gonetwenty-seven hours without food, carrying a load thirty-five

mfles, offered to take Dr. Henry fifteen miles more to Canton,and but for his baggage would have done so

Many of the fruits of Chinese economy are not at all pleasing to the ^Vestemers, but we cannot help admitting thegenuine nature of the claim which may be built on them. Inparts of the Empire, especially (strange to say) in the north,the children of both sexes roam around in the costume of theGarden of Eden, for many months of the year. This comesto be considered more comfortable for them, but the primarymotive is economy. The stridulous squeak of the vast armyof Chinese wheelbarrows is due to the absence of the fewdrops of oil which might stop it, but which never do stop it,because to those who are gifted with " an absence of nerves "the squeak is cheaper than the oil.

If a Japanese emigrates, it is specified in his contract thathe is to be furnished daily with so many gallons of hot water,in which he may, according to custom, parboil himself. TheChinese have their bathing-houses too, but the greater part ofthe Chinese people never go near them, nor indeed ever sawone. " Do you wash your child every day ? " said an inquisitive foreign lady to a Chinese mother, who w:.,s &een throwingshovelfuls of dust over her progeny, and then wiping it offwith an old broom. " Wash him every day ! " was the indignant response; "he was never washed since he was born! "To the Chinese generally, the motto could never be madeeven intelligible which was put in his window by a dealer insoap, " Cheaper than dirt."

The Chinese doubtless regard the average foreigner as itis said the Italians do the English, whom they term "soapwasters." Washing of clothes in China by and for the Chinese there certainly is, but it is on a very subdued scale, andin comparison with what we call cleanliness it might almostbe left out of account. Economy of material has much to dowith this, as we cannot help thinking, tor many Chinese appredate clean things as much as we do, and some of them aremodels of neatness, albeit under heavy disadvantages.

It is due to the instinct of economy that it is generally impossible to buy any tool ready-made. You get the parts in a"raw" shape, and adjust the handles, etc., yourselves. It isgenerally cheaper to do this for one's self than to have itdone, and as every one takes this view of it, nothing is to behad ready-made.

We have spoken of economical adjustments of material,such as that found in ordinary houses, where a dim light, whichcosts next to nothing, is made to diffuse its darkness over twoapartments by being placed in a hole in the dividing wall.The best examples of such adjustments are to be found inChinese manufactures, such as the weaving of all kinds offabrics, working in pottery, metal, ivory, etc. Industries ofthis sort do not seem to us to exemphfy ingenuity so much asthey illustrate Chinese economy. Many better ways can bedevised of doing Chinese work than the ways which theyadopt, but none which make insignificant materials go furtherthan they do with the Chinese. They seem to be able to doalmost everything by means of almost nothing, and this is acharacteristic generally of their productions, whether simpleor complex. It applies as well to their iron-foundries, on aminute scale of completeness in a small yard, as to a cookingrange of strong and perfect draft, made in an hour out of apile of mud bricks, lasting indefinitely, operating perfectly, andcosting nothing.

No better and more characteristic example of economy ofmaterials in accomphshing great tasks could be found, evenin China, than the arrangements, or rather the entire lack ofarrangements, for the handling of the enormous amount ofgrain which is sent as tribute to Peking. This comes up thePeiho from Tientsin, and is discharged at T'ung-chou. Itwould surprise a " Corn Exchange " merchant to find that all the machinery needed for unloading, measuring, and removingthis mountain of rice and millet is simply an army of coolies,a supply of boxes made like a truiicated cone, which are the" bushel " measures, and an indefinite number of reed mats.Only this and nothing more. The mats are spread on theground, the grain is emptied, remeasured, sacked, and sent off,and the mats being taken up, the Emperor's Com Exchangeis once more a mere mud-bank!

On an American tobacco plantation one of the heaviest expenses is the building of the long and carefully constructedsheds for drying. In Chinese tobacco farms there is for thisobject no expense at all. The sheds are made of thatch, andwhen they are worn out the old material is just as good forfuel as the new. When the tobacco is picked, the stout, stiffstalks are left standing. Straw ropes are stretched along thesestalks, and upon the ropes are hung the tobacco leaves, whichare taken in at night with the ropes attached, like clothes hungto a line. For simplicity and effectiveness this device couldhardly be excelled.

Every observant resident in China would be able to add tothese illustrations of a Chinese social fact, but perhaps nomore characteristic instance could be cited than the case ofan old Chinese woman, who was found hobbling along in apainfully slow way, and on inquiry of whom it was ascertainedthat she was going to the home of a relative, so as to die in aplace convenient to the family graveyard, and thus avoid theexpense of coffin-bearers for so long a distance！