CHINESE AT STUDY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 593, 23 August 1909, Page 4

CHINESE AT STUDY.

ATTRACTIVECLASSI:.,'•7;".? | 'JI ;^iIETOE^ctMeS'OF ; ENGLISH; '..;• IVffTKe'metambripb'osis, that overtaKes v ,'young v ;'/Joh'n..-Chiiia'Tnan''.wlieii he leaves . his. cab-' i;-bagesi v ,'a6ffs'Ji'is^liggy■ working clothes;, ami. 'don's his shiriuig : '"best", to attend the club, llmust^/niak^^olcl^phn^-still. in. the,'. grab;, "stage, /'marvel vha'w?h'eVcould " have-; begotten tiSUclL'a ;: to- our, places ".TvitH^"cleali'v'h"a^ias ; . ; ..and faces,!',', chants the :j!,nglish-'schoolboy,y t inorie for less, voraciously,, but: •the':Ghina'man/ i pays far higher honour "to' goV ; 'to7chu'rcbi,.or'i , ,to »a;' ball,' ifVphysiolugy;, ;would7i< ;allow.:} his v •',' waltziiigj-.''iajidj'.:.. his.; ' schbolyis 'a£-''th&s club. ',-' Adozen .radiant. ;young?C3elestials , ji".qucue-ress.'!..for, v the: ,'niost , part,-; ranged''before.;, a.' Chinese. gentleman;, ;queue-les's, •, and Vbf iriimactilate appearance,' ivhe'n :i a'irep : orter;: visited;;the .English .class; ;ohe! night'last', week,;: were. ■£■ spectacle. iW'hich 'filled the barbarian's' mind 'with admiration., ; Thes youthful : : I '■'. thesei :■ jjupils '■- .pedredHo rangbUn;age. : from;:abp.Ut',twelvo,tb' really -ah attractive .-fellow. His- sleek locks',''; docile.to; parting, his, ...spot: I- less" collar; .neat;;tie,-and. well-cut;.cqat'-i'stand .'hjruiin:goctf.'steaiiso.far:as "clptlic,s;mako the hiarij'' and;he .'raeets;naturally r ahd;'-.ea,sily . the ;h'arder .test ascribes';that .property •to'manriers'.';' Th6:iCHmes.e..custodiaii.:;!of.:the :club,L;Wcpihedi''the;. rep^ter^with,«'perfect courtesy';' the'schoolmaster explained,' ;,with. *irihih'g?aff ability,'V-that": he'was'only; acting 'jn.'.-Mt'-capadityj^ ':Consul," of-' Vvhbse,''staff,he '~was ■ a?.:inember; ;arid:-.the>Bchol^ Vpdr,.. gig'|lea;>,btitAsniiled:. a ,most" intelligent :,'ahdi-'iindly r ./welcome,; and: then' i turne'd' , 'their. 1 ,^e^a&^^l»i#<!plv!- \ '■■ • ; '1 -/j •'., to hear even.the,most intelligent foreigner '.wrestle ■'■mth.thev.heSnnings': of ..English, is '■'&> malSjone bless"the happy,.accident;.which caused -one to;'be J borh '.to.the language.;;!-If the' 2 writer cbjild: pronpuhce andVspell only' as many/ English : words' 'as- young;<John'.-:at.tho : ;Chines6K'club : ;;he>'Would;:give;-up;; trying. to 'learnVEnglish j ;'ari'd'-try■■/counting'"the. vsands •on'■■;the .soasKofe.t l TheJjangu.a'gc,.isMnthict; i/afeana.ha'rUj^ *appa'rehtly..^fire : ihba;n't for'only-Soft, sounds;?: '^r v a : l'Chine'se grapplo -with :'many.. ,^hgiish--^^r3^';is-<lifeo-^tßoklihe:-. , ibecf. :this .:clas3'xbujdl;^rbho'unce''','!thb , 'v'so ;asvto. 'cWey'tKe.^h^ r .sound," arid: ."little" Coffered J,otWos't.?ins^ '•'ippeare(l4".itdff ,:■:« unpractical- y. as : ,'a?-'f bppl<'s r - J -a^ being, ■-' : M>fdiriiliaSrise.: pupils; .with'' .the'.isoiind 'bridi'uses bf ; the/'-twel "d;"'iU consistedbf.'a'-'isc'brd'.-of'. ; the' ''English', Reader—v ' harping';'bn'ythis. .ybwel,\and ;i{s.vV<Kabulary,;.flf' ,about' f ; twenty/AprdsJ. lapart-. mere, "pa'rtidles r of- speech;7contbiried.-'several..which : 'the;.,Gelebtial mind'ljmight.J-not' ..inquire;./to : ■'u'nderstand.'iin'a''Whole life'tiiri'e. :has a,hiare, !?! ., would 'seem' superfluous.. kiio"wlisdge< to ji'iiow'that-.Toni Jha.ss ;a 'hbrse,Varid -;>we : ' do fftiir!' drawing'-with-iet-.' Squares," ; .dra2s]in an implement with '.which. generationsi.OT.colonial'Ghinbsb -'afeTiaycr rlikely:;tb- ; become ; .::acquaintedv^' ; to 'so.'barohead, and barefoot,:' ;is : 'riot'much .botter v tlian. '~ p igebh'''.Enghshr; / ' -';,J;C --' . ;>. The" tea'cher/''wfibiiß , .:ia^s. i -had:']|selso^e,---wilh. long practice,:.fairly, efficient'.' wbrdrcrcakers, 'libard, each .'of the'dozen' pupils 'read;' through ;,these':sblitenccs.)n;t'urnj fepcaiingthis.'-Hhd.'s"; •aridV.li|tle's ,l ,',till- .they'.'borb 'affeasonable, apprpximationxtol vthe''Eri2lish • sound; -The: j diiiat'e.patience.on the part- of.iboth'tbablier •and: scholars;'but- the not patient..; Although if was evening,'; and the lesson followed a. day!s work shop or-.laundry,-'the iooys gave b.siniling, attend 'tipn'to their wprk,','.laugh'ing good-huriipuredly ■ at'-' each • .specially: amusing <sfip, / accepting | .praise- with pleasure'and failure with -an iin.'(l iscoura'gfed'""spirit.' '■'■ The. reading l ..firii'shed/ each 'boy; was required to spell aloud -'"'about. I twenty of thrbe,letters,^thou j "or ioiir, Jfiri'allylbf five'.'; The samewbrds ,'wero put to evbry t boy.."in.- turn', and; this 'was ajsb: a, protractedi;''-.tßdidiia,'.busitiess.ri-ThV.'boys;.. however;; remained "cheerful and{;'•,attentive, , and thb^mis'takeS'.rad'triumphsVof-the twelfth iad>caused. as 'much' interest as those,"of:the! first: ■ To hiiri:thb 'teacher, explainedC'tljat ;tho horrors ofithe/.-.English/languagb.dorriot; include such a riiorister as "s-double-s.!' /■ The teacher's own English' was : finely idiomatic," is. witness '■\''that: will' do. passably,'' arid,.*to a : favourite. senior '''your..turn,'. fellow l"v.' But. one .felt ashamed, of::the>;EiigT. iish lauguage'iri" hearing his patierit-.scl.ioliirs wrestle-,'with .'.the-.wild-.perversities: v.of,_,i;its spelling/:> .'■•:-„'■;• ."''.;.'.;■''.... ■ ' ■'■'• '.'; v': ! "''.'.'''-'"':."".: - : ~ 'This stage', past; the' teacher asked, tbVboyß to. frame sentences showing. the' -use-'pf:the words studied,' and; entered into definitions of their' mcaniniT with the aid ■of .'Giintoribse.Thb functions of a set-square were, cpusbien-V tiously explained, and "bar" andi'fsHarb" and "mare" "elucidated.".. "Sca_rp!?' : was impressed upon their.-.-.minds; by-grapbic' • means/;,"I get behind the door. You..do.not i:riow : Vthat I ■■';'■ am ■, I there. •■: ■ ■ I';'burst, out, \ biako a 'noise;-;': Thaa I t.givcs.'.yoii sqare." .'All this withjpantomiriiie.gesture: 'The- amused features 'blthb'ipu'pils givo warrant of thoir. '.understanding'; ;,b\it'/it is a long, long-task. ',-In. Wo;.,hours,:.after, previous preparation, they have gairieU'i a: limited and' doubtful knowledge of a; spore pf English words,., somo of which,.-may 'never, be" of service. : Still, everyone is cheerful."'lt is Wcdnesdpy 'riight, and they-will come again on Monday. ■~'.. ■■• iLong scrolls i'of Chinese characters' on tho wall,'eacli'.character;a complex picture, .beausketched,; present much more inter-1 est'to the stranger than, the futilities of the English rlesson-bobk.' -But they; havo the clianh of the unknown..TJpstairs, a dozen little .Chinese', half-castes, whose, English' is attondedto by the primary schools; are learn-' ing Cantonese. [Here ia an opportunity for the, .stranger! hut remembering the painful English trudgings of'the young Celestials downstairs, he concludes that he will never march far towards the heart of that mystery, so remains outside the frontier. •.. :