CHRISTMAS CARDS A BLESSING.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1008, 25 February 1882, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHRISTMAS CARDS A BLESSING.

" Sir Henry' yentiug, Christmas j &|s,'' ilitroilucedl tlife 'mist jijeas;'ing; ' cli^p* : dUd easy ; way "of 1 1 -: a live old ffientlslii jiaVSend ' a ; Chrißbmaa® Card,; l and what i& the result ? .It' : you the boro of writing;' i. ; »t the -same time..ituwishes■..j your friend health aiyl-ljappiii , f ,ness In a, pleasing way,.and' presents, him" or lief with a ■ pretty little gift • that, gratiwill'j&jfept'Jor j*ou in 'ro--11!( Aitmbraiic'ei J: Thiols' 'tiid 1 cohßi ; &ed.o]iinidn'''pf 'lti.' ; W. 1 •' Oole, -'whlj begs to 'infoi'm | / -the readers i'th'at 1 he' ''h'as' ». i; splendid seleofcion i of''those ii. 'beautifull cards;;! anil' soils ;i: them ,the cheapest in l Anstra-, : ilia, at Cole's, Book. Arcane,-,. and also at 'Gole'a ' l ' Eastern Market , Mie'difference lietwcen a v , tyt'juid' a comma is that the ' 'one has tho elan's at the :: 'i end ,of : .the: paws; • while i 'the : .other JiAs. the. pause .atihe , endofjtheclause.' ,i I. ; V.The!:Bymbpl; off Charity . slioujd 'be ; a circle, -fyusu- ';' 'ally | endsexactly '.lyhere, it , _' begihs-athome. ■ I A colored witness was' 'a'slted f if ho' knew' jiul used the Bible, 1 ' 'He replied iu the affirm-. |tive,'lt Appeared that tlie miiii 1 Wouldn't read. " Now, sir," thundered the ' ittorney,; 6b> the'other "'didn't 'you jweal' ; ,tliat;yoU' used' your. Uiblo?" ; i'Yes, )>cs,: sail,"; faltered■■ the,;witneaa,: f I/'done ijtippped my,, razor ; j on ; it [!";. .pie ,i court do-. aided that this was equd to ; ;the; general knowledge of the E>ible ( and suflicient. Tell me, gentle traveller, tlioii AVho hast wandered far. and wide,; Seen the sweetest roses bl6w,'l"' ' ''And the sweptert rivers glide'j'! 1 Say, Of ail thy eyes hav.e : seen" V l ' 1: ' '' Which the fairest - land'has been V ' '*• j liii'ly'l shall I tell thee wliero.' jNature'seems most'blest'find fair; ' j Par above all climes beside r : ' " r j v 'Tfs wliorofchose wo love abide,' v ; And that little spot is blessed-- 1 " !'• '■ ' | Which the loved one's foot -

oards sti-ipetl ! like ■ 'a 1 'zebra; pi'ospective'. ijiurder betrays itself by a ttiick-coafc of'vermilion and: with,i but of ( a slnfeter itendeney-TT-the eyebrows ; havealso a stiango kind of sympathy,- since in an individual of. a .vacillating, tunt of mind,,sue of tjiein .becomes developed into .a strange,, scroll-like ( 'patli of black, .whilst; the,other is, nearly obiitcrateil.. Three.persons.of ..tlicse spvfcr/il descriptions ' are depicted,' .and" the illustration-' may be taken, SsVjipocimens .of | what ; : ii teeliiiically called 'the 'lnake-nji of ■.tragic characters iipon thd Ciiineso.stage:' I Passion is manifested by action,- in a ihan-' ,ner no-'less - striking.'Despiiir'prompts' a! : lidy io tear lieri' hair, • inot fig uratively but literally;; to i grovel in the dust; to biiriip her

■ neati upon tne ground; 'and, asia.culminatibuof' agony, to turn a sumvj merset.: j .This done, the ; mind is incontinQntly I*o-. lieved, and t the .same person gets up,' § smiling. I /previous to a, repetition' 'of'' th6'' processes 'described, The s'iimmersct : upon the Chinese stage 1 wouldiseem to be'parti-1 oularly' useful and. ex;pressive.: It symbolizes .fear.in the', cowafd,; and ;is;resoi;tpd to in. giving ; tlie. byafo man ; fresh Val6v. ' It emblematical of ■ love (at' least 111 the comic man,' who is invariably a tumbler); and when faithful servants would give pledges' of fidelity, they go head oyer, heels, < ; and .are .straightway ..'trusted;/to any ...amount.,whatever,. Hatred is .especially the business of the dresser, . for' .paiiita the expression upon' '.the faces of each individual cha-.. ' racterat the.commence-' meat "of* the perform-' anccs,-.and the same is worn throughout. the' . whole, •,pieiie;'.ra«j:.'iniei l -.- mission, As fori rage, ;.,it, is, usually, displayed .Jjy.the actor , beginning .speech,,lll-the. very 'loudest'key 'and gra'du(allygetting'ou'tpf breath ' by way of a climax ; ' ~ Combatsareevenmore a'matter, of clashing of "weapons together than ,\nth'Yourselves, .Two r warriors meet and'strike 'upwards • where 1 there is no chance of'either ' hitting i. his- antagonist, : downwards: whire the blows fallequally harm-, less, .and; right and; ...... .. left .with, exactly sunk. , lav results. .Suddenly one. of .the, twin pajiiacs, and instead of giving,r,as:he might jeadily do, a deadly Mow by way of a : co!\fide grace, spins round upon his heel with ,noj other apparent object 'than to 'maka-as much of. his dress, and'show as : largo a quantity of his'boots, as possible. ."It may-be 1 a lkw. of. .Chinese; chivalry that tliia. motion; (throwing the actor off .his guard,';;should .<never;be taken .advantage ofperhaps, how.over,, danger is due as much to the circumstanc'e df

v->/[ • 'S ! •■fh6re%as bftfenj : jmsnce-an; attention f jVaicV to ; dfeM> MiHty) jpninful,'' Ifi an/ivmy.!hacl' to chahge'itS' UcM'ti 'youi agfe tho iame soldiers/; in. the same 'order/ Across jtliostage >at: least !a Mclo'zen jtiines.o i -I£ Ta" man e .deeply .dyedjin yiljainy,sls chancfis: jwere tljat he.mado to. jfoij'tlielm^ytiou'rtV.M'upa jpiqtiji'e/ivaa, neyertlidm, ! affoWecl' .caiaie of yictm i-'etii-e'd lteiimd.' !i { aei'floii;''anti,' : coiiiing' 1 out hiving. 'llls 1 iifcjj' meiir^d' ; \vith'' i f 6'd' jJaiiil!; "to | iaV'6 ■ foulty ; slaughtered; -'Moi'e^tliaii 1 .once when persons died from 1 p'disbfl sair jtliem si,t quietly; in a, .qhfife ,s\ibjnit rto paying*Vthiair.",facea xo,yercd yrith clotli, which' had .'to fancy the;same. individuals. sta,yk and dead, though seeing tiieir several bpclics rxise suddenly snd run.pn,'

. But; of-' alltlie various j instances 1 in i wbicli; j time .;was;:'made«subservient 'to dramatic! unities, .-the ; fol\owing seems the. inost remark; j able. ).jA yillainous oldnoble'lipids possession l of his deceased brpther'B .property iixntil Buch ; period as, tlie.brpther's daughter , to ',a lriale lieiri r ", .Information .tio tjiis effect lSj afforded' by ( 'tlie noble tfi.bis'niece' in' geiifclo 1 terms," ' The lady,'; soiriewlijit. in' des-' pair,' is'hot' completely' at her' Wits-;; seeiug that she runs'Mff,' gets'married; and in' five minutes returns caiiyiiig a chilcT.s) Uncle, finding! li» Jias;been outwitted,ishoWiSymPi-; tß«is /; of ;i trepidation^ ; ,biit jrgcpyq ve;; jiii?isaLf ; upon Covering, that the. ne ; wly J; borii: child; is a feiiifile..,lfi6?e. retirep, , but; not' cast jviici, in less ti^' than j cajn write piiters vwith' child '.number two. Crnclo'"gatfl' of thiilittJi 'pbsMfi''ijy quietly knocking 'the'-'urclun'.t 1 biains 1 oiit! upon tlic,fld6r! ,; fiadyagain,retirbs'ahd so'diiafter re-enters 'iiV 'coinptay witli tor' liltsbliittl} 1 ' carryiugtyet another imale infant; 1 heir to'tho'. deceased i man's property, y iTliis i! tim'a i rik lainy is tps and, has soundly/bastinadoed upon the spot—why'the ; 'was hot adniiiiis'tered jby the party' loiig|befofi ,, ii6thing Whatever wehtfy'tey.'; ' Tlie lubseijneiit' 1 career, of' 1 this sjihie villajii' ft : worthy'of' notice. I He ■' evidently r starts OB a' kind -of bandit, ' and cOmtnitS'-iiiUi'dei^ I 'iiV- 1 numerablo.' He: 1 is -• 'attended: by a Sort 'of squu'o'of; a - humorous: turn j! iwlio, • when the [master.'- kills: an, cheiny.; in battlej-.ibeafe, a; ;tattoo■ iup;on„tliejjcli'vni}/ goes} 'dpsvn,-upbn ;his, iknees, waves a; sp'eciea, ;of, ,hera|dic banner,, Isays something complimentary, anjl' takes Ipossession.of any .spoils of the enemy lpft luponWfiild!' v^ThQi, ?w^e M s,tlra§t';twciity, prtlieae coinbatfe/'aiidiri all' th'e ! feanle persbli proved ; victbi'ious.He wkavery' Mr. l Punch' in, his c}efiance'of lawand legal authority, but! like that hookednosed, humpbacked ;gontlev; men, his villainy is: completely Overcome' by Spiritual]; influence.. at last. ; ayenging (igcncyis an evil ; conscience;,and .this, was literally, Successful vjllainy, with a striped face,Jdall-, at once''joined 'by a Ijainiting sjiirit'jn, green,' and witlia dr'dgon's liea'd.* It is'the "biisihess of tliis uhearthly'visitant te'ke'ep'as' close' to Ins' victim' as-possiblP, but always behind' the victim's back;lt is' of no use that this!victim' 1 turns- suddenly, i: for the • tyiifttis by_ far the more agile of the 1 two;: and :tne .'latter' is at last: driven into, aicorner, and seems to: be.on til®;;point/of ibeing confronted jfaee td' facp, ;a, summerset irejjajfes} all [his tpiwious-, advantages, ,and places:both in.,theii;.former/ relative positions. ...It' is, at .tliis moment, tlie sipgle spirit; Is j oiried ,'by; anp jlier, ; yei miire 'terrible' 'and 1 yet mora.agile.:' ,'Aiipn, - and' tliesd 'tfto : spirit become four,'^tid'tlie 1 four eight';' and s6 : ' doubling; lilte 'thb 'half-' pence inntlic:bkl!sum;-the stage is speedily covered ->vjth supernatural personages.,. There ire spirits like frogs, ;like fishes,-and;like no <jthei;: createdthing..; whatever, , Spiritual snakes hiss, spiritual lipns roar, and spiritual liats,', and' demons dance,- skip,,. flap ■ their wings, and tiirij siunmerset-s bontiiiu'ally, liven imiftaciiiatii ra'M.c'o'uld scarcely stand temblii .'an orclbal;"' arid' vice, with' the .striped face,'is sp'eedify brought to .i'epent- 1 anco ahdto deathby his owii aword.' j Haying,mastered;,these details,-.1,am,-,at 'last enabled, vwith a little,help from au intel- ' ligent (Celestial sitting, beside me in the'.pit;, : to unravel the mystery pf a,'Cjiinese, plot.,- ■

i | AricliPekmmei'chaiithasthi'ee daughters/ '4ll passing l faifj.but of 1 these f the ■ youngest iis •; ,by fftVithc most beautiful. ;To choose'a Iras-' Ijatid the latter stands in a Moony,! and;, throwing;a handkerchief among, a ; crowd[ of suite,. pledges,• .herself 'to--marry/ the. ltiau ■syhp next day.brings thesis d'qmour.io her [fathor's, house. [.Now. .the, coveted; liandker- ;' chief is seciired'jSy a passiiig meiidicantof the ;tnidClaude'Melnotte'jstamp, 'b?g : , ■'gjiug or' bbirowing a rich robe, 'hies 1 him'.to' tlib appoiiitecVrcnafizvous. Being a;"gentleman 1 of litiife," his singular graces of manner win the-hearts both of tlio father and daughter ;-:-ao muoli. so that 4he - marriage : obreraony is about to he celebrated forthwith. Suddenly, nn-.acoidcnt i[discovers the real character of, the intended ..bridegroom, and,! : 'as.is:natural upon.the stage, and,.in such cases, elsewhere also, the prospective husband narrowly being'kicked:down stairs, Before his "leaving,[ however, the u'sual.business of a dramatic parting,lias to bp gioiie tlirbugh. ' The' lady vows eternal con : stancy, and th'c. disgraced' immorato pledges himself'to "win a'iiaine" which' not onfy' ''beauty," buta inahdarin'of onehundred' buttons, " would ttot scorivto bcarj" and, in ' the ■ midst' of a tableau, ,tho 1 drop-scene falls upon.act.tltefirst.i: Whon thc:.sceno'.again rises, the aspirant is .foundj-,to have ..entered . : the awny, ,ind to be rising from ; thc-, ranks With extraordinary speed. But hero ai.tem r . tpbrarv disgrace awaits : liim. A,letter is received by tlio generalissiino, purporting to be signed by the young lwro's affianced' bride," 1 alul, by reason 1 of the information thus' ob-! twined, the rising soldier is not.only stripped' of his honors, but receives,some fifty.strokes, by way of punisluneut. Cast out, but not 'cist down; 'broken, but not bent,;he vows revengoj ' Drunniied 'out 1 ' (or 'its Celestial equivalent) of' the one -regiment, lie enters another', wherein there is a hope of dashing bravery b bin g [appreciated, .The humbleancL lately humbled; private is soon the bearer of ■ one stripe;, the respected, lanqq corporal; ,the honored sergeant;'. ; very isoon : we find him wearing officer's uiiifoim; ~ then he is decorated ivith.. pheasants' feathers. Henceforth!' stiff-tacked captaiiis, a,nd lieutenants begin to make' hiiri salaam's, lowei; alul lower at eacli'successive entry. Then'he has an' attendant to bear an umbrella; one and afterwards two drummers to beat the tambour and sound i-tho; loud timbrels every 'time such a ; hero crosses the. stage, Anon; ■ and- ho • receives an ambassador on important business; and, reaching the sunimit.of his hopes, and .'demonstrating-the same by bambooing the commander-in-chief, he returns home, full of .honors, : and visits the house.of the,,once 'loved, but now hated,,mistress, On arrival : thereat he 19 ushered into the presence of,the threo sisteik,' The first of these presents'the visitoi'-with 4 dip of wine,: A.portion of this 1 is drunk'in token'of rejhect; iind : the re : hhairider poured : upori : the loorj'to sli'ow, ,'as ; t [suppose; that no forthei'ifamiliaiitios mil lie allowed. : 'His old fiancee now advances; and not Only.is:the<"oup;ofrsiimlar liquor,- which she presoiita,; dashed the -ground ; aud .broken, ; bi}t she- hgrsplf is-spundly rated /for ' falsity and deceit,' The remaining sist'ernext

• -.jiu?. w ! i jniil -i!«0 nil' »1 MiMWir ' • tenders tlio <jup< u'l&>ithis.instaneo ith'eiwhole is drained to and, ItHo fstMe'ehter-. ing at the moment, all for a wedding betw'eoti v t]ip upon the'spot!- "arid'iiiiserable, the rejec#M'ghtenvandei'B she resolyes,-. however,;tb: unite,' a iaj.nt.or;; r JiavuigMio ink, j Jgceratea -jf arm and' wifh; toe IbTpod of h'el' conduct informing who the lettdr'so mischievous m its'ionSequeniedi l! J iAt' a losa^ for a' ,th'6''missivfe,to of £ acfeoi'difig'W GhmeseiStagoioustoma/ina'looK^ohßjyptv'J,' - ingjßlpeyes/ land .with' aliead-dreflg'Bhaped like the;beak-,ofj;ai impossible bird).ijMeanwliile ijhqarrftngementa Weitieen ail.ihelived; ~and.. the; preliminary, .cerejnonies'jai# i, pigeon 1 on an adjoining housetop.tafl old: trunk:' pushedupon .the stage 'l)^.' the not rest until tlio'bird is itfher hand; alive or dead. 'With ' Untry the bi;idegro'omj seizing a bbw,-BhQbts an'i'arrow,' and the:deeire of' the' bnclie'.falls dead ati her.'.feot.i l iTlie lady 'j'islies gr&tifiedj<lbut! unluckily for her/ the bridegfoqin ; picks:iiup, the. lefcfer ; i\vhiclv r ;the pigeon pan'jed>liii;lts beak, Arid, reading;th,e Mn'guUeV6i\s .characters, sees his orrorjttjtjp).. whipping ithe.-traitpr.and. inavryihg itle ' party hithertoj temporarily., in disgrace. -,, ''Now, not^itlißtolingithafrfillj-tMs-came to mem ( 'a barbarous h\nguagej'and was illus! tratcd by actiin'alniostnnmtelligible^lcouU bilt'i hold such i! plotito be inoi|e' ; than'-'brdi' - ijarily iHc're were' inoideutSjir.and! .construction,-' Eliminating!'® few .absurdities, : and such aistbrymightibe advantageously adapted to the EiiglisU stages purely, { tl|e.nnne of-French myftnti())i exhausted,, our occasionally to gather a few, nuggets,' iii"the', shape 'of 'novelty frpm- .that jhithmo lie'glected jgoldfield tlie lmaginatiouof 3 Giiinesa #itters.', :, :-^ > ''^' lA .J,' .;•* ; ?'sut\fajthis!a'laithful .portra i itttre,o| (jin-,, riesef chiiti^tei - '/' after all ?' has been described a customsPllove, : hairtid, ! ' th'eif attendaiit ? criaftes;-' Sf e mdy Buppope' iMdJ* genotis to'evßry country of 'the World I ;but is' ■ their manifestation in; the real' life of "AM® l/rf< .C!iihamen aught>like the seeming. cai>iea ; ; (tju'ea rhereiti; dwelt, upon? r r lf- 'SOf ithfen;.be»f I neath,those stolid; Mongolian features; must ! there, jic Jiidden . passions jar. moife, thM jthbse,. ofj,hb||)lppded■Spain,. or ; :of- B sjpy, jitaly; jlQmep's .dpating love ]andJptl^oll9 ; s, 'wild;'jealousy"'aire taiiie and ;vaj>id,.^hen ; I viewed sideby.'side with what jyears ; ago'in, tlie Chinese Mirror.' r '