^ -^^ r* ^^ ^^ ^yjc^* .^^ ^^ • •°. (* 4-^ '^^ -^ * -"^ V ?> THE FAR PA THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY GLIMPSES OF LIFE IN EVERY LAND SHOWING THE DISTINCTIVE NOBLE TRAITS OF ALL RACES Superblg Jllustrateb mi\) more tl)on (S>nc ^nnhxeh i§alf-®one Cngraoinga RICHMOND, VA.: THE B. F. JOHNSON PUBLISHNG CO. B5945 j 'Vit tjnti Htctweo I OCT 25 1900 SICOND COPY. OROt« WVIS10N, OCT 26 190U Copyright, 1900, B. F. JOHNSON PUBLISHING COMPANY. ».•* i .• / Preface In the arrangement of this volume I have avoided the* conventional grouping of subjects according to geographical or political relations, and have sought to secure as far as prac- ticable such variety as would enhance the pleasure of the gen- eral reader. This will explain not only the apparent lack of formal arrangement, but also the omission of some familiar names which one would ordinarily expect to find in a book of this character. For instance, there is no chapter devoted to the Austrians, as such, for the reason that they are Germans? and Austria is only a "political expression." An exception has been made in favor of the Swiss who, though being but the overflow population of surrounding countries, have lived to themselves long enough to develop some characteristic traits. The widely varying character of the several chapters is due chiefly to the fact that I have contented myself with the available material without calling in the aid of the imagination or a superfluous vocabulary. The material for such a volume is by no means as plentiful as might be supposed, and although I have had access to nearly all the literature on the subject,, and in addition have had the assistance of many eminent mis- (3) 4 PREFACE. sionaries throughout the world, I have been compelled to dis- miss some of the races with comparatively scant notice. It may be added that a work prepared under such circumstances could hardly be free from errors, though no pains have been spared to protect the present volume from mistakes of a serious nature. While it is manifestly impossible to acknowledge all the sources of information to which I am indebted, I have tried, in the body of the book, to give due credit for all passages quoted. Contents. FOR ALPHABHTICAL LIST OF RACES TREATED SEE INDEX. PAGE I. INTRODUCTORY . . . . . • • • ^7 II. THE HOSPITABLE ARAB ...... 25 Remarkable Instances of Hospitality Among the Bed ween — Burckhardt's Experience — A Noble Shaykh — Dr. Trumbull Among the " Azazimen" — The Idea of Sanctuary— Arabian Brigandage — The Arab's Love for his Children — Arabians as Christians. III. THE STRENGTH OF SPAIN . . . . . .41 Merciless Criticisms of the Spanish — Spanish Women Virtuous — Spanish Love- making — Good Manners the Stay and Support of Spain — Civility and Cere- mony — Where Man Trusts Man — Spanish Charity. IV. GLEAMS FROM DARKEST AFRICA . . . . .5° The Kindness of the African — Livingstone's Experience — Politeness in Offer- ing Food — High Sense of Honor Among the Kaffirs — Good Humor of the Hottentots — "The Merry People" — The Story of Uledi — A Remarkable Funeral Procession — Deference Shown to Women — Bunder — A Noble Speci- men of Manhood. V. PLEASANT FRANCE . . . . . . 70 Popular Notions of the Frenchman — His Faultless Taste — His Amiability — The Thrift of the People — The Misunderstood Frenchwoman — Morality Not Lower Than Among Other Nations — How French Girls Are Brought Up — Marriage — The Bretons — Striking Characteristics — An Important Personage. VI. GYPSIES ......... 78 Origin — Gypsy Courtesy — Readiness to Forgive — Hospitality — " The Most Violent Acts of Honesty " — Reverence for the Dead — Natural Shrewdness. (5) 3 CONTENTS. PAGE VII. IN SUNNY ITALY 83 " The Prime Climate of Compliment " — Italian Politeness — Gentleness and Kindness — Desire to Please — Complimentary Phrases — Mr. Howell's Observa- tions in Venice — Courtesy of Railway and Hotel Employees — Consideration Which Laborers Have for One Another. VIIL LAND .OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN . . , . .99 Remarkable Instances of Honesty — " Evident .Stamp of Their Purity " — Sim- plicity of Heart — Neatness and Order in the Home — The Scandinavian Peas- ant's Consideration for his Horse — Hospitality — Reverence for the Truth — Consideration for the Pauper — The Beautiful Religious Life of the Icelander. IX. THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE SOUTH SEA . . . .113 The Polynesians — Ideas of Hospitality — Position of Woman — The Maoris or New Zealanders — Passion for Fighting for its Own Sake — Gallantry and For- bearance in War — The Malay Archipelago — The Dyaks — The Good Humored Tahitians — The Polite Fijiians — Respect for Woman Among the Tongans — The Gentle Samoans — The Papuans — Their Honesty — The Australians. X. THE TIDIEST NATION 135 The Hollanders — The Most Industrious People on Earth — Their Charitable Institutions — Their Passion for Cleanliness. XI. UNDER THE CZAR . . . . . . .141 The Russian's Docile Disposition — Virtues of the Peasantry — The Russian not Vindictive — "A Child With a Child's Faults" — Siberian Exile Grossly Misrepresented — The Samoyedes. XII. THE MALAGASY . . . . . . . . 149 Civilization in Madagascar — The Malagasy Religion — Excessive 'but Genuine Politeness — A Beautiful Chapter in the History of Christian Heroism — Changes Wrought by Christianity. XIIL THE FRENCHMAN OF THE EAST ..... 161 Old-time Notions of Japan — Central Characteristic of the Japanese — Amus- ing Forms of Politeness — Bows and Genuflections — Beautiful Home Life of the Japanese — Depth of Feeling for Children — A Robber Charmed by the Smiles of a Baby — Parental and Filial Devotion — Sweetness of Disposition in Japanese Women — Honesty — Father Oshima — " The Japanese Worth Saving." CONTENTS. 7 PAGE XIV. THE CHIVALROUS MEXICAN 187 The Gracious Hospitality of the Mexican — Charity of the Mexican Women — Reverence for Parents — Attachment for Kindred — A Knightly Race. XV. A PEOPLE WHO CANNOT HATE . . . .195 Hawaiians Incapable of Cherishing Ill-feeling — A Story of Marvelous Pro- gress — Heroic Hawaiian Converts — The Princess Kapiolani. XVI. THE TRUTH ABOUT THE INDIAN . . . .209 Early Glimpses of Indian Character — Worshiping the Great Spirit — The Winnebagoes — The Indian a Deeply Religious Being — The Christian In- dian's Regard for the Sabbath — The Lacotahs — Among the Sioux — The Indian's Home Life — His Consideration for his Guests — His Tender Feel- ing for Children — Captain Cusson's Tribute to the Memory of " Sitting Bull." XVIL THE FILIPINOS . . 231 Aborigines of the Philippines — Stoicism Among the Filipinos — Family Affection — Sober and Clean — Passion for Music. XVIII. THE GENTLE ESKIMOS .241 Their Hospitality to Strangers — Love for One's Neighbor — Quiet and Gentle Manners — They Do Not Know How to Quarrel — Bubbling Over with Good Spirits — Fondness for Children — Devotion to Home and Country. XIX. HINDU TRAITS ........ 245 Hindu Gratitude — Honesty — The Bengalees the Bravest of Asiatics — The Parsees — Hospitality — Zeal of Christian Hindus — The Chamber of Anger — Hospitals for Animals — The Taj. XX. A HINDU SCHOLAR'S VIEW OF INDIA . . . . 273 Observations of G. L. Shakur Doss — India a Changing Country — Influences, at Work — Results of the Preaching of the Gospel Among the Higher Classes — Among the Lower Classes — Strength of Christianity in India — Eminent Hindu Converts to Christianity. XXI. BRAZILIAN BONHOMIE 297 A Generous, Whole-souled Folk — Delight in Helping One Another — A High Sense of Honor — Devotion to Parents — Beautiful Customs. C0NTE]S'T8. XXII. THE AMERICAN NEGRO . . . . . .303 Ignorance Concerning the Negro and his Problems — Coasting Africa with a Kodak — The Negro has no Grudge Against Society — Conditions not so Discouraging as is Popularly Supposed — The Negro not Criminal as a Race — Our Largest Criminal Factory — Struggles of the Race — Our Neglect to Provide Moral Restraints — Not a Hopeless Problem of Degeneracy. XXIII. THE AMERICAN NEGRO {Continued) . . .325 A Cooling Discovery — Higher Education not a Failure — University Settlement Idea — Work for the Negro Colleges of the South — Decline of Interest in the Negro — The Negro's Appreciation of the White Man's Sympathy — Passing of the Old House Darkey — A Pharaoh Wlio Knows not Joseph — Restoration of the Cordial Relations Between the Races — The Amiability of the Negro — His Faithfulness — Two Old-time Darkies — Booker T. Washington. XXIV. THE FRIENDLY TIBETANS . . , . -347 Unprepossessing in Appearance, but Pleasant — Kindness to Strangers — A Religious People — A Noble Character Developed by the Gospel, XXV. THE FLOWERY KINGDOM . . . . .357 Little Known of the Real Character of the Chinese — A Persistently Misrepresented People — An Industrious, Quiet, Peace-loving People — Remarkable Reverence for Age — Regard for Learning — The "Yan- kees of the East " — In Commercial Integrity China Stands at the Head of all Other Nations — Instances of Liberality — Chinese Benevolence. XXVI. HOPE FOR SYRIA . . . . ., .381 A Mountain Paradise — Kindness to Strangers — Mercy to the Poor — Power of the Gospel in Transforming the Syrian Heart. XXVII. THE REAL JEW . . . . . . .393 The Jew of the Comic Papers — " The Most Remarkable Man of this World, Past or Present" — Hated, but Chai-ged with Few Faults — Prob- able Secret of the World's Age-long Prejudice Against the Jew — Liber- ality of the Jew — Patriotism — A Keeper of the Peace — Beautiful Home Life — Excels in Every Calling — Indestructiiiility — Glimpses of the Scat- tered Nation — Jews, White, Black and Brown — The Wandering Jew. CONTENTS. 9 PAGE XXVIII. THERE ARE TURKS AND TURKS . . . .417 A Substratum of Generosity and Nobility — Outwardly, at Least, the " Most Civilized and Polite People of Europe " — The Yakuts of Siberia — Their Reverence for the Aged — The Turkoman — His Remarkable Hospitality. XXIX. THE POLITE PERSIAN 425 A People Who Never Waste — ^^Sociable and Polite — The Devotion of the Kurds to their Chief — The Generous Baluchi — The Afghans — An In- spiring Example of Heroism — A Touching Incident — The Armenians. XXX. THE KOREANS . . . . . . .430 Their Mental Adroitness — Predominence of Chinese Influence — A Kindly People — Manly Politeness — Capacity for High Development — The Korean's Love of Nature. XXXI. THE CHILDREN'S PARADISE . . . . .433 Fondness of Siamese Parents for their Children — Docility and Sw^eet- ness of Siamese Children — Remarkable Modesty — A Gentle, Amiable, Cheerful and Inoffensive People. XXXII. IN SPANISH AMERICA 439 Hospitality in a Spanish-American Village — Indians of Central America — Indians of South America — The Courage of the Peruvians — Tlie Chivalry of the Chaco — The Hospitable Guianian — The Polite Arau- canians — The Brave Patagonians — The Fuegians. XXXIII. THE PORTUGUESE . . . . . .449 Superiority of the Portuguese to the Spanish — A Humane People — Sym- pathy for Prisoners — Independence, Sympathy and Wit of Portuguese Women. XXXIV. IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS . . .451 The Egyptian's Reverence for Parents — Where the Mother-in-Law Reigns Supreme — Morality Among Egyptian Women — The Harem — The Moors — The Berbers — The Honest Kabyles. XXXV. THE MARKET FOR FAIR WOMEN . . . .467 The People of Caucasus the Most Beautiful in the World — Circassian and Georgian Women — The Polished Georgians — Their Respect for the Aged. 10 CONTENTS. PAGE XXXVI. THE MAGYARS .469 Their Remarkable Beauty — Magyar Politeness and Generosity — Unsur- passed Courage — Heroism of Magyar Women. XXXVII. THE PEARL OF THE ANTILLES . . . .475 The Corner-stone of Cuban Character — Cuban Imagination — Happy Domestic Life — Freedom from Drunkenness — Stories of Cuban Heroism — Mrs. Sanchez — Heroic Children. XXXVIIL THE INDUSTRIOUS SWISS . . . . .485 Remarkable Neatness — Intelligence — Every Home a Bee-hive of In- dustry — The Swiss Laborer Stands High — Care for the Poor — Swiss Watchmakers. XXXIX. THE SOUTHERN SLAVS . . . . . .49= The Serbs of Servia — Home Customs — Ambition for an Education — Piety of the Servian Peasants — Purity of their Domestic Life — The Slavs of Bulgaria — A Happy Art — The Montenegrins — Their Remarkable Humanity — The Prince of Montenegro — Montenegrin Hospitality. XL. THE GREEK AT HIS BEST 499 The Secret of a not Very Flattering Reputation — Their Remarkable Mental y\ctivity — Greek Cheerfulness — Freedom from Drunkenness — A Passion for Learning — The Albanians — Their Politeness — Virtues not Intended to Pny. XLI. THE HOME-LOVING GERMAN 503 " A Fair-haired People Who Slept Under the Stars " — Popular Notions of German Character — Domestic Love the Bulwark of the German Nation —Beautiful Home Life— Great Kindliness and Good Nature— A Deep Love of Nature — Conservatism of the National Character — A Story of German Heroism. XLII. OUR ENGLISH COUSINS . . . . . * 5H American Ideas nf the English — English Manners — Rudeness not Char- acteristic of the Race— Much of the Englishman's Apparent Gruffness the Result of his Hatred of Social Shamming— English Self-assertion- English Homes a Paradise of Comfort— Beautiful Home Customs — Devotion of English Women to their Families — The Englishman's- Bearing Toward Women — Manners of the English Business Woman. CONTENTS. 11 PAGE XLIII. THE DOUREST AND TENDEREST OF MEN . . .525 Fascination About Scotch Character — Scotch Honesty — " Magnificently Right," or "Awfully Wrong" — Rigidity of Sabbath Observance — Piety of the Highlanders — The Scot in America — The Scot's Love for the Land of his Birtlv — Scotch Humoc — Undying Wit — Heroism in Every, day Life — The Stickit Minister — Scotch Dourness. XLIV. THE GENEROUS HIBERNIAN . . . . .545 The Irishman's Loyalty to his Religion — Always a Religious Being — Believes in Believing — Irish Amiability— Patience of the Iri^h Peasant — The Irishman Never Rude — The Ladies of Cork — The Gentlemen of Cork — The Iriah Wake — Patriotism. XLV. THE COURAGEOUS WELSHMAN . . . .553 The Courage of the Celt — Caesar's Testimony— Reserve Mistaken-for Sullenness — Cheerful Content under Privations — Antiquity of Welsh Families — Claudia of Caesar's Household. XLVI. AMERICANS THROUGH FOREIGN EYES . . -559 Lady Wortley's Opinion — Sympathy of Americans- — Coolness and Self- possession of the New Englander — Max O'Rell's Opinion of the Well- bred American — Not Worshipers of the Golden Calf — American Brag — Magnanimity in the Affairs of Practical Life — Manners in the Best Society — Attractive Simplicity — American Chivalry — Jonathan's Respect for Women — Hospitality — Patriotism — Heroism. APPENDIX • . 579 INDEX ........ 601 Illustrations. PAGE The Far Parts of the Earth, . Frontispiece, Arab Merchant, ..... . 24 A Bedwy, ..... 25 An Arab Boy, . . . . . . 27 A Typical Dragoman, .... 29 Unveiled Arab Woman, .... . 33 Andalusian Dancer, .... facing Flower-Sellers in the Rambla (Barcelona), . 39 Grirl of Saragossa, . . . 45 Children of South Africa, .... . 53 Livingstone's Last Journey, . . . 63 Noon, . facing Gypsy Woman at her Toilet, . facing A Venetian Fruitseller, .... . facing The Bird Merchant, . 85 Blind Musicians, ..... . 87 Italian Flower-Seller, .... 89 On the Spanish Stairs at Rome, . 91 San Remo, ..... 93 An Evening in Sweden, .... . facing Swedish Peasants, .... . ■ 101 Norwegian Girls, ..... . 107 Maori Chief, ..... .112 King and Queen of Samoa, . 115 Samoan Girls Making Cava, 121 A Lady of the Archipelago, . 127 Wilhelmina, Queen of Holland, 134 A Rare Bit of Old Holland, . . ' . . 186 Russian Girl, ..... facing Natives of Madagascar in Holiday Attire, . . 147 A Festival Day, .... 151 In Madagascar Wilds, .... .155 A Famous Belle of Japan, facing (13) 14 ILL USTRA TI0N8. A Typical Japanese Beauty, Japanese Ladies, . . • A Japanese Horseless Carriage, At Dinner, ..... Japanese Ladies at Home, Father Oshima, .... Little Mothers in Japan, . Leisure, ..... A Mexican Woman in Holiday Attire, Apaches Four Months After Arriving at Carlisle Indian Types, .... Kiowas, ..... Indian Chief of Police, . . Pupils from the Arapahoe School, Darlington A Beautiful Woman of the East, A Lady of Manila, Native Girls of Luzon, A Cavite Maiden, Eskimo Mother and Child, In Greenland's Icy Mountains Eskimo Type, An Eskimo of Labrador, A Group of Parsee Ladies, A High Caste Brahmin Girl, Burmese Woman, . A Burman Family, Ceylonese Girls, The Taj, A Hindu Lady, .... A Buddhist Priest and bis Pupils, Daughter of the Rajah, Princess Kapurthala, . A Burmese Girl of Rangoon, A Brahmin Performing Punjab, A Young Girl of India, A Hindu Prince, . . . Tamil Girl Picking Tea, . Commander-in-Chief of the Burmese Army, Booker T. Washington, Women of Tibet, Tibetan Children, . . . , Chinese Children Leaving School PAGE 163 167 169 173 177 179 182 185 187 208 211 214 217 221 facing facing facinf ILLUSTRATIONS. 15 Two Yellow Kids . Chinese Christian Preacher and Family A Bethlehem Group, Syrians, .... A Modern Samaritan, Woman of Bagdad, Tending Sheep, Woman of Bagdad, A Street Group in Smyrna, A Syrian Fruitseller, A Woman of Syria, Dress of a Bethlehem Matron, A Jew of Hungary, An Egyptian Jew, Whirling Dervishes of Constantinople, Mohammedans at Their Devotions, Bakhtyans (Persia), Women of Uruguay, . Peruvian Indian, Civilized Araucanians, Group of Fuegians, A Girl of Thebes, Children on the Road to Tunis Type of Moorish Woman, Egyptian Girl, A Moorish Beauty, A Youth of Hippo, An Egyptian Beauty, . Carthaginians of To-day, A Boy of Constantine, In Upper Egypt, . Starting Across the Desert, A Cuban Beauty, Mushroom Gatherers, At the Gate of the Corfu (Ionian Islands), Heydey of Summer, A Civil Marriage (Alsace), A Wedding Procession in the Bavarian Tyrol A Frisian Mat-Plaiter, . . . German Peasants (Austria), Irish Pipe Dancers, facing PAGE . 359 369 380 . 381 382 . 383 385 . 386 387 . 389 391 . 403 409 . 415 419 . 424 438 . 441 443 . 445 facing facing facing . 451 452 . 453 455 . 456 457 . 459 460 . 461 466 . 474 489 . 498 . 505 g . 507 511 facing I- Introductory. The virtues are modest — one must look for them or one will overlook thera. The vices are shameless — they force themselves upon our attention; they insist upon being seen and talked about. As a consequence, the daily papers, which are our best mirrors of life, reflect in the main the darker side of life, while our books of travel, which are popularly sup- posed to picture life as it is among the nations, are for the most part mirrors of the vices of nations. Of more than a thousand books of travel examined in the preparation of this volume scarcely one-fourth give fitting recognition to the virtues of the people at all, while most of them faithfully mirror all the vices in sight. It is not strange that one who depends chiefly upon the world's mirrors for one's knowledo-e of life should have a growing conviction that the world is going to the bad. But to judge an apple one must look on its fair side as well as on its blemishes. One has no right to judge it by its blemishes alone any more than by its fair side alone. So in looking at life we do not learn the truth except by looking upon the upper as well as the lower side — the quiet nooks and corners where virtues bloom, as well as the highways and market places where vices walk abroad with brazen faces. In presenting the bright side of humanity it is not as- (17) 18 INTRODUCTORT. sumed that there is no dark side, or that the dark side is not as black as it has been painted, or that the briglit side is as bright as it needs to be. It is simply assumed that we have seen enough — for the present at least — of the vices of men, and that it is time for our own good and for the good of our fellow-men to look for awhile upon their virtues. The charity that is not puffed up is the charity that grows with increasing- knowledge. It is not what we know that makes us vain, but what we don't know. The knowledge of God tendeth to humility. The knowledge of self tendeth to humility. The knowledge of others tendeth to humility. The blissful feeling that we are the people and that wisdom and all the virtues will die with us is the bliss of ignorance. No man carries about the "holier than thou" atmosphere who has turned his thoughts from himself long enough to get a good look at the "thou." We Americans enjoy sitting on a pedestal. When we are persuaded to leave our perch and to come down to humble earth we usually come down to stay. The more we learn about those we have despised the less we feel like posing. When we find that the Filipinos can teach us a thing or two in the matter of .reverence for parents, that the wild Arab puts to shame all our boasted hospitality, that even darkest Africa is not without its distinguishing virtues, then we begin to realize the charity that vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up and doth not behave itself unseemly. " My practice," wrote Livingstone, "has always been to apply the remedy with all possible earnestness, but never to allow my mind to dwell on the dark side of men's characters. I have never been able to draw pictures of guilt as if that could awaken Christian sympath3^ The evil is there, but all around in this fair creation there are scenes of beauty, and to INTRODUGTOBT. 19 turn from these to ponder on deeds of sin cannot contribute to a healthy state of the faculties. . . . Human misery and sin we endeavor to alleviate and cure. It may be likened to tli-e sickness and impurity of some of the slums of great cities. One contents himself with ministering to the sick and trying to remove the cause without remaining longer in the filth than is necessary for his work; another equally anxious for the public good stirs up every cesspool, that he may describe its reeking vapors, and by long contact with impurity becomes himself infected, sickens and dies." A wise Frenchman said to an English friend one day: " The difference between you and us is that you try to make life difficult. We prefer to make it easy. You go about critically looking out for the bad points in everything and everybody you meet ; we are content with their good. We like to be happy ; you are never quite sure that you ought not to be miserable. You are a very good people, you English ; but can you not be good in a pleasanter way?" I think we are beginning to see wisdom in the Frenchman's sentiment. I am sure that the world is caring less every day for recitals of crime and of vice in every form, that it is growing tired of the sight of blood, and that there is something of a longing for more fresli air and fragrant odors in our literature. We want our pictures of life to appeal to our love for the good, for the true and the beautiful ; to inspire hope and increase our faith in our fellow-men ; to draw out the better side of our nature; to make us feel that, come what may, God rules, and that right is going to conquer. "Looking at the best in others," says Dr. Trumbull, "is one of the surest ways of helping them to better their best. In speaking of a pastor who had come into a little congregation 20 INTRODUCTORY. in a western town, and won, harmonized, encouraged and up- lifted all in that congregation, a young woman said of him, * He doesn't flatter you, but he has a way of turning things right side out.' His secret of power lay in his constant purpose to look at the rjght side of people and to encourage that side. The secret is one that is open to all of us." "The crying need of the nations to-day," says Capt. John Cussons, " is a fuller knowledge of the heathen people by the children of light." One reason why we are doing so little to help the needy races is that we feel so little respect for them or interest in them, and the reason we feel so little respect for them is that we have learned of their vices rather than of their virtues. Kespect for a people, confidence in their essential manhood, the belief that there is something good in them, and interest in their welfare — these are the first conditions of doing a people any good. And there is no race without its distinguishing virtues. " You who spend your lives at home," wrote Bayard Taylor, " can never know how much good there is in the world. In rude and refined races evil naturally i:ises to the surface, and one can discern the character of the stream beneath the scum. It is only in the realms of civilization where the outside is goodly to the eye, too often concealing an interior foul to the core." Dr. Charles S. Dennis, who has written the most com- prehensive review of missions that has been published, prefaces his view of the dark side of heathendom with a warning against ignoring the existence of a brighter side. "The people of the East," he says, " have many virtues, both individual and social, which lend a peculiar interest and charm to their individual and national character." There is much, he declares, that is beautiful and dignified in their social life, and he believes that the great INTB OB UGTOB Y. 21 nations of the Orient, when once thoroughly purified and pos- sessed by the spiritual culture of Christianity, will be as re- fined and gracious, as noble and as true, as any other people which the world contains. " They have inherited and preserved in many instances, with singular fidelity, the best products and many of the most commendable customs of ancient civilization, and to refuse to recognize this would indicate a complacency on our part at once invidious, ungenerous and unjustifiable." In a letter to the author, the Rev. H. McCormick, of Porto Rico, says : " Our people need to know how much of good and of beauty there is in the character of the strange peoples Provi- dence has brought to the front door of our nation. Anything that will lead our people to a more generous and sympathetic understanding of the Spanish-American as a man in his mani- fold relations will be to the advantage of all concerned." And an American lady in China, writing in the same vein, says : " If there were nothing better in the mission fields than hope- less cases, I for one would come home and work in America, for I would find plenty to do ; but I find some good in every Chinese — woman, child or man." Admitting all that has been brought against the less favored races, the fact remains that some of the greatest counts in the indictment which we make against them will hold against society in general. In more civilized lands, as Dr. Dennis says, "a catalogue of social evils common to Occidental nations might be made which would prove a formidable rival to its less civilized contemporaries, though in many vital respects it would be dif- ferent. If we consider the elements of the environments of Christendom it becomes an interesting and searching question whether Occidental races, under similar historic conditions, without the inspiration of Christian ideals, would have done 22 INTBODUGTOBT. better than their less fortunate brethren. It must be acknowl- edged also that there is an opportunity for a somber and dismal retort on the part of the less civilized races based on the treat- ment they have received at the hands of professedly Christian nations ; or upon the personal dealings and conduct of the un- worthy representatives of Christendom with whom they have come in contact." ' If this be true with regard to heathen races, what shall be said of the spirit of those Americans who look with condescen- sion upon all peoples, however highly civilized, who happen not to be of Anglo-Saxon blood ? By Hele^i Gevers. (24j ARAB MKRCHANT. II. THE HOSPITABLE ARAB. In the po- pular mind the Arab is distin- guished mainly for his thievish propensity and his proneness to deal recklessly with the truth. It is a common saying that if one trusts to the hon- esty of a Bedwy he will steal the very hair from one's head. But over against this should be placed the equally true saying that if you trust to his honor he will give his life to protect you and all that you have. As for his A BEDWY. [25] 26 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. propensity for exaggeration, it should be remembered that the Arabic, like all other Oriental languages, abounds with the boldest metaphors, and that much of the Arab's exaggeration is, as Bayard Taylor has expressed it, "the splendid amplifica- tion of a fact." "Like skillful archers, in order to hit the mark they aim above it." Bayard Taylor, by the way, has given us in his "Land of the Saracens" an interesting story illustrating the harmlessness of this Oriental trait. A shaykh told him that the King of Ashantee, whom he had visited, had twenty-four houses full of gold, and that the Sultan of Houssa had seventy thousand horses always standing saddled before his palace, in order that he might take his choice when he wished to ride out. "By this," says Mr. Taylor, "he did not mean that the facts were precisely so, but only that the king was very rich and the Sultan had a great many horses. In order to give the shaykh an idea of the great wealth and power of the American nation, I was obliged to adopt the same plan. I told him, therefore, that our country was two years' journey in extent, that the treasury consisted of four thousand houses filled to the roof with gold, and that two hundred thou- sand soldiers on horseback kept Continual guard around Sultan Fillmore's palace. He received these tremendous statements with the utmost serenity and satisfaction, carefully writing them in his book together with the name of Sultan Fillmore, whose fame has, ere this, reached {he utmost regions of Timbuctoo." The distinguishing virtue of the Arab is his hospitality. Although hospitality is a virtue common to all Oriental peoples, it is among the Bedween that it reaches its highest perfection. It is not only their characteristic virtue, but, as has been said, it is the centre from which all other virtues radiate. The Arabian idea of hospitality is wider in its scope and more ex- THE HOSPITABLE ARAB. 27 acting in its obligations than the western mind can readily comprehend. It is said to be utterly devoid of selfish consid- erations, and it calls for a larger measure of self-sacrifice than is required by any other duty. Burckhardt in his travels through Palestine found many illustrations of this Oriental virtue. At an encampment of the Szowaleha Bedween the Arabs had a long and fierce dispute among themselves to decide who should have the honor of entertainino; him. In that tribe he who first sees a strane-er approaching, and j)r6empts . ' ' '""'' "~ '" him by saying : " There comes my guest," has the right of ■ entertaining him, at whatever / tent he may alight; and this custom naturally opens many a question of precedence in the nomination of the "com- ing man." Burckhardt also tells of his alighting on one occasion with his party at the tent of a shaykh who was dying of a wound he had received several days before. The party was received with great cordiality, without the slightest intimation being given of the serious condition of their host — the shaykh remaining during the evening in an adjoining apartment, stifling his groans. The family had supposed that if the guests were informed of their host's suffering it would keep them from enjoying their meal, and it was not until the party left the camp on the day following that they learned the true state of affairs. AN ARAB BOY. 28 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. As an illustration of the disinterestedness of the Arab's hospitality, Dr. H. Clay Trumbull tells of a visit which his friend and associate, Professor Hilprecht, made to a shaykh in the Lebanon regions. Having been hospitably entertained over night, and supposing that the custom of receiving " bakh- seesh " for entertainment, which prevails along the routes of public travel where Oriental life has suffered by contact with our civilization, prevailed here also, he arranged with an at- tendant to hand a silver coin to the shaykh as they left the tent in the morning. At the first proffer of the silver the shaykh with a kind but decided gesture pushed back the money from him; but when the attendant persisted in offering it, he became terribly aroused. Springing from the stone on which he had been sitting, his terrific passion betraying itself in wild gestures, and drawing himself to his full height, he stood with 'flashing eyes, while his people gathered excitedly around him. "Am I a dog?" he shrieked. "Do they dare to give the shaykh of Zeta money in return for his hospitality?" And with a withering glance he flung the proffered silver at the feet of the frightened muleteer. Lieutenant Lynch tells of the tenure by which a shaykh on the east of the Jordan holds a tract of land which he is privileged to cultivate, the condition being that he shall enter- tain all travelers who may call, with supper and barley for their horses. There is something in this Oriental law of hospitality which goes deeper than the mere duty of providing for those who are in need. To eat with an Oriental is to make a cove- nant of peace and friendship with him. Dr. Trumbull relates that when he entered Palestine by way of the South Country he found the principal well at Beersheba surrounded by a A TYPICAL DRAGOMAN. (29) THE HOSPITABLE ARAB. 31 motley crowd of quarrelsome Bedween watering their camels. His cautious Moorish dragoman warned him not to venture among those "'wild Azazimen'" as he called them; but, not heeding the warning, he rushed in among them, and thereby put himself upon their hospitality before they had time to ward him off, as they were accustomed to treat strangers. As soon as he was within their circle he was asked why he did not make request for a drink of water if he wished to be received as a friend. He accepted their suggestion, and when he had drank from one of their buckets he was immediately welcomed as a friend. There is still another element in Oriental hospitality esjDec- ially noticeable among the Arabs, and that is the idea of "sanctuary," which secures to the guest protection by his host, even though all the personal interests of the host, as well as the apparent claims of justice, are against granting asylum to the person seeking it. " What is there," writes Volney, " more noble than that right of asylum so respected among all the tribes? A stranger, nay; even an enemy, touches the tent of a Bedwy, and from that instant his person becomes inviolable. It would be reckoned a disgraceful meanness and indelible shame to satisfy even a just vengeance at the expense of hospi- tality." The same writer cites a case of a rebel from Damas- cus who took refuge among the Druses in the Lebanon region, and who was demanded by the emeer of Damascus from the shaykh whose hospitality the fugitive had sought. The shaykh replied: "When have you known the Druses deliver up their guests ? Tell the emeer that as long as Talhouk shall preserve his beard not a hair of the head of his suppliant shall fall." After trying other threats, the emeer declared that he would cut down fifty mulberry trees a day until the shaykh sur- S2 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. rendered liis guest. The mulberry trees were the main support of the tribe, but their destruction would not induce the Druses to violate the right of sanctuary. When the emeer had cut down a thousand trees, other tribes were aroused in defence of the sliaykh, and the commotion became general, until the fugi- tive reproached himself with the trouble he was causing, and fled to avoid bringing his faithful friend to ruin. Warburton tells a remai-kable story of a sliaykh who was seeking the life of Elfy Bey, a deadly enemy of his friend and ally, Osraan. One day, while the sliaykh was absent from his tent, Elfy Bey entered it boldly, and hastily ate a bit of bread which he found there. The shaykh's wife, recognizing him, said: "I know you, Elfy Bey, and my husband's life perhaps at this moment depends upon his taking yours. Rest now and refresh yourself; then take the best horse you can find and fly. The moment you are out of our horizon, and the sun is above it, the tribe will be in pursuit of you." When this story reached the ears of Osman, he demanded of the old sliaykh if his wife had really saved the life of their deadliest foe. "Most true, praised be Allah!" rej^lied the shaykli, drawing himself proudly up, and presenting a jewel- hilted dagger to the old boy. " This weapon," he continued, " was your gift to me in the hour of your favor. Had I met Elfy Bey, it should have freed you from your enemy. Had my wife betrayed the hospitality of the tent, it should have drank her blood! Now it is yours again. If you will, you may use it against me." And the Arab flung it at the Marme- luke's feet. Although capable of intense bitterness towards those of a different faith, the Arab's prejudices do not destroy his reason. "I remember on one occasion," says Mr. Hay, "we had arrived UNVEILED ARAB ^A^OMAN (33) THE HOSPITABLE ARAB. 35 at a door near which we were to pitch our tents when a crowd of Arabs surrounded us, cursing and swearing at the ' rebellers against God.' My friend, who Sj^oke a little Arabic, turning around to an elderly person, whose garb bespoke him a priest, said : ' Who taught you that we were disbelievers ? Hear my daily prayer, and judge for yourselves!' He then repeated tlie Lord's Prayer. All stood amazed and silent, till the priest exclaimed : ' May God curse me if I ever curse again those who hold such belief! Nay, more, that prayer shall be my prayer till my hour be come. I pray thee, O Nazarene, rej^eat the prayer, that it may be remembered and written among us in letters of gold.'" Speaking of their reputation for brigandage, a writer in the British Encyclopedia says: "The Bedween regard the plundering of caravans or travelers, whether on business or otherwise, simply as a supplementary measure that takes the place of passports or custom dues exacted elsewhere. The land is theirs, they say, and trespassers on it without leave must pay the forfeit. Hence whoever can show anything equivalent to a permission of entrance into their territory has, in the regular course of things, nothing to fear. The permission is obtained by securing the protection of the nearest Bedwy shaykh, who, for a politely-worded request and a small sum of money, will readily grant the pass, in the shape of one or two or more men of his tribe, who accompany the wayfarers as far as the next encampment on their road, where they hand their charge over to fresh guides, equally bound to afford the desired safeguard. In the interior of the peninsula the passport is given in writ- ing by one of the local town governors, and is respected by the Bedween of the district ; for, however impudent and unamena- ble to law these nomades may be on the frontiers of the impo- 36 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. tent Ottoman government in Syria or the Hejaz, they are quiet and submissive enouo-h in other and Arab-2:overned reo-ions of the peninsula. But the rash traveler who ventures on the desert strip without the precautions above mentioned is likely enough to atone for his negligence by the loss of his luggage ; and should he resist, perhaps his life also." Kev. Dr. Henry H. Jessup, of the American Presbyterian Mission at Beirut, Syria, in a letter to the writer, after confirm- ing what has been said of the unbounded hospitality of the Arabs, sjjeaks in high j^raise of their love for their children. Nowhere, he says, are parents more devoted to their children, and since education has become available they are all anxious to give their little ones the best school ojDjoortunities. Arab children are very bright, attractive and lovable, and will com- pare favorably with the children of any other people. They are exceedingly apt in learning, and Dr. Jessup says there are many little boys and girls attending the schools of his mission who recite by heart whole chapters of the Bible. The Arabs are naturally a religious people, and a man without a religion of some sort would be looked upon as a strange creature. They believe in divinely inspired books, though they may choose the Koran over the Bible. Dr. Jessup adds some exceedingly interesting notes about these interesting people. " Many of their educated men," he says, " trained in their missionary colleges and schools are now filling high positions as educators, clerks, business managers, physicians, preachers and teachers, in all parts of Syria, in Egypt and North Africa. They have caught the new enter- prising spirit of Western civilization and are starting out in a new Phenician migration to the ends of the earth, seeking to better their condition : and at some time in the future the more THE HOSPITABLE ARAB. 37 solid and reliable part of them will come back to benefit and elevate their country." The Arabs make excellent Christians. The evangelical churches scattered throughout Syria have many members whose pure and consecrated lives, Dr. Jessup says, are a living witness to their sincerity and faith. Dr. Jessup names several Syrian believers who have been an honor to the church of Christ. Asaad-esh Shidiak, the first martyr of Madera Syria, was stoned to death, and walled up in a room in the monastery of Kanno- bin by order of the Maronite Patriarch. Abii Mousoor, of the Hasbeiqa church, during the massacres of 1860, was cut in pieces by the Druses' battle-axes Avhile on his knees praying for his fellow-Christians and for their Druse enemies. On Dr. Jessup's visit to the United States in 1864 he brought a box of Syrian curiosities, the gift of a Syrian Chris- tian, who desired that they be sold and the proceeds be used to supply Testaments for the sick and wounded prisoners in our American war. The box was sold, and the proceeds from the sale of these curiosities was used in purchasing about fifteen hundred Testaments. In 1860, when the Moslems and Druses in Damascus were engaged in massacring the Christians and burning their houses, the famous Arab prince, the Emir Abdal Radix, of Algiers, mounted his horse, and drew his sword, and at the head of his faithful bodyguard of 100 Algerians charged on the infuriated mob who were engaged in the massacre, drove them off, and rescued 11,000 Christians, whom he conducted to the great fortress enclosure, and had them guarded and fed until they could be removed to Beirut. President Lincoln sent him a present of a pair of gold-mounted navy revolvers, and he re- ceived j^resents from all the crowned heads of Europe. 38 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. I may add that in what I have said of Arabian traits I have had chiefly in mind the nomadic tribes of Arabia and Syria. These,, however, do not differ widely in their characteristic vir- tues from the settled Arabs who compose a large part of the population of Western Asia and Northern Africa. FLOWERSELLKRS IN THE RAMBLA (BARCELONA) (40) ANDALUSIAN DANCER, JJY Rafael Arroyo. III. THE STRENGTH OF SPAIN. Few countries have fared so badly at the hands of un- sympathetic travelers as Spain. George Augusta Sala in a fit of disgust wrote from a Spanish town: "I would not bring my maiden aunt, I would not bring my spinster cousin, I would not bring any lady, unless she were another Ida Pfeiffer or Lady Hester Stanhope, to the town or the inn or the room in which I am now dwelling." Mr. Henry Blackburn, another sparkling but undiscriminating writer, could see nothing among the Spaniards but their abominable abuse of the cigar- ette and their more provoking way of playing practical jokes upon travelers inquiring for directions. A far wiser traveler, M. Thieblin, in answering the criticisms of these gentlemen, intimates that both wrote while in a pet over some personal inconveniences to which they were subjected. Another writer, Miss Mary Eyre, a more merciless critic of Spain than either Sala or Blackburn, seems to have come by her opinion in a most natural way. According to M. Thieblin, she traveled in Spain with no other companion than her little dog, probably in one of those English traveling costumes which are such puzzles to continental eyes, and without any considerable knowledge of the Spanish language. As everyone knows, a Spanish lady is never to be seen alone even in a walk, and Miss Eyre's conduct naturally excited the gravest suspicion. Frequently she was followed by a batch of street boys who (41) 42 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. greatly annoyed her, and sometimes she would stop and try to deliver them a speech, telling them she was an author and that she proposed to tell all the world what savages the Spaniards were, which, of course, caused the boys to annoy her still more. True to her word. Miss Eyre on her return gave vent to her views, spreading "the most absurd accusations against a nation of which it has been said that even a beggar is a gentleman if you know how to approach him." Over against a long shelf of books setting forth the loose- ness of Spanish morals and the horrid ways of Spanish women, however, may be placed the observations of a few men who have lived in Spain long enough to fathom the depths of Spanish character, and who are unanimous in the opinion that the popu- lar notions of Spain and of the Spaniards are almost wholly erroneous, if not absurd. In answer to the charge that the morals of the Spanish women are not very strict, the writer whom I have just quoted says that when one comes to really know them one will not only admire them, but will "actually experience the contagion of their virtue." At all events, he insists, there is no country in Europe in which one can find such pure enjoyment in intercourse with ladies as in Spain. Speaking of the lovely features of Spanish beauties, he says that their charms are all the more captivating because of one's conscious- ness that they cannot be bought. Such a thing as a young girl marrying for money or for any social consideration what- ever is almost unknown in Spain. To win her one must win her heart. It is said that if a young girl marries an old man she runs the risk of being thrown out of society, and that all the women in the community, even those of the humblest extraction, will be at pains to make her feel that they ai-e far purer than she. While a Spanish girl may be more or less THE STRENGTH OF SPAIN. 43 fickle, like the girls of other nations, when she marries she is as a rule as trustful and as loving as any woman in the world, and if her life jjroves unhappy no one will ever know it, as she will never carry her complaints to a divorce court. The Spanish girl loves for love's sake, and never makes any in- quiries as to the j^ecuniary ability of her lover. The popular notion that every Spanish woman smokes has no foundation except the fact that cigars are used by the workingwomen of the tobacco factories and by a few ladies from Cuba — a fact which should have no more weight than anything that may be truthfully said with regard to the use of snuff in America. No Spanish lady, says M. Thieblin, ever smokes. Nor is she a wine-drinker. In most parts of Spain the women scarcely know the taste of wine, water being their only beverage. " To those who know Spain only from reading Spanish stories," says M. Thieblin,* "the love affairs in that country appear always as necessarily connected with serenading and knife struggles of the rabbles. This is greatly exaggerated. The serenading of one's beloved is occasionally still to be met with in Andalusia, where the climate and all the habits of life greatly encourage it, but in other parts of Spain the business is gone through in the usual European indoor way. As to knives, if they are used between two men who happen to fall in love with the same woman, their indiscriminate manipula- tion in such cases be2;ins to be resjarded as a romantic extrava- gance provided for in the penal code." M. Thieblin insists that his profound admiration for the Sj)anish woman does not limit itself to her appearance or features ; it is her kindness and tenderness of heart which is * Spain and the Spaniards, by M. Thieblin. Boston : Lee & Shepard. 44 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITT. clearly perceptible in every act of her life, which attracts the traveler even more than her external attractions. One meets in the lower classes almost as many illustrations of the w^omanly character as in the higher circles. "The wife of the peasant is just as loving to her husband, just as careful of her children, and just as kind to everybody surrounding her as the wife of the grandee. Whether you knock at the door of an inn or an isolated farm, all the women of the house come to receive you, and there is not a thing that will be refused you. If you fall ill, whether it be at a hotel or a lodging-house or the residence of a friend, you may be perfectly sure of having such kind attention paid you as you could scarcely find in your own home. All day long the ladies, old and young, as well as all the servant girls of the house, will not leave you alone for a moment; they will surround you and enervate you through the minute attentions they will show you." In 1805 Chateaubriand wrote: "Spain separated from other nations presents yet a history and an original character: the foundation of manners may yet save her; and when the people of Europe are exhausted by corruption, she alone may reap- pear with splendor on the scene of the world, because the foundation of manners is still undisturbed." The habit of politeness is still, perhaps, the chief possession of the Spanish people. I do not mean a mere outward civility, but a genuine courtesy born of real kindness of heart for the want of which, as has been said, there is no compensation. It cannot be de- nied that "the tone of voice and those forms of address which in individuals are the signs of proper bringing up are to a nation the source and stay of their good order and well-being." "The Spanish," says Mr. Urquhai't, "have a dignity which we take for pride, and none of our so-called ease which to GIRL OF SARAGOSSA. (45) THE STRENGTH OF SPAIN. 47 tliem is vulgarity." Civility and ceremony are not monopo- lized by any particular class. The humblest address each other with the same forms used by the people of the higher class. Spaniards never require an introduction to know each other on the street, and so they never pass without salutation. No one ever eats in the presence of others without asking them to join him. The head of the house treats his servant as he would an equal. A beggar is rarely turned away, and even a prince in refusing him will say, " Pardon me, brother." " To the honor of Spain," says Borrow, "be it spoken, that it is one of the few countries in Euro2:>e where jDOverty is never insulted nor looked on with contempt. In their social intercourse no people exhibit a juster feeling of what is due to the dignity of human nature. I have said that it is one of the few countries in Europe where poverty is not treated with contempt; I may add, where the wealthy are not blindly idolized." The Spaniard loves to give you his good-will. A respect- ful inquiry always meets a courteous answer and a hearty offer of assistance. A writer has said that if you ask a Spaniard your way he will not be content with pointing it out to you, but will generally accompany you. A little kindness goes a great way, and the worst insult is mistrust. Mr. Urquhart tells the story of an English merchant in Spain who, having no money in his pocket, gave a handful of cigars to a bpcrcrnr. Three years afterwards this merchant was seized near his country house by a band of robbers. While they were engaged in try- nig to fix upon his ransom, an absent comrade rode up, dis- mounted, and approaching the prisoner saluted him and asked if he did not remember having given at such a time and place a handful of cigars to a beggar. Then, turning to his com- 48 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. rades, lie said: "This is my benefactor; whoever lays his hand on him hiys it on me." Another side of Spanish character is illustrated in an in- terview which Mr. Urquhart had with a French merchant. The conversation turned upon the Spanish mercantile character. The merchant said that there is no public credit in our sense, but there is real credit, for man trusts man. A great traffic had been carried on through the Basque provinces during the Continental blockade. No books were kept; the recovery of debts by legal process was impossible; yet was it distinguished by the most perfect confidence and an entire absence of failures and embezzlement. This statement was afterwards confirmed by Mr. George Jones, of Manchester, who managed the largest English concern in the Basque provinces during the war. He had no clerks; all goods were disembarked and put in ware- houses. He could keep no record of accounts. The mule- teers came themselves to get the bales, and all he could do was to tell them what the bales contained, and receive their own note of what they had taken to the amount of three hundred thousand pounds. Yet there was but one parcel missing. Several years afterward a priest brought him fifty dollars, which was the value of the missing bale of goods, saying, "Take that and ask no questions." Everywhere in Spain one will find domestic affection, love between master and servants, tenderness for the afflicted, and aid for the needy. It is said that the Spaniard does not woo his wife only, but her relatives also ; and when they fall into distress he supports them with a generosity "that is only out- done by the delicacy with which it is applied." The natural kindness of heart for which Spaniards are distinguished has many illustrations in the character of the charitable institutions THE STRENGTH OF SPAIN. 49 of the country. A writer in 3Iacmillan's Magazine, speak- ino- of the Cadiz hospicio, says that it may be best described as an Enoiish workliouse stripped of its bitterness and invested with many privileges. It is a real rest; a real home for the respectable poor ; a refuge for the young women who are home- less and out of places ; a school and home for children, and an asylum for the aged of both sexes. The place is open to all who need assistance on their presenting at the door an order from the town government testifying that they are respectable. The aged poor come in to live and die surrounded by all the little comforts that old age stands in need of. If they like they can go out for a little time to visit their friends and return to their home again. On all the feast days (and their name is legion) their friends and relatives have free access to them, as well as on Sunday. Friends may bring them whatever they like in the shape of food or wine, or if they have money they can send out and buy it for themselves. IV. GLEAMS FROM DARKEST AFRICA. Fkom time immemorial Africa has been a synonym of darkness. We have heard so much of its dark side that we receive with suspicion any intimation that it has any otlier side. Yet there is a bright side even to the Dark Continent. Short- sighted globe-trotters who have skirted its coasts have seen nothing but the wildest savagery ; but Livingstone, wdio jDierced the heart of Africa, and at the same time reached the heart of the African people, while seeing much that was unspeakable, has written out of his experiences a chapter on human kind- ness that has scarcely a parallel. Almost everywhere he went, he tells us, the people were unceasing in their efforts to please him, and he was touched with the kindness of heart and con- sideration which they showed for him. Once in the good graces of an African of almost any tribe, and there is nothing that he is not willing to do to jDrove his friendship. Livingstone tells * of a chief who visited him in his tent, and, after closing the door so that none of his peojDle might see his extravagance, drew from his bosom a string of beads and the end of a conical shell, which is considered in the interior of Africa of as great value as a Lord Mayor's badge. " He hung it around my head and said: 'There, now, you have a proof of my friendship.'" Livingstone was informed that * Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa, by David Livingstone. New York : Harper & Brothers. (50) GLEAMS FROM DARKEST AFRICA. 51 the shells were so highly valued as marks of distinction that for two of them one might buy a slave. Elsewhere, s^^eaking of the constant efforts of the savages to show him kindness, Livingstone writes: "Our progress down the Barotse valley was just like this, every village gave us an ox, and sometimes two. The people were wonderfully kind. I felt and still feel most deeply grateful, and tried to benefit them in the only way I could, by imparting the knowledge of that Saviour who could comfort and supply them in the time of need, and my prayer is that he may send his good Spirit to instruct them and to lead them into his kingdom. Even now I earnestly long to return, and to make some recompense to them for their kindness in passing them on my way to the North. Their liberality might have been supposed to be in- fluenced by the hope of repayment on our return, for the white man's land is imagined to be the source of every ornament they prize most. But though we set out from Loanda with a considerable quantity of goods, . . . the many delays caused by sickness made us expend all my stock, and all the goods my men procured by their own labor at Loanda, and we returned to the Makalolo as poor as when we set out. Yet no distrust was shown, and my poverty did not lessen my influ- ence. They saw that I had been exerting myself for their benefit alone, and even my men remarked, 'Though we re- turned as poor as we went, we have not gone in vain.' " The writer adds, however, that although the Makalolo were so con- fiding to him, they are not so to every individual who visits them. "Much of my influence depended upon the good name li'iven me by the Bakwains, and that I secured only through a long course of tolerably good conduct. No one ever gains much influence in this country without purity and uprightness. 52 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. The acts of a stranger are keenly scrutinized by both young and old, and seldom is a judgment pronounced, even by the heathen, unfair or uncharitable. I have heard women speak- ing in admiration of a white man because he was pure, and never was guilty of any secret immorality. Had he been they would have known it and, untutored heathen though they be, would have despised him in consequence." The politeness with which food is offered to strangers by most of the interior tribes of Africa deeply impresses the traveler. "Again and again," says Livingtone, "I have heard an apology made for the smallness of the present, the regret expressed that they had not received notice of my approach in time to grind more, and generally they readily accepted our excuse of having nothing to give in return, by saying that they were quite aware that there are no white men's goods in the interior. When I had it in my power I always gave some- thing really useful. To Katema, Shinte and others I gave presents which cost me about two pounds each, and I could return to them at any time without having a character for stinginess. How some men can offer three buttons or some other equally contemptible gift while they have abundance in their possession is to me unaccountable. They surely do not know, when they write it in their books, that they are declar- ing that they have compromised the honor of Englishmen. The people receive the offering with a degree of shame, and ladies may be seen to hand it quickly to the attendants, and when they retire laugh until the tears stand in their eyes, say- ing to those about them, 'Is that a white man? Then there are niggards among them, too. Some of them are born without hearts.' . . . When these tricks are repeated the natives come to the conclusion that people who show such a want of GLEAMS FROM DARKEST AFRICA. 55 sense must be told their duty; they therefore let them know what they ought to give, and travelers then complain >vith being pestered with their 'shameless begging.'" The characteristic virtue of the Neo-ro tribes of Central Africa is their kindness to strangers. Among the Manganja tribe, who live on the banks of the Shire, a northern tributary of the Zambesi, kindness to strangers is a very striking na- tional trait. The simple people have a well understood code of etiquette, a ceremony for the reception and treatment of strangers. The moment a stranger enters one of their villages he is conducted to an open space in the middle of the settle- ment, which is used as a place of general resort, and seated on a mat while the chief of the village is sent for. The arrival of the chief is hailed by loud clapping of hands, which con- tinues until he and his councillors have taken their seats. Livingstone thus describes the scene : " Our guides then sit down in front of the chief and his councillors, and both parties lean forward and look earnestly at each other. The chief re- peats a word, such as, ' Ambuiata' (our father and master), or 'Moio' (life), and all clap their hands. Another word is fol- lowed by two claps, and a third by still more clapping, and each touches the ground with both hands placed together, then all rise and lean forward with measured cla]^, and sit down again with clap, clap, clap, fainter and still fainter, until the last dies away or is brought to an end by a smart, loud clap from the chief. They keep perfect time in this species of court etiquette. The hand-clapping ceremony over, the chief man among the strangers, if an African, addresses the chief in rudely improvised blank verse. He narrates the style and quality of his companions, who they are, where they came from, and where they are going, and their business as far 56 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. as he knows, and, if he does not know, what he supposes it to be." These Manganja people are of very pleasant dispositions, careless and full of good cheer. They are characterized by travelers who have visited them as a very lively race, always singing the j oiliest songs and, if properly humored, making themselves the most amusing companions. The women are especially good-natured, and some of them are very handsome. Livino'stone tells of a female chieftain who attached herself to his cavalcade in the early years of his explorations. Though a little in advance of her age in Africa, yet she may be taken as the type of the strong-minded female to be developed later in that benighted land. She would march all day ahead of Livingstone's party, and when the camp was formed in the evening she would go from hut to hut, and beg a little maize for the white man's supper, which she would grind and cook with her own hands like any African woman of lowly rank. She was most punctilious as to the respect and courtesies due her position, and if they were once infringed upon she speedily let her displeasure be known in a most excited manner. Care- ful as to etiquette, she as carefully inculcated politeness in others. To this description of the strong-minded chieftain of Bolondo Dr. Brown adds : " It may be unnecessary to say that her husband — Sambanza — was the meekest of men, and quite knew his position in the w^orld." The Kaffirs of Southern Africa are a cheerful, careless and light-hearted race. Their color is a blackish red, their hair is crisp inclining to curl, but the nose is not so flat, as a rule, as that of the Negro; and they have shown far more aptitude for civilization than the black man. They have good intellects and are keen and subtle in an argument. The Kaffir loves to GLEAMS FROM DARKEST AFRICA. 57 chop words, to split hairs. " Gil Bias," says Dr. Brown, " never lay in wait with more zest for an unwary traveler with whom to enter into a logical discussion than does Bishop Colen- so's ' intelligent Zulu.' " The Kaffirs are not only dignified in bearing, but they have a high sense of honor. They are far from revengeful, and are slow to take affront at a trifle. As a rule, they are affectionate in their families, and are attached to their homes and also to their country. Speaking of the hos|)it- ality of one of the Kaffir nations, Makalolo, Livingstone says the people of every village treated him most liberally, present- ing, besides oxen, buttermilk and meal, "more than we could store away in our canoe. The cows in this valley are now yielding, as they frequently do, more milk than the people can use, and both men and women present butter in such quanti- ties that I shall be able to refresh my men as we go along. . . . They always make their presents gracefully. When an ox is given, the owner would say, 'Here is a bit of bread for you.' This was pleasing, for I had been accustomed to the Bechuanas presenting a miserable goat with the pompous exclamation, ' Behold an ox.' The women insisted on giving me copious suj^plies of shrill praises or lullilooing; but although I fre- quently told them to modify their great 'lords' and great 'lions' to more humble expressions, they so evidently intended to do me honor that I could not help being pleased with the good creatures' wishes for our success." Livingstone also relates that when he left the Makalolo land for the cape the natives made a garden and i^lanted corn for him that he misjht have food to eat when he returned. Another writer says that hospitality is so ingrained in the social economy of the Kaffirs that one of their most cogent arguments in favor of polygamy is that the man with one wife is unable 58 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. to entertain strangers in the manner he ought; and more espec- ially is this a weighty reason when the women are the chief cultivators and have control over the cows and their stores. The Kaffir women are better treated than the women of most savage races, though they are regarded as inferior to the men. It is true that the wife is always purchased, but this is only regarded as an equivalent to her father for the loss of her ser- vices, and a girl regards it as an honor to be sold, especially if she brings a good price. Neither is the selling of a girl a degradation in the eyes of parents, while a young Kaffir would think himself disgraced if he accepted a wife without paying for her. Though of low civilization, Kaffirs know it is better to reason with a woman than to beat her, and they have learned to have recourse to moral suasion. When a man marries for the first time all the cows which he possesses are regarded as her property. "Theoretically," writes Mr. Shooter, an au- thority on Kaffir customs, " the husband can neither sell nor dis- pose of his cattle without his wife's consent. If he desires to take a second wife and needs any of the cattle to pay for her he must obtain her concurrence. This is usually secured by flattery or coaxing. If she complies with her husband's desires and furnishes cattle to purchase a new wife, she is entitled to the service of the newcomer and calls her ' my Avife.'" The Bechuanas are probably the least amiable of all the Kaffir tribes, and are said to be very cruel toward their rela- tives, and show little natural feeling of regard for their wives or children ; yet they are not a quarrelsome peo2)le, and are persevering and industrious — virtues which, as some one has said, go a long way in the savage's life to make up what are looked upon, in civilized society, as gross offences. And it may be added that, as cruel as Kaffirs may be, they have not GLEAMS FROM DARKEST AFRICA. 59 shown a tithe of the cruelty and injustice toward their kindred which, from all accounts, the civilized whites have shown to them. Says an English writer : "We Britons are not blameless in this respect, and among our inglorious little wars those known by the name of 'the Kaffir' do not shine first on our bead-roll of glory." The Hottentots, unlike the other African natives, are not dark, but yellow, bearing a striking resemblance to the Chi- nese. The popular notion used to be that the Hottentots were the lowest of the human race. While their j^lace in the scale of intellectuality is certainly very low, their moral character is far better than many of the African nations. They have an in- exhaustible fund of good humor, and take things pleasantly and easily, though they are impatient of restraint and find regular employment irksome. The most harmless savasfes of Southern Africa are the Ovambos. The term by which they designate themselves means " the merry people," though it is said that it will require an African education to appreciate their mirth. They are humane to their sick and aged, and have the reputation of being abso- lutely honest. They are very industrious, and their herdsmen are well to do, possessing large droves of cattle and flocks of goats. Like the Chinese, they have a very high opinion of themselves, and a very low opinion of other people. Henry M. Stanley, the explorer, tells a remarkable story illustrating the better side of the African. In transporting goods over the mountains a number of robberies had been committed, and it was found that the last man in the whole party whom Stanley would have wished to accuse of theft was found guilty — the noble, brave, and hitherto reliable Uledi. True as steel in the hour of dan2;er, thinkino; nothino; of his 60 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. life if Stanley desired him to risk it, he had yielded to the temptation to steal, not mere trifles, but goods upon which the very existence of Stanley's party might depend. Stanley had declared that the next man he caught stealing should be left in the hands of the savages as a slave forever, but he would almost as soon have lost his right hand as to have given up Uledi. He therefore called the chiefs together, and made them a speech in which he showed them that their lives depended upon putting a stop to the robberies that had become so fre- quent, and then asked them what should be done with Uledi, on whose person stolen goods had been found. The principal chief would not answer at first, but on being pressed said at last that it was very hard, seeing it was Uledi. Had it been anybody else he would have voted to pitch him into the river, but now he could only give his vote for a flogging. The rest of the chiefs concurred in this proposal. Stanley then turned to the boat's crew, of which Uledi was cockswain, and by whom he was dearly beloved. The watch- man of the boat said : "Ah, it is a hard question, master. He is like our elder brother ; but as the fathers of the people have spoken, be it so ; yet for our sakes, master, beat him only a little." Stanley next called up Zaidi, by whose side Uledi had clung all night in the midst of the cataract, thus saving his life. " Remember it is Uledi, master," said Zaidi. Then he called Uledi's brother. " Spare Uledi, master ; but if he must be flogged, give me half of it. I shall not feel it if it is for Uledi." Finally Stanley called upon the poor culprit's cousin, who replied in a speech which the London AthencBum said would stand beside that of Jeanie Dean's when pleading for her sister. GLEAMS FROM DARKEST AFRICA. 61 "Will the master give his slave liberty to speak?" " Yes," replied Stanley. Coming before him and clasp- ing his feet with his hands, the poor fellow said : "The master is wise. All things that hajDpen he writes in a book. Each day there is something written. We black men know nothing, neither have we any memory. What we saw yesterday is to-day forgotten. Yet the master forgets nothing. Perhaps, if the master will look into his book, he may see something in it about Uledi ; how Uledi behaved on Lake Tanganika ; how he rescued Zaidi from the cataract ; how he has saved many men, whose names I cannot remember, from the river — Bill Ali, Mabruki, Kom-kusi and others ; how he worked harder on the canoe than any three men; how he has been the first to listen to your voice always ; how he has been the father of the boat-boys. With Uledi, master, the boat- boys are good and ready, without him they are nothing. Uledi is Shumari's brother. If Uledi is bad, Shumari is good. Uledi is my cousin. If, as the chiefs say, Uledi should be punished, Shumari says he will take half the punishment; then give Saywa the other half, and set Uledi free. Saywa has spoken." All this was spoken in a low, humble tone, while the pleading man's head was bowed at the explorer's feet. Unable to resist such an appeal, Stanley replied: "Very well; Uledi, by the voice of the people, is con- demned ; but as Shumari and Saywa have promised to take the punishment on themselves, Uledi is set free and Shumari and Saywa are pardoned." The moment the j)oor culprit was set free he stepped for- ward and said: " Master, it was not Uledi who stole — it was the devil which entered into his heart." Nearly all the natives of Africa have an amiable desire to 62 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. please, and they often tell what they imagine will be gratifying rather than the uninteresting naked truth. " Let a native from the interior," says Livingstone,* " be questioned by a thirsty geographer whether the mountains around his youthful home are high. From a dim recollection of something of the sort, combined with a desire to please, the answer will be in the af ^ firmative, and so will it be if this subject of inquiry be gold or unicorns . . . English sportsmen, though first-rate shots at home, are notorious for the number of misses on first trying to shoot in Africa. Everything is on such a large scale, and there is such a glare of bright sunlight, that some time is re- quired to enable them to judge of distances. 'Is it wounded?' inquired a gentleman of his dark attendant, after firing at an antelope. 'Yes, the bullet went right into his heart.' These small wounds never proving fatal, he asked a friend who un- derstood the language to explain to the man that he preferred the truth in every case. 'He is my father,' replied the native, 'and I thought he would be displeased if I told him that he never hit it at all.' But great as this failing is among the free, it is more annoying among the slaves. One Can scarcely induce a slave to translate anything truly, he is so intent on thinking of what will please." One may say that Livingstone spoke rather extravagantly of the better side of the African natives, but who can blame him? No man ever won the hearts of a people more completely than he won the hearts of the simple savages of the Dark Continent. And they were always ready to lay down their lives for him. Once when he was sick his servants carried him for sixteen days on a hammock suspended from poles resting on their * Narrative of an Expedition to the Zambesi, by David and Charles Living- stone. New York : Harper & Brothers. LIVINGSTONE'S LAST JOURNEY. (63) GLEAiMS FB03I DARKEST AFRICA. 65 heads, and when he died loving hands bore his body more than half-way across the continent to the sea-coast, that he might be laid to rest in his own land. The story of this won- derful funeral procession is almost without a parallel in the history of human kindness. As they traveled many of the natives began to succumb to fever, and after journeying a hundred miles the entire party became so ill that they were compelled to stop for a month's rest. Difficulties beset them at every step of the way. In one district the natives tried to prevent the passage of the funeral procession through the country, and they would doubtless have desecrated the body if the party had not taken the precaution to hide it in some bales of calico. After a painful journey of six months the party reached Zanzibar, where the body of Livingstone was placed in charge of the English Consul, who sent it to England to be buried in Westminster Abbey. The savage Negro in his African home is childish, fickle, affectionate, and easily affected by kindness or ill treatment. It is a mistaken notion that the Negroes are as a whole a cruel race. It is true that tliey are guilty of many brutalities in some of their customs ; but these crudities are not the mere gratification of revenge, but are often religious rites to propi-r tiate the wrath of their gods. The torture of prisoners is prac- tically unknown among them, though prisoners are frequently slaughtered in connection with their fetish rites. "The black man," says Sir Samuel Baker, "is a curious anomaly of good and bad points, nature bursting forth without any arrangement, like the flowers and thorns of his own wilderness. A creature of impulse, seldom actuated by reflection, the black man as- tounds by his complete obtuseness, and as suddenly confounds you by an unexpected exhibition of sympathy." Mr. Baker 66 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMAXITY. adds that after a long experience ^^'itll African savages he thinks it is as absurd to condemn the Xegro as it is prepos- terous to compare his intellectual capacity %Yith that of the white man, ''It is. unfortunately, the fashion for one pai'ty to uphold the Negro as a superior being, while the other denies him the common powers of reason." In many parts of Africa woman does not occupy such an inferior position as is usually supposed. Living-stone tells of a member of his party who attempted to purchase a goat, and had nearly concluded the bargain when the wife of the mau who had the goat to sell cauie forward and said: "You appear as if you were unmarried; selling a goat without consulting your wife: what an insult to a woman I AVhat sort of a man are you?" The member of Livingstone's party urged the man, saying, "Let us conclude the bargain and never mind her." But he, being better instructed, replied : " Xo. I have raised an host ag-ainst myself already," and refused. "If this was a fair specimen of domestic life," adds Livingstone, "the women lieie have the same intluence that they have in Londa, farther west. and in many parts north of the Zambesi, where we have known a wife to order her husband not to sell a fowl, merely, as we supposed, to show us stranger's that she had the upper hand. We conjectured that deference was commonly shown to women here because, as in the AVest, the exclamation most commonly used was, * Oh, my mother I ' " lu a letter to the writer the Eev. Samuel Philip Verner. a missionary to Africa, says that he has never known the people among whom he labelled to violate hospitality, desert a friend, break the plighted bonds of blood-brotherhood, or leave a wounded comrade. He found tlie people full of natural affec- tion and kindness. "I have known a man," he savs, '• to divide GLEAMS FROM DARKEST AFRICA. 67 a spoonful of salt among lialf a dozen friends." Mr. Verner gives an interesting illustration of this noble trait among tlic natives : " Bunder was my head boy, who insisted on going with me from the coast a thousand miles into the interior, as he said, to tell the people about Jesus. Our adventures together and the instances of his heroic fidelity would fill a volume. Once we were on a march across a long waterless plain. Bunder was leader of the caravan and, as was his right, carried only a light burden. When we reached the camp he was nowhere to be seen ; but after quite a while he came up in the darkness bearing a bale of cloth weighing seventy pounds on his head. Seeing a carrier struggling under the burden, Bunder took it from him and brought it the remainder of the journey himself. He explained that he wanted to relieve his tired 'brother.' " Mr. Verner says that he once left him in charge of his station alone for six weeks with all his goods. The countiy being stirred up by war in his absence. Bunder's people im- plored him to leave for his own safety ; but he remained faith- fully at his post, and Mr. Verner on returning found everything safe and sound. Another of his followers, a man from a can- nibal tribe, risked death by going sixty miles into a hostile tribe alone and unarmed to rescue his wife who had been caught and sold as a slave. Mr. Verner thinks that the Afri- cans in their aboriginal state are in many respects noble people. The Rev. W. T. Lumley, another missionary in Africa, in a letter to the writer, bears testimony to the noble traits of the people among whom he labored. They are known as the Youba people, and they are above the average tribe of the Dark Continent. These people are distinguished for their remark- il 68 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. able perseverance. This is particularly noticeable in their re- ligious habits. No other people cling more tenaciously to the religion in which they have been brought up. " In his farm- ing, blacksmithing, weaving, his marketing, in fact, everything he does, he is dominated by the thought of the particular god of his allegiance, and this thought nourishes him to achieve everything at which he aims. When converted to Christianity his perseverance in his new religion is quite as noticeable." Some noble specimens of manhood have been brought to light by the power of the gospel among the savage Negroes of Africa. Mrs. Hepburn, the widow of the late Dr. Hepburn, the well-known missionary, writing of Khama, a noted Bamang- wato chief, says: "It is now nearly a quarter of a century since Khama and I became friends. We w^ere with him — my husband and I — through these long years in sorrow and in joy; through times of famine and in plenty; through miseries . of war and in the quietude of peace and prosperity. We have tasted persecution together, and together have been permitted to see the desert blossoming as the rose under the good hand of our God upon us. But more than this : for months at a time, while my husband was visiting Lake Ngami, have I been left with my children under Khama's sole protection and guardian- ship ; and no brother could have cared for us more faithfully and kindly. During these absences of the missionary I have often had to assist the chief in interpreting and corresponding for him, and advising him in any questions which might arise, and in all our intercourse I can most gratefully say that he was to me always a true Christian gentleman in w^ord and deed. No one now living knows of ' Khama the Good ' as I know him. Did they do so, they could but honor and trust him as I do fi'om my heart." This remarkable man recently visited England, GLEAMS FROM DARKEST AFRICA. 69 where he won the respect and confidence of the best people. He is of an heroic build unusual in the most enlightened Christian lands. After his conversion to Christianity, his father purchased for him a second wife and ordered him to take her. He replied : " I refuse on account of the Word of God. Lay the hardest task on me with reference to hunting elephants for ivory, or any service you can think of as a token of my obedience, but I cannot take the daughter of Pelutana to wife." V. PLEASANT FRANCE. The popular notion of the Frenchman is that he is super- ficial, vain, frivolous, childish, immoral and inconstant — "nothing much at any time, and nothing very long, and in- variably in the extreme of whatever he is at." It cannot be denied that he is sometimes superficial, often vain, occasionally frivolous and childish, and not seldom immoral and inconstant; yet it would be easy to place over against the charge of super- ficiality an abundance of facts to prove that France has been foremost in every intellectual movement of Europe, and it may as truly be said that if French life has a frivolous side, it has also a serious aspect, though it would be foolish to represent the French as possessed of the loftiest ideas. As some one said, such conduct as that with which we associate the French- man is to a great extent typical of the Celt, who appears the moment we scrape the Romanized Gaul. He has a bright intellect, though he is not often capable of very profound effort, and his love of change is so all-pervading that "on the first opportunity for indulging it he is apt to 'shoot Niagara' without caring or tliinking what comes afterwards." "Com- pleteness of theory," says Dr. Brown, "is his curse; utter want of any capacity for halving the difference so as to arrive at a modus Vivendi, his bane in politics. This, rather than the ingratitude of which he is sometimes accused by critics of his own people, is what tempts a Frenchman to drift from one (70) PLEASANT FRANCE. 71 form of government to another, the superior advantage of which is not apparent to more prosaic spectators." Whatever his infirmities, no one has yet presumed to doubt the Frenchman's courage, his sentiment of discipline or his patriotism. It is certain that no other people in the world have such exquisite tact and such faultless taste in art. The Frenchman's talent for paying compliments is without a parallel. Indeed, he is so anxious to be amiable and say pleasant things that he often runs the risk of being insincere, and, as has been remarked, " of sacrificing truth to originality." "He is so sensitive," says a writer, "to the general sentiments of the world that he is apt to forget the more quiet dictates of conscience." His very amiability is responsible for many of the deeds which have sometimes brought him into bad repute. " A few leaders among the people take a step, and the peojDle, without a moment's hesitation, fearing to be accounted unami- able and obstinate, follow their lead without regard to con- stancy. This, together with the Frenchman's sociability, is largely responsible for the mobs that so often disgrace Paris." Perhaps the chief characteristic of the French people is thrift. Whatever may be their income, a part of it must be saved. It is said to be the aim and end of life throughout France, outside of the extravagant class in cities, to save some- thing for investment. This is pursued to such an extent that it often culminates in stinginess. Lady Verney, writing of country life in the south of France, declares that thrift with the people is the end of life. They do not work to live, they live for the sake of working to lay by, and they begrudge every penny they spend, even for the necessaries of life. But while this may be true, it is worth remembering that the sav- ings which among us go into useless finery or dissipation 72 THE BRIOHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. among the French people go to provide against a rainy day. The working people of France manage better perhaps than the same class in any other nation in the world. Nothing is more universally misunderstood than the place which woman holds in France. In no other country is woman more deferred to, and while her education is less perfect than elsewhere, she certainly makes the most of the opportunities which are offered her. She is rarely beautiful, but always pleasing, vivacious, graceful, and gifted with a lively imagina- tion. What we know, or rather what we do not know, about French morals we have learned from French novels, and the conduct or misconduct of a small circle of the fashionable so- ciety of Paris. Whatever may be said of the loose morals pre- vailing in this set, it is a scandalous aspersion on the French people to say that morality is lower among them than among other nations. As some one has said, this idea of the looseness of morals is due to the loose morals of French writers, who, rather than not be amusing, do not hesitate to invent. The way French girls are brought up renders it difficult for a ro- mance writer to make his story hang on a love affair between a young man and a young woman ; but the reading public de- mands this sort of thing, and so they must fabricate improprie- ties of the character so common on the French stage. The popular notion concerning the everyday life of a Frenchwoman of the middle class is wholly wrong. Instead of being always ready to attend to anything or anyone except her house and her family, she is really absorbed in domestic affairs, " and after she has seen to her domestic duties and to her frequent devotions, or to her embroidery, if she has any leisure the French matron of the middle class has no time for that mischief which Satan finds for idle hands to do." " Girls PLEASANT FRANCE. 73 of this class are brought up so strictly that they never speak to a young man except in the presence of their mother or other elderly persons, and they are expected to be innocent of every- thing not connected with their religious duties and household affairs. The books they read are selected by their parents, and the mothers never weary of warning them against the Amer-. lean girl, who corresponds with any number of young men, and who goes out unattended, or accompanied by young men with whom she has scraped an acquaintance. Such a scandal would never be dreamed of in France — that is, outside of Paris. "In many houses," says Dr. Brown, " when a party is given the young men of the family are sent away until it is over : then the ladies will solemnly dance with each other. The match-making matron who delights in ' bringing young people together ' could have no place in such a neighborhood, for to invite to the same dinner-table two young people of opposite sexes would be considered extremely improper. When a young gentleman considers that the time has ar- rived when he should take unto himself a wife, he inquires among his friends, or asks his mother or some other trusted female relation to aid him ; or if he hears of one endowed with the proper maidenly virtues or a dower (which is indis- pensable), he dispatches an envoy to her parents or guar- dians requesting the honor of an alliance. The young lady is not consulted. Indeed, if the suitor has never seen her before his proposal, he is considered the more perfect gentleman, for in that case such a rude motive as mere love could never have entered into his calculation, and love is a passion which must be entirely eliminated from the French marriage. [Here comes in the canker of French society of which we have al- ready heard too much, but which, it must be remembered, has 74 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. been grossly exaggerated.] The j^arents know what is best for the children, and this being taken as a matter of course, the young couple are supposed to have plenty of time in after life to make each other's acquaintance. Then, if the proposals are agreeable to the parents of the girl, the suitor is introduced, and after a month's subdued courtship — if the interval between the proposal and the wedding deserves such a title — they are mar- ried ; and whatever may be their own private opinion of this system, they are always loud in declaring that it is the best of all possible plans. Their parents were so brought together. Nor — the French drama and novel aside — do these exceedingly prudent marriages turn out badly, Madame being for the most part a good wife and mother, though naturally, the human heart is in France much what it is in other parts of the world* Perhaps the most interesting people of France are the Bretons of Brittainy. These simple peasant folk have pre- served their racial characteristics in a remarkable degree. Their language has nothing in common with the French, being of Celtic origin, and their land still holds numerous relics of the ancient faith of the Druid Celts in many a surviving custom. "Naturally conservative in their ideas," says George Willis Bardwell, " and non-progressive as the Bretons are, their en- vironments tend to keep them so, for their language, differing so widely from the French, and their pursuits — almost entirely agriculture and fishing — which at best yield but small results, give but little opportunity for expansion. What their fathers were they are and their children shall be." Mr. Bardwell adds that notwithstanding their lack in these things they possess other qualities which are not to be lightly esteemed. They are hard-working, uncomplaining, honest, frugal and virtuous. "The bit of land which their fathers tilled, the old hut, the bed, PLEASANT FRANCE. 75 the clock, the furniture, which have belonged to successive gene- rations of one family, are the objects of affectionate care and not to be lightly parted with." The farmer plods on throughout his thi-eescore years and ten, living a life of unremitting toil, while the iisher is exposed to the dangers of a j)erilous coast and to the storms of the North Atlantic, whither he goes to follow his calling. The Bretons are nearly all devout Eoman Catholics. The priests are mostly of the peoj^le, men of small learning and attainments, but sturdy and earnest. The robes which they wear every day are worn and discolored by the storms encoun- tered on their journeys to and from remote farms and huts, whither they go in all weathers to carry medicine and comfort to the sick and the sacrament to the dying. Mr. Bard well says that their influence over these simple and pious folk is very great, and that even the rough sailors treat them with becom- ing deference and respect. The Breton's religion pervades all that he does. A prayer precedes every meal, and the knife describes the sign of the cross upon every piece of bread be- fore it is cut. When a member of the family lies ill, the en- tire household assemble about the sick bed and pray earnestly for the patient's recovery. Writing of some of the quaint customs of the Bretons, Mr. Bardwell says: "In his way the tailor in Brittainy is a most important personage. The cutting and making of clothing is indeed in- cluded among his professional duties, but form, it may be said, only an incidental part of them. It is he who bears the news and gossip of the neighborhood from house to house, who car- ries lovers' messages, and who plays the part of envoy in mar- riage negotiations, besides preparing the trousseau of the bride. 76 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. The men affect to look down upon him as bein^ effeminate, yet they are glad at times to avail themselves of his services. He seldom marries and, if he has a fixed residence, is not often to be found there except in summer. The rest of the time he is traveling from house to house, busy with his scissors and needle. It may readily be imagined how gladly he is wel- comed in parts where newspapers are rare or unknown, and the women get small chance to gossip or exchange confidences. When a young Breton feels himself sufficiently affluent to afford a wife, he sends the tailor to the young woman whom he has selected as having the qualities of good looks and sufficient for- tune with an offer of marriage. The tailor sings his praises, and the girl, if there be no previous attachment, and the young man seems a desirable match, refers the knight of the scissors to her parents. If they are favorably impressed with the young man's qualities and possessions, a day is set when the young man may call on the girl and her people, and the prospective bridegroom is regaled with bread and wine. A time is then fixed when the two families may come together and arrange the terms of the contract. On the day appointed the parents of the two put on their gala dress, and the father and the mother of the young man repair to the home of the future bride. All is in readiness ; the beds are arranged and open for in- spection, the chests of linen likewise, and the portion of the bride arranged in attractive piles of coin in a conspicuous place. The carts and carriages are placed in the yard so that they will show to best advantage, and the horses are well groomed. Sometimes many of the objects are borrowed for the occasion. The object of all this exhibition of goods is to impress the visit- ing party with the prosperity of the girl's relatives, showing the proposed connection to be a desirable one, and allow the PLEASANT FRANCE. 77 latter to demand a good settlement for the young man. When the place is fully inspected and the terms of the marriage con- tract agreed upon, the fathers strike hands upon the bargain and the matter is finally concluded. " Eight days before the marriage the young people separately invite their friends to the wedding, which takes place in the church after a visit to the mayor. The wedding feast is then begun, during the course of which the newly married pair com- port themselves most gravely. After the feast the dance be- gins, and this lasts till midnight." VI. GYPSIES. While the Gypsies (probably a corrupt form of " Egypt- ians ") are supposed by some students to be of Median origin, the majority of scholars agree in identifying them with the pariah, or outcasts, of India. At any rate, it seems quite certain that they are not from Egypt, though their dialect contains many words which at one time were supposed to be Egyptian in origin. In Europe they are known by various names, being called Gueux, or Mattois, in France ; Zieh-Gau- nier in Germany ; Zingari in Italy, and Gitanos in Spain, all of which are nicknames given them by the peasants. They call themselves Romni. While it must be admitted that the Gypsies are born thieves, and that they are capable of violent passions and almost fiendish vindictiveness, it cannot be denied that they have some virtues which they have developed to a remarkable degree. For instance, they are exceedingly courteous and they are always ready to forgive. It is said that they hardly know how to resist a show of affability or an approach to renewed friendship on the part of one who has offended them. They are secretive and full of cunning, but these are the natural fruits of the war which they have for ages waged against society and society against them. Everyone who knows anything of Gypsy character knows that when once a Gypsy passes his word he will keep it. The old Oriental idea of in- GYPSIES. 79 violate honor towards the wayfarer in their tents has been preserved among them amid many temptations and difficulties. Although their children receive scai'cely any training, they are exceedingly kind to their parents and their parents to them. Parents never punish their small children, but it is said to be quite common for a grown-up son to meekly accept a thrashing from his aged father. Unscrupulous as he is regarding the method of obtaining his supplies, he is just as ready to part with what he has to a friend in worse plight than himself. Mr. Lealand says that he has found them more cheerful, polite and graceful than the lower orders of other races in Europe or America ; and he believes that when their respect and sympathy are secured they are quite as upright. " Like all people who are regarded as outcasts, they are very proud of being trusted, and under this influence will commit the most violent acts of honesty," They have a tact and a del- icacy which one would expect only in loftier spheres, and a love of nature which makes their wild life a pleasure to them. In dealing with the disreputable side of their character, it should be remembered that many of the lowest among them are descendants of vagabond whites who intermarried with them. The Gypsy's acts of theft are as natural to him as breathing. Poor and despised, and often hungry, it seems to him the most natural thing in the world that he should satisfy his appetite or needs at the expense of those who, in his eyes, are burdened with superfluity. He knows it is against the law of the land, but as for its being against a moral law, that is some- thin 2; concernino; which he has never been taught to reflect. One of the most remarkable traits of Gypsy character is the reverence which is universally shown for the dead. " In Eng- land," says Dr. Brown, " a Gypsy will often abstain from 80 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANI2Y. spirits for years because a brother, now dead, was fond of liquor ; or abandon some pursuit by reason of the fact that the deceased when last in his company was engaged in this busi- ness or pastime. Again, a wife or child will often renounce a delicacy most liked by the dead husband or father. They will never mention the dead one's name, and if any of the survivors hapj)en to bear one of the names they will change it for another less apt to recall the loved one." Mr. Lealand tells us of a Gypsy who declined a cigar which he offered to him because in the pockets of his nephew some cigars were found after his death. The same man ceased using snuff after his wife's death. " Some men," said a Gypsy, whom Mr. Lealand quotes, " won't eat meat because a brother or sister who had died was fond of it ; some won't drink ale for five or six years ; some won't eat a favorite fish that a child ate ; some won't eat pota- toes or drink milk or eat ap^^les, and all for the dead. Some won't play cards or a fiddle, and some won't dance. ' No, I can't dance ; the last time I danced was with poor wife that has been dead these four years.' ' Come, brother, let's go and have a drink of ale.' ' No, brother, I never drank a drop of ale since my wife went.' ' Well, take some tobacco, brother.' ' No, no ! I have not smoked since my wife fell in the water and never came out again alive.' ' Well, let's go and play at cock-shy ; we two will play you two for a pint of ale.' ' No, I never play at cock-shy ; the last time I played was with him,' And Lena, the wife of my nephew Job, never ate plums after her husband died." In Germany, where the Gypsies are nearer kin to the primitive conditions of the race than in Eng- land, respect for the dead is even more sacred. " By my father's head ! " is a very binding oath, but to swear by the dead is even more so. "Even in England," says Dr. Brown, "a GYPSIES. 81 Gypsy who declares that he will do anything by his dead wife is j^retty sure to keep his word, though he never heard of the Bible." In Germany it is said that when a maiden called Forella died her entire nation ceased designating the trout by the old name Forelle. The Gypsies are by no means a dull or unreceptive people. Many of them have great natural shrewdness, though, except as musicians, few of them have ever attained to much celebrity. Dr. Gordon, a clergyman of the Church of Scotland, was understood to be of pure Gypsy stock, and it has been con- tended that Mrs. Carlyle, Lord Jeffrey and Christopher North were partly of that race. It has also been claimed that John Bunyan was of the wandering folk. VII. IN SUNNY ITALY. Italy is associated in the popular mind with insincerity and daggers. One thinks of genteel, courtly brigands and the four thousand murders which they are said to commit every year. "Italy," says an old writer, "is the prime climate of Compliment, which oftentimes puts such a large distance 'twixt the tongue and the heart that they are seldom relatives, but often give the lie one to another ; some will offer to kiss the hands which they wish to cut off, and would be content to light a candle to the devil so they may compass their own end. He is not accounted wise who openeth all the boxes of his breast to anyone. The Italians are for the most part of a speculative complexion, and he is accounted little less than a fool who is not melancholy once a day. They are only bountiful to their betters, from whom they may expect a greater benefit. To others the purse is closely shut when the mouth openeth widest, nor are you likely to get a cup of wine there unless your grapes are known to be in the wine-press." It cannot be denied that the Italians are for the most part criminally careless of human life. But as for their politeness one must agree with Thomas Bailey Aldrich that " if it is veneer, it is a singularly agreeable sort of veneer." Those who know Italy best, however, insist that the politeness of the Italians is something more than a mere surface polish. Dr. George B. Taylor, an American missionary who has spent a (S3) 84 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. quarter of a century in Italy, .declares that he has found the same gentleness, good feeling and kindness among the people that he found among his own people in Virginia, Dr. Taylor tells of an American gentleman who spent many winters in Italy, who often said that when he returned home the manners of his own people jarred upon him; and adds: "Indeed, it is impossible not to note the contrast in the manners of the Ital- ians wdth what is often met in England and America. Their gentle blandness and careful regard for those conventions which are the oil to the machinery of social and business life are con- trasted with the crisp curtness and carelessness of forms which, by no means universal, might be more conspicuously absent in our enterprising land."* The same writer says that if one jostles, even sharply, an Italian on the street, he gives no sign, taking for granted that it was accidental, and if you should apologize he will lift his hat with a smile. On the other hand, if he should jostle you ever so little, he will raise his hat as a request for pardon. The " white lies " for which Italians are known are ex- plained by the desire universal among them to please every one with whom they come in contact. " Their word simpatico,'' says Dr. Taylor, " which is untranslatable, is fairly descriptive of them as a people, so genial and human are they, so readily entering into the feelinsjs and situations of others." This trait is nowhere more noticeable than in Tuscany, where the urbanity of the people is their most striking characteristic. The polite- ness of the Tuscan has been stigmatized as obsequiousness, but those who know him best agree that it comes from a sincere feeling of kindness. , The people are frank and genial, and always ready to accept the advances of a stranger. * Italy and' the Italians, by George B. Taylor, D. D. Philadelphia : Ameri- can Baptist Publication Society. THE BIRD MERCHANT (ROME). (S.-)) IN SUNNY ITALY. 89 Mr. W. D. Howells, in his "Venetian Life," writes in a delightful vein of the exuberance of manner which is so notice- able among the Venetians. There is a vast amount of cere- mony everywhere, and, as Mr. Howells says, "one hardly knows what to do with the numbers of compliments it is necessary to respond to. A Venetian, does not come to see you, he comes to revere you; r- he not only asks if you be well when he meets you, but he bids you remain well at parting, and de- sires you to salute for him all common friends ; he rever- ences you at leave- taking ; he will some times consent to in- commode you with a visit; he will re- lieve you of the dis- turbance when he rises to go. All spontaneous wishes which must, with us, take original forms, for lack of the complimentary phrase, are formally expressed by him — good appetite to you, when you go to dinner; much enjoyment, when you go to the theatre; a plea- sant walk, if you meet in promenade. He is your servant at meeting and parting ; he begs to be commanded when he has misunderstood you. But courtesy takes its highest flights, as I ITALIAN FLOWERSELLER. 90 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. hinted, from the poorest company. Acquaintances of this sort, when not on the Cio ciappa footing, or that of the familiar thee and thou, always address each other in Lei (lordship), or Elo, as the Venetians have it; and their compliment-making at encounter and separation is endless : I salute you ! Remain well! Master! Mistress! (Paron! parona!) being repeated as long as the polite persons are within hearing."* Mr. Howells relates that, one day when passing through a crowd, an old Venetian friend of his who trod upon the dress of a young person before him called out: "Scusate, bella gio- vane! " (Pardon, beautiful girl!) "She was not so fair nor so young as I have seen women; but she half turned her face with a forgiving smile, and seemed pleased with the accident that had won her the amiable apology." The waiter in the ^cafe says to the ladies for whom he places seats : '' Take this place, beautiful blonde;" or, "Sit here, lovely brunette," as it happens. I, "A Venetian who enters or leaves anyplace of public resort," continues Mr. How^ells, " touches his hat to the com- pany ; and one day at the restaurant some ladies, who had been dining there, said 'Complimenti! ' on going out, with a grace that went near to make the beefsteak tender. It is this un- costly gentleness of bearing which gives a winning impression of the whole people, whatever selfishness or real discourtesy lie beneath it. At home it sometimes seems that we are in such haste to live and be done with it we have no time to be polite. Or is popular politeness merely a vice of servile peoples? And is it altogether better to be rude? I wish it were not. If you are lost in his city (and you are pretty sure to be lost there continually), a Venetian will go with you wherever you wish. *By permission of and by special arrangement with the pubUshers, Hough- ton, Miflflin & Co., Boston. ON THE SPANISH STAIRS AT ROME. (91) IN SUNNY ITALY. 95 And he will do this amiable little service out of what one may say old civilization has established in place of goodness of heart, but which is perhaps not so different from it. " You hear people in the streets bless each other in the most dramatic fashion. I once caught these parting words be- tween an old man and a young girl : " ' Giovanetta. Revered sir!' (Patron riverito!) "'Vacchio.' (With that peculiar backward wave and be- neficent wag of the hand only possible to Italians.) ' Blessed Child!' (Benedetta!) "It was in a crowd, but no one turned round at the utter- ance of terms which Anglo-Saxons would scarcely use in their most emotional moments. The old gentleman who sells boxes for the theatre in the Old Procuratie always gave me his bene- diction when I took a box." The incivility which meets American travelers at every stage in our own country is rarely found among the railway or hotel employees in Italy or, for that matter, anywhere in Europe. The men whose business it is to meet the public seem to be selected chiefly on account of their high breeding. Speak- ing of the guards on the railway carriages, Thomas Bailey Al- drich says that so far from being the disdainful autocrats to which we are accustomed in America, they are the most con- siderate of men. They look after one's welfare and com- fort " as if it were the only thing for which they were created." They are always glad to give one information about anything, and it is said that it is impossibte to weary them with questions. The proprietor of the hotel at which you stop treats you as an old friend. Mr. Aldrich adds that it is true he makes you pay roundly for all this, but pertinently asks if we do not pay 96 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. roundly for food and shelter in taverns in our own land and get no civility whatever. Mr. Aldrich thinks that the politeness which characterizes every class may possibly be explained in part by the military system which requires of all men a certain time of service. The soldier is disciplined in the severest school of manners, and courtesy becomes a second nature. But Mr. Aldrich forgets that in the East, where this term of service is not required, the people are quite as polite as they are in Italy or anywhere else in Europe. The people of Europe are probably polite for the same reason that the people of the East are polite : they are polite at heart. Whatever the defects and faults of the Italians, sloth and idleness are not among them, unless we except the laborers in the extreme southern part of the country. There is not a soberer or steadier class of people to be found than the humble order of laborers in the north of Italy. Where there is idle- ness at all, it is encouraged by the lack of motive for work, the absence of decent wages and everything else that is else- where held out to laborers as an incentive. The consideration which laborers have for one another is very beautiful. The fisherman of Naples is known only as a rogue the world over, but it is not uncommon to see him and a dozen others drying a net when half the number would amply suffice, the object being to share his scanty gain with as many of his friends as possible. Dr. Taylor says that in the mines of Sicily and Sardinia, m the rice fields of Lombardy, in seed time and har- vest, as masons, sailors, fishermen and a hundred other crafts, they labor from daylight until dark, often into the night, and on the day of rest ; and this usually for scanty returns. The IJV SUJYJYY ITALY. 97 Italian laborers throughout the world, as a rule, surpass all others both in diligence and effectiveness. Dr. Taylor thinks that Italy with the gospel would be one of the best and happiest, "as it already is the fairest of earth's lands." Aug. Hageokl, AN EVENINO IN SWEDEN. .V-- ; VIII. LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN. To the optimist Scandinavia, is the land of pure delight. Certainly among no other primitive peoples does one who travels with an eye to the bright side of humanity find so much to delight in. While they are by no means without their vices, they are, according to their law, as Bayard Taylor has said, as true and honest and pure as the inhabitants of the most favored country in the world. The first thing that strikes a stranger who travels through Norway and Sweden is the remarkable honesty of the people. One may travel for years among them and never lose a single article of value. Highway robbery is almost unknown, and it is said that the charity boxes which are often found set up on the public roads are never plundered. Everywhere the doors remain unlocked night and day. People leave their homes and even shopkeepers leave their stores for hours at a time witn perfect safety. Even the royal residences of Stockholm are without fences or walls, and are unprotected either by sol- diers or policemen. Visitors walk in the grounds even to the very doors, and no one ever thinks of plucking the flowers or abusing the privileges of the place in any way. M. Du Chaillu says that there is so much freedom and there are so few attendants that the plain and honest people who do not un- (99) 100 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. derstand etiquette often make mistakes, and, entering the palaces, are surprised to find themselves face to face with royalty. The same writer noticed in traveling in the northern part of Sweden that even the trunks remained unlocked. At Jem- ton a servant girl brought in a gold locket which she had found on the floor of the kitchen, and which he had dropped from his satchel the evening before while showing some curiosities which he had. "Why did you not keep it?" he asked, play- fully. "How then," replied the girl, bravely, "could I have walked erect and looked people in the face?" He had hardly left the station the next morning when he was startled by a call, and as he looked back he saw a small white-headed urchin running toward him, having in his hand a white pocket-handkerchief which M. du Chaillu had dropped on the road. It was a treasure which he might have coveted, but his boyish heart was too honest, and handing it to its owner, breathless, he ran back as quickly as he came. Du Chaillu called him to give him a reward, but the little fellow, who was not afraid to return what did not belong to him, feared to come back to get a bit of money. The same writer met with many similar evidences of honesty among the Laplanders in the far North. One morn- ing, after havino; Pone some miles from the farm where he had spent the night, he heard loud shouts, and turning saw a man coming towards him as fast as he could on his snow shoes. The honest fellow had come eight or ten miles to bring a gold watch and chain which Chaillu had left under his pillow. It was with difficulty that he could be induced to accept a small sum of money for his trouble, and this he did only when he was k LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN. 103 made to understand that he was paid for his lawful time, and not because he returned what did not belong to him. Many travelers have noted the total unconsciousness among the Scandinavians of what is called in civilized circles pro- priety. "The very freedom of manners," says Bayard Taylor, " which in some countries might be called laxity of morals is here the evident stamp of their 23urity. Honest and virtuous, they take the honesty and virtue of others for granted, and it is often very touching to see how implicitly they trust the stranger guest, having no conception of the trickery and rascality of higher civilization. M. du Chaillu relates a beautiful story illustrative of the simplicity of heart for which the people of the far North are noted. While travelino- amono; the Finland- ers a young girl was brought to him to act as his guide. Her friends said: " Paulus, we bring you a girl to go to Norway with you. She has been there before, and can talk Norwegian which you can't understand, so she will be able to interpret for you." They all seemed happy to find somebody to help him and, as Chaillu says, "it never occurred to these primitive, kind- hearted people that I could violate the trust put in me." She was a pretty young girl of seventeen years. Her mother was dead, and her father lived a few miles from Sattajarvi and was very poor. Two of her sisters had settled in Norway, where they were married. " She seemed glad of the prospect of go- ing with me," wrote Chaillu, "and even willing to follow me to America." In many parts of Norway and Sweden the people are as remarkable for their neatness as they are for moral purity. The neighborhood bath is their most popular resort, and the humblest cottages are spotlessly clean. The homes are not only 1J4 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. neat but orderly. Everything is in place, and in summer wild flowers are displayed about the rooms in profusion, M. Du Chaillu, to whose excellent book, " The Land of the Midnight Sun," * we are indebted for much of our information, gives an attractive picture of home life in southern Sweden : " Old matrons and blooming girls are spinning, weaving^ knitting, or doing needlework; and, bareheaded and barefooted^ blue-eyed and flaxen-haired children are playing around their humble home, their rosy cheeks and happy faces reminding one very forcibly that wealth is not essential to bring health and content. As I was going along I saw a woman put care- fully on a stone a piece of bread which she had been eating. The Swede or Norwegian never throws bread on the ground, but when on the road, after they have satisfied their hunger, they lay the remainder carefully on a spot where the passer-by, if hungry, may find and eat it. They think it sinful to cast away the gift of God. I have even seen persons when a piece of bread fell down pick it up and kiss it." While the people of the cities are by no means so virtuous as the primitive classes of the country, they are exceedingly courteous, and their manners are marked with an air of con- tentment that is very noticeable. In the streets acquaintances are continually saluting each other, the gentlemen taking ^ofl" their hats and bowing with remarkable grace, and always re- maining uncovered even when talking to the humblest women. Politeness and amiability belong equally to all classes, the poor saluting the rich and the rich the poor, and refinement of man- ner is noticeable even in the servant maids, who are treated with great consideration. * New York : Harper & Brothers. LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN. 105 The peasants of Norway are manly, self-possessed and brave. They are of rough exterior, outwardly cold, but of the most kindly hearts, tenderly careful of their families and merci- ful to their horses. Consideration for the family horse, how- ever, is characteristic of Scandinavians everywhere. In the northwestern part of Sweden everyone gets out of his vehicle^ at the foot of a hill, and one often stops on a journey to divide his black bread with his horse or treat him to a handful of hay and to caress him. Colts are much petted, and often come into the kitchen, where they are caressed and treated to what- ever they may like. The religious feelings of the Norwegian are very profound, and he is, as a rule, truly pious. He is uniformly kind and gentle to his children, rarely quarrels, and, it is said, never swears even when under the influence of drink. The rights of hospitality are almost as sacred as they are in the East. The stranger is everywhere welcome, and the poorest are never allowed to depart without being offered something to eat. Yv'hile many of the people are given to drink, they are, as a rule, law-abiding, and rowdyism is practically unknown. The fishermen of Norway have excited the admiration of many travelers. They are sturdy, well-behaved, hardy sons of the sea, perhaps without an equal among the fishermen of any other country. They never fight or quarrel, and their reverence for God is developed to a remarkable degree. It is said that they never swear, no matter how angry they may be or how great the provocation. The Norwegian's reverence for truth is perhaps unequaled. In the form of oath administered to witnesses in their courts every person who takes an oath lifts up three fingers — the thumb, the forefinger, and the middle finger. The thumb sig- 106 TEE BRIGHT SIDE OP HUMANITY. nifies " G®d the Father," the forefinger "God the Son," and the middle finger " God the Holy Ghost." The other two fingers are bent downward, the larger signifying the soul, the smaller the body, the idea being that the body is of small ac- count compared with the soul. The whole hand thus elevated typifies the one almighty and eternal God and Creator who made man and all things in heaven and earth. In administer- ing an oath, an address is delivered in a strain of awful serious- ness. It begins : " Whatever person is now so ungodly, cor- rupt and hostile to himself as to swear a false oath, or not to keep the oath sworn, sins in such manner as if he were to say, ' If I swear falsely, then may God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost punish me — so that God the Heavenly Father, who created me and all mankind in hie image and his fatherly goodness, grace and mercy may not profit me ; but that I, as a perverse and obstinate transgressor and sinner, may be punished eternally in hell.' " In con- cluding the administrator says: "Whatsoever person swears falsely, it is as if he were to say, ' If I swear falsely, then may all that I have and own in this world be cui'sed ; cursed be my land, field and meadow, so that I may never en- joy any fruit or yield from them ; cursed be my cattle, my beasts, my sheep, so that after this day they may never thrive or benefit me ; yes, cursed may I be, and everything that I undertake.' O man ! reflect on this very carefully, and mark what a dreadfully hard and severe sentence he who swears falsely pronounces upon himself. A pious Christian heart miffht well be alarmed and tremble when a false oath involves such consequences ; when a perjured person takes himself away from God, excludes himself from all his benefactions, temporal and eternal, separates himself from the whole Christian com- LAND OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN. 109 munity, and will be lost and damned, body and soul. There- fore every Christian should keejD himself from false oaths and swearing lightly, forasmuch as his soul's welfare and salva- tion are dear to him. May God Almighty grant this to us all, through his dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen." I have spoken of the kindness of the Scandinavian to his horse. It should be added that he has the same tender consid- eration for the 2)auper. In some joarishes the people prefer to have no poorhouses, but to care for paupers in their own homes. One writer relates that while visiting in one of these parishes, one day an old man entered dressed in a suit of new clothes and wearing a high silk hat. He was bidden to take a seat, and was treated with great consideration. On inquiry it was learned that he was a pauper. When a man is pronounced too old or too infirm to work, he is permitted to go and remain some time on every farm in the parish. Almost everywhere he is treated as an honored visitor, and is often given the best food and the best bed in the house. If a pauper is mentally infirm, the authovities of the parish make arrangements with some of the farmers to care for him, stipulating what kind of labor he may undertake. Very beautiful is the religious faith and life of the Ice- lander. While some travelers regard his faith as of a super- ficial character, it is certain that infidelity is unknown in the island. An Icelandic writer says that the religion of the peo- ple is more of an intellectual and reflective than emotional character, and that they are therefore to a great extent strangers to fanaticism. The Bible and the books used for church ser- vices are in every home, and the family altar is to be found almost everywhere. Icelanders never start on a journey with- out invoking a blessing. When the fishing boat is ready, the crew, reverently placing their hats before their faces, pray for 110 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. success and safety, and on reaching their destination return thanks after the same manner. Baronet McKenzie has given us a touching j^icture of the rehgious life of the people. * 'In his domestic capacity," says Mr. McKenzie, " the Icelander not only performs all the duties which his situation requires, but while by severe labor he obtains pro- vision for his children, he is also careful to convey to their minds the better inheritance of knowledge and virtue. In his intercourse with those around him his character displays the stamp of honor and integrity, his religious duties are \)ev- formed with cheerfulness and j^unctuality, and this amidst the numerous obstacles which are afforded by the nature of the country and the climate in which he lives." The churches, which are constructed of wood and turf, are situated usually amid the rugged ruins of a stream of lava or beneath mountains covered with never-melting snow, in a soli- tude so dense that the mind almost sinks under it. " Here the Icelanders assemble to perform the duties of their religion. A group of male and female peasants may be seen gathered about their church awaiting the arrival of their 23astor, all habited in their best attire after the manner of the country, their children, with them, and the horses which bi'ought them from their respec- tive homes grazing quietly around the little assembly. The arrival of the newcomer is welcomed by every one with a kiss of salutation, and the pleasures of intercourse so rarely enjoyed by the Icelanders are happily connected with the occasion which summons them to the discharge of their religious duties. The priest makes his appearance among them as a friend : he salutes individually each member of his flock, and stoops down to give his almost parental kiss to the little ones who are to grow up under his pastoral charge. These offices of kindness performed, they all go together into the house of jDrayer." (112) MAORI CHIEF. IX. THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE SOUTH SEA. The Polynesians, who with the Papuans occupy the Oceanic group, are in many respects the most interesting savages in the workl They are usually of a very pleasing appearance, and travelers agree that among no other savages is. the human figure so symmetrically and beautifully developed^ Many of their women are beautiful, though, as a rule, like the women of other savage races, they do not equal the men ini good looks. The complexion varies from an olive to a reddish brown. The hair is long, black and straight, though some- times inclined to curl. In mental capacity they are sujDerior to many other savage people. They have an elaborate myth- ology which, as has been said, is in itself the sign of a certairt vigor of imagination, and some of their songs and legends are very beautiful. Their form of government is far removed from the rude systems prevalent among most primitive people. While other savages do not pretend to know anything of their pedigree, the Polynesian chiefs are very careful to preserve traditions concerning their ancestors, which, while doubtless mythical in some respects, are perhajDS, as Dr. Brown says,, "no more so than some in the British peerage." They are a very ingenious people. A well-known traveler. Dr. Pickering, speaking of one of the Polynesian tribes, says that he has never seen a people so serviceable to the traveler,, "for they seem able to command at all times the principal (113) 114 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. conveniences of life. They are liosjoitable to strangers as well as to friends, and will often divide everything they have among their visitors, leaving themselves without food." It is said, however, that the stranger is not fed all the while he remains among them, but is given at the beginning a quantity of food which he can eat up all at once or save, as he prefers, for he will get no more, no matter how long he stays among them. And it should be added that their ideas of hospitality do not always j)revent them from eating the strangers who come among them. Yet, in spite of this dark blot, they are on the whole a good-natured, cheerful people, full of good humor and fond of a harmless joke. While the position of woman in the Oceanic group is inferior to that of man, she occupies a higher place in the .social scale than the women of most of the ]-aces of the same grade. She is not overworked or abused, and her lot is in every respect much better than that of the women of most savage races. The religious superstitions, however, which are interwoven with Polynesian life, assign her to a position quite isolated and unsocial. She is not allowed to eat food with the other sex, and her meals must be cooked at a separate fire and placed in a separate basket, for the food and basket used by the men are sacred and would be defiled by the woman using them. The Tahitians are accustomed to hurl imprecations at the women, which indicate very strikingly their opinion of the gentle sex. "May'st thou become a bottle to hold saltwater for thy mother " is one. "May'st thou be baked as food for thy mother " is another. Yet women can attain to positions of honor among nearly every Polynesian nation, and in some of the islands they can become chiefs. The Maoris, or New Zealanders, when discovered by the F^^^W^ .^fii^sm. , ji , , KING AND QUEEN OF SAMOA. (115) THE SUNNT SIDE OF THE SOUTH SEA. 117 whites were the most enlightened savages the world has ever known. They lived in houses, cultivated their land, though as property of the tribes and not of individuals, had weapons and instruments of stone, cooked their food, had a system for the administration of justice, believed in immortality, though not in a supreme being, and worshipped only spiritual gods. The New Zealanders are "well proportioned, tall and mus- cular. Their brown complexions are clear, the nose straight and generally aquiline, the lips somewhat full, mouth large, eyes of good size, dark and vivacious, teeth white and even,, cheek-bones somewhat prominent, extremities small. Tiiough bearded by nature, they pluck out every vestige of whiskers, and replace these by tattooings. Their hair is straight and abundant, and receives much attention ; it is frequently light in color, or even reddish." The condition of woman is unusually liajDpy, the New Zealander granting her much authority as a counsellor. Even the office of chief of the tribe is open to her. Taxes are paid as voluntary offerings, and each family determines for itself the amount of its taxes. The oldest son succeeds to the rank of his father, but if another heir is needed it is always the youngest son. The warriors comprise the free- men, while slaves are obtained by capture in war. The nobility do not work, leaving all labor to the women or to the slaves. The system of slavery carries with it the right over life, liberty and property, and yet it is said slaves are uniformly well treated. The New Zealander believes in landed property, but he recognizes no other kind of tenure except that of the power to hold on to it. The laws are especially severe upon the crimes of murder, theft and adultery. In the two former cases the law of retaliation prevails, and in the third case the 118 THE BRIGHT SIDE OP HUMANITY. life of the offender is forfeited to the injured husband. Death is regarded as always preferable to disgrace, hence suicide is quite common among them. They are remarkable for their lavish hospitality. They are exceedingly generous, and regard their property as held in common by themselves and the stranger who comes to visit them. The chief often gives feasts lasting weeks at a time. Although they are cannibals, the j^ractice is intimately con- nected with their religion. The philosophy of their canni- balism is the belief that the virtues of an enemy whom they have eaten become their own. The feast is always preceded by religious ceremonies, and neither women nor children are allowed to participate, the reason being that it is not thought necessary for them to possess the virtues of strength or fanati- cism. They are of a warlike disposition, but, as has been said, their fighting is more of a sport with them than a matter of hatred. Lord Pembroke has given some amusing anecdotes illustrating their passion for fighting for its own sake. Neigh- boring clans would often fight each other to the death just for the fun of the thing. "After potting after each other all day," he writes, "they would go out of their jjhas in the evening to talk over their day's sport in the most friendly manner. 'I nearly bagged your brother to-day.' 'Ah, but you should have seen how I made your dear old father-in-law skip,'" etc. "A distinguished friend of mine," continued Lord Pembroke, *once asked a Maori chief who had fought against us on the Waikato, why, when he had command of a certain road, he did not attack the ammunition and provision trains? 'Why, you fool,' he replied, much astonished, 'if we had stolen their powder and food how could they have fought us?' I have THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE SOUTH SEA. 119 heard the old Archdeacon of Tauranga relate how in one of these petty wars he has known defenders of the ^Aa to send out to their adversaries to say they were short of provisions, who immediately sent them a supply to go on with ; how he has also performed service on Sunday between two belligerent phas, the inhabitants of each coming out to pray, meeting with the most perfect amity, and returning to their phas when the service was over to recommence hostilities on Monday morning." The gallantry and forbearance of the Maoris toward an enemy whom they personally know and respect is of a char- acter exceedingly rare if not unknown among civilized people. Pi'evious to the unsuccessful storming of a ^:>A« in the Heke war the Maoris fired at every one who showed himself. A lieutenant of the English navy who was well known among the natives started towards \he pha to reconnoitre. They began firing upon him, but, unmindful of their shots, he walked straight on. The moment they discovered that it was he they ceased firing and called to him to go back, declaring that they did not wish to hit him. He paid them no attention, but leisurely made his examinations, and then walked back without further molestation. An educated Maori, in a book on New Zealand, declares that he had met among the natives men who would do credit to any nation; men on whom nature had plainly stamped the mark of "nobility," of the ii nest bodily form, quick and intel- ligent in mind, j)olite and brave and capable of the most self- sacrificing acts for the good of others; patient, forbearing and affectionate in their families; in a word, gentlemen. Anthony Troll ope says that the Maoris are for the most part honest and good-natured, truthful and brave, and they have a great respect for themselves and others. 120 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. I have spoken of tlie New Zealanders more as they were than as they are to-day. The introduction of Christianity among them has, of course, wrought great changes. They now live in villages, dress in European clothing, own flocks and herds, cultivate their land, go to church and keep the Sabbath. The Malay Archipelago, which includes all the islands lying north and northwest of Australia, is in many respects one of the most remarkable districts of the earth. " It not only teems with animal life," says Mr. J. W. Buel in his " Story of Man," " but nowhere else does nature revel in such o-oro-eous hues and enrapturing beauty. Flowers bejewel the prolific soil, , not only in lowly beds carpeting the earth, but they also ascend trailing vines and gather in clusters of richest coloring to be- deck the trees. Insects flash like prismatic fires from flower to flower and tree to tree, their irridescent hues reflecting the lambent sunlight like a million of diamonds. Here alone are the birds of paradise, those gorgeous plumaged warblers whose coats seem fresh with the glory of heaven or a thousand rain- bows. On every side the eye is charmed with scenes of na- ture more delectable than a shifting kaleidoscope ; in short, it is a region of pure delight so far as the sight can measure it, but yet not wholly free from lurking dangers which seem to be added by beneficent design, in order that the eye might not weary by gazing always on the beautiful." The inhabitants of the Malay Archipelago are in stature below the Caucasian. Their color is a reddish brown, with something of an olive tinge, and their hair is straight and of coarse texture, without wave or curl. Although well propor- tioned, they are by no means a handsome race. The Malays are known to us mainly for their cruelty as pirates. Certainly they are the scourge of the Indian seas, but their cruelty has THE 8UNNT SIDE OF THE SOUTH SEA. 123 often been exaggerated and they are not without noble traits. They are^ reserved, impassive, and wholly undemonstrative. They are never betrayed into any expression of surprise. The women and children are so timid that they scream at the sight of a white face. Their most noticeable characteristic is their almost universal silence. They talk little and sing less, and their countenances show no sign of emotion. When in com- pany in a canoe they chant a plaintive, monotonous sound, which is about their only expression of emotion, if indeed it is emotion. In everyday life, says Dr. Brown, he is as impassive as the typical Scot. " He has little, if any, appreciation of humor, and does not understand a practical jest. To all breaches of etiquette he is very sensitive, and equally jealous of any in- terference with his own or anyone else's liberty. To such an extent does he carry this idea that a Malay servant will hesi- tate to awaken another, even his own master, though told to do so. The higher classes are exceedingly polite, possessing all the repose and quiet dignity of the best bred Europeans." Probably the best of the Malays in point of moral char- acter are the Dyaks who inhabit the island of Borneo. They are simple and honest, more lively and talkative and less secre- tive and suspicious than the other Malays, and lying is almost unknown among them. In their habits they form a striking contrast to the other Malay nations. The only serious blot on their moral character is the horrible custom of head-hunting, which Mr. Wallace says ought no more to be looked upon as indicating a bad character in the people as a whole, than the custom of the slave-trade a hundred years ago implied a want of general morality in all who took part in it. "Head-hunt- ing," says Dr. Brown, " is a custom originating in the petty wars of villages, and not in the cruel character of the people, 124 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. as lias not infrequently been declared." It may be added that many of the crimes attributed to the Malay are committed by the aboriginal races that remain in the islands. For instance, the aboriginal peojjle of Sumatra not only eat their prisoners and condemned criminals, but their cannibalistic propensities are often exercised upon their relatives also. And yet there is a bright side even to this unspeakable crime, for the people eat their aged and infirm not so much from a desire to gratify a depraved appetite as to fulfil a religious ceremony, and to fulfil the wishes of the aged whom they hold in great reverence. "When a man became infirm and weary of the world," says a writer, "he was said to be in the habit of inviting his own children to eat him — especially when salt and limes were at the . cheapest. The old fellow then ascended a tree, and round it his friends and offsjoring assembled, and as they shook the tree, joined in a funeral dirge, the import of which was 'The season is come, the fruit is ripe and it must descend.' The victim descended, and those nearest and dearest to him deprived him of life and devoured his remains in a solemn banquet." The Dyaks are more industrious than other Malays, and quite as intelligent. Theft and robbery are wholly unknown among them. They are perfectly truthful, and travelers assert that if one fails to get the whole truth, one at any rate gets nothing but the truth. They exercise neighborly charity towards each other and live in the most perfect peace and harmony. They are fond of their children, and treat their wives with the greatest respect, consulting them in regard to their course of action. It is claimed that the Tahitians of the Society Islands represent the highest civilization achieved by any people not possessing tools of metal. Stone, wood, bone and shell have ■ THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE SOUTH SEA. 125 to serve them for materials, and Sir John Lubbock relates that the first nails introduced into Tahiti were planted by the na- tives under the impression that they were shoots of a new species of lignum vitatriot Poles gave to Kosciusko; the devotion which the Southerners of our own land gave to Robert E. Lee. "And they believed he woidd soon join their camps and lead them in the deliverance of their own homes from the invader. "This was the situation last Sunday night, the fourteenth of December, in the year of our Redeemer eighteen hundred and ninety. "The old chief, with his wife and children, were sleeping in their lodge on the Reservation in Morton county, Nortli Dakota, about thirty miles southw^est of the caj^ital city of Bismarck, and within sound of the steamboat whistles of the Missouri river. He was virtually a prisoner. He was as com- pletely within military power as was Bonaparte at St. Helena. "Well, there the old hero sleeps, watched over by a de- tachment of semi-nmnicipal cayotes — the offscouring of all tribes — a mongrel breed of pimps and apostates, abjects and renegades, euphoneously styled the United States Indian Police. Meantime a stealthy march of regular troops is being made all througii the long hours of that Sabbath night. They come from Fort Yates, forty miles aw^ay ; a strongly equipped cavalry force, accompanied by light artillery and Gatling guns. They are to be at the Reservation at dawn, at which hour tlie 226 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. police arouse the old chief and arrest him on a charge of 'in- tending to leave the Reservation without jDcrmission.' Before he has been completely bound and disarmed there comes a cry that a body of cavalry is charging down on them. The result is easy enough to foresee. There is a scuffle, a struggle to reach the horses, a hand-to-hand fight. And in the melee the old chief is butchered. "With these facts before us, it is an insult to common sense to form any other assumption than that the whole busi- ness was plotted and mapped out in advance ; that the killing of this man was a contrived murder — one of the most atro- cious ever committed by any of the brood of Cain. . . "Some thirty years ago this slaughtered chief was a dream- ing, meditative boy. He joined but little in the sports and exercises of his young companions. He was best content when listening to the lore of the elders and was deeply absorbed in all the traditions that related to his tribe and race. "He came of pure Lacotah stock, and was a nephew of Mat-to-a-wa-yu, the last hereditary chief of the great Sioux nation, a man distinguished for wisdom, moderation and valor. At that period the white man, wandering alone, had free range of the whole Lacotah territory, and there was no one in the tribe who gave warmer welcome to the stranger than tlie gentle and thoughtful boy whom we have just cut off "There had been a brief period of warfare prior to that time, the 'Laramie massacre' we called it; but peace had been restored, only to be broken again by successive outrages on the part of the whites. "But real and abiding troubles came with the Gover::- ment agents, who, for the most part, were a set of shamelc-ss thieves. It was from these creatures that young * Sitting Bull' THE TRUTH ABOUT THE INDIAN. 227 formed his estimate of the white character, which to him was the ejiitome of all that is base and false and vile. And it was to his steadfast belief in the utter depravity of our race that all his prestige as a prophet must be ascribed. " Other chiefs believed our words, and were betrayed. This man stood by his fixed conviction that the truth was not in us, and for more than twenty years, through all the muta- tions of ti-eaty and compact, with their common wreckage of broken promises and violated j^l^dg^s, the result in every instance avouched the accuracy of his forecast. But he trusted us at last, and we foully murdered him.. " And now, as a fitting round-up of the whole business, and in maintenance of the eternal harmonies, it devolves upon us to impugn his motives and revile his name ; to mock the ' heathen moaning ' of the bereft kindred ; to shove forward our Holy Cross ere the desert breezes have laj)ped up his blood, and to solace ourselves with the blessed. thought that our sacred Scriptures still follow the sword." A LADY OF MANILA. (229) A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN OF THE EAST. XVII. THE FILIPINOS. The modern Filipino is a composite of the Chinese and several Polynesian races, " with perhaps a dash of unrecog- nized Spanish, English or American blood." The aborigines, however, of whom about twenty-five thousand remain, are doubtless of pure Malay blood. These are little creatures, not so large as the Koreans, averaging considerably less than five feet in height, with "limbs as small as those of a ten-year-old child. The nose is as flat as the Negro's and the lips as thick, and they are almost black, but it is certain that they are not Negroes. They have enormous heads of black, frizzly hair, and they are j)i'ovided with prehensile toes, by which they are enabled to grasp an object with almost as much ease as with their hands. They wear little clothing, tattoo themselves, have no permanent abode, and subsist chiefly on honey, game and wild fruits. Wars drove them to take refuge in the least accessible parts of the island, though a few still inhabit the low- lands, and are often found living in houses built upon piles above water after the manner of the Dyaks. They are mon- ogamous and capable of intellectual development to a remark- able degree. It is said that those who have been captured as children and brought up amidst civilization, have developed all the characteristics proportionate to the refinement with which they were invested. The only trace of resemblance between the aborigines and (231) 232 THE BBIOHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. the Filipinos of Manila is in the curious meeting of the eye- brows over the nose. This is particularly noticeable among the women, who are otherwise very attractive in appearance, with their plump figures, and magnificent hair often falling to their ankles ; though, as some one has said, their habit of " washing the aforesaid hair in unfragrant cocoanut oil and of chew- in o- the blood-red betelnut is conducive to admiration at a distance." The natives of the Philippines, like other members of the Malay race, have long had the rejDutation of being cruel and bloodthirsty — a reputation which has come to them on account of the ravages of Malay pirates. An educated Filipino, Kamon Reyes Lala, in his book on the Philippine Islands, very per- tinently asks why the outrages and rapacity of Malay pirates should be taken as indicative of the Malay character any more than the atrocities of the Caucasian corsair are taken as indica- tive of Caucasian character. The Filipinos are subject to ter- rible fits of temper, during which they seek to slay everything in their path; but these outbursts are infrequent, and, as a rule, they are quiet and not easily moved to anger. They are always brave, and they know how to be loyal to an animating principle. The most noticeable trait of the Filipinos, especially of the Tagalaogs, who inhabit Luzon, and who are by far the most numerous and most intelligent of the population, is their im- pressive demeanor and imperturbable bearing. The Filipinos are stoics. This accounts for their remarkable coolness in mo- ments of danger, and their intrepid bearing against overwhelm- ing odds. They never bewail a misfortune, and they have no fear of death. When a misfortune comes they merely attribute it to fate and calmly go about their business. Travelers usually NATIVE GIRLS OF LUZON. (233) THE FILIPINOS. 235 regard them as lacking in sympathy for the misfortunes of others, but it is not so much a want of fellow-feeling as a sense of resignation. Their fatalism saves them many a bitter pang. Mr. Lala says that while they are not noted for foresight and energy, their indolence is due chiefly to the enervating climate. The most energetic foreigners find, after spending a little while in the Philippines, that they are unable to shake ofiP the lassi- tude created by the heat. Another secret of their indolence is to be found in the fact that, being deprived by the Spaniards of all active participation in the affairs of the government and robbed of all fruits of industry, all incentive to advancement and 2)rogress was taken away. They have yielded with com- posure to the crushing conditions of their environment, pre- feri-ing the lazy pleasures of indolence rather than labor for the benefit of their oppressors. Recent events, adds Mr. Lala, show that, given the stimulant of hope, there is power in them yet to dare and achieve. The characteristic virtue of the Filipinos is their family affection. They are very fond of their children, who, as a rule, are respectful and well-behaved. It has been noticed that such noisy little hoodlums as adorn EurojDean and American cities are conspicuously absent from Manila. The Filipinos are also noted for their reverence for parents. The old are tenderly cared for and venerated. They are not only faithful in caring for their parents, but in almost every well-to-do household there are jDOor relatives, who, " while mere hangers on, are nevertheless made welcome to the table of their host." Hospi- tality prevails everywhere, A guest is always welcome, and welcome to the best. The people, especially among the better class, embrace every opportunity to feast their friends and the stranger within their gates. J8 236 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. The Filipinos are sober and always clean. Mr. McQueen, in an article in the National Magazine, says that they are for- ever washing their bodies and their vestments. The same writer also notes the remarkable courage and endurance of the Philip- pine soldiers. They suffer and die like heroes. The women A CAVITE MAIDEN, are far more industrious than the men, and also more cheerful and devout. Everywhere the people have a passion for music. Pro- prietors of large estates have taken advantage of this passion, and it is not an uncommon thing for a brass band to be found in the field discoursing music before the laborers gathering the rice plant. THE FILIPINOS. 237 In some of the provinces of Luzon the natives of the farming chiss have received an elementary education, while those who have had the means and aspired to better instruction have attended the schools of America and Europe. The natives of Luzon have ever been known as kind-hearted, hos- pitable and easily led, though they are very sujDerstitious. A recent writer says that there are a number of Filipinos, chiefly half-breeds, at Manila and other places in Luzon, who might be capable of self-government under safe and competent leaders, but he doubts if such would exceed half of the population of the whole island. ESKIMO MOTHER AND CHILD. (239) XVIII. THE GENTLE ESKIMOS. To most mi lids the term Eskimo suij:o;ests dirt. It must be admitted that there is ground for the suggestion, but it should be remembered that ill their aversion to the bath the Es- kimos have the hearty sympathy of all who have had a taste of their cli- mate. Moreover, if they are strang- ers to that comfort- able state which is said to be next to godliness, they are by no means with- out distill sruishiuQ- virtues. A notable trait is their hospitnlity to strangers. They are exceedingly cordial in welcoming the newcomer, nnd are fond (t>41) IN GREENLAND'S ICY MOUNTAINS. 242 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. of sliowiiig their good-will by crying " good-cheer," and, when permitted, by rubbing noses with each other. Their kindness to one another is even more noticeable. Love for one's neigh- bor is a fundamental law among them. If one hunter has better success during the summer than liis companions, and obtains a larger quantity of meat than he will need for his own family during the winter, he never conceals the surplus, but gladly divides it with others, taking j)i"ide in distributing it among those whose eyes are not asJigen, or whose arms are not as strong as his own. It is a rule among many of the tribes that any game which a hunter does not take home, but leaves at a convenient point and covers it with stones for pos- sible use in future, may be taken by any other member of the tribe. Indeed, it may be said that they really have no knowledge of the principle of private owner- ship of property, and that they practically hold all interests in common. Nansen says that when he first went among them they would often take articles from his party, not realizing that they were doing wrong. When Nansen protested they at once ceased, and ever afterwards he was able to rely upon their honesty, though, as he says, " it was plain to see that they were intelli- gent enough to perceive the injustice of our holding them to strict account while we were taking possession of their land % P^wli^H ^ S^^^ uHH ^^ irV-i tItrnM t \.i^'^ HH H ■, ;^| IHh B; '"JJW i\>?|W nsp ■ 1, ESKIMO TYPE. THE GENTLE ESKIMOS. 243 without their j^erpiission and without compensation, and kill- ing the reindeer, which would have been useful to them for food." The Eskimos are remarkable for their quiet and gentle manners and their dislike for disturbance or discord. They are so gentle that they really do not know how to quarrel, and when there is a misunderstanding it is always a very tame affair. If two persons have a disagreement, they never think of talking loudly or calling each other disagree- able names, but simply turn their backs and each goes his own way. ■All explorers testify that the Eskimos rarely tell a falsehood, and when they de- part from the truth at all it is never from malice. They rarely ever attempt to deceive one of their own race, though it is a hardship for them to tell a truth which they know will be disagreeable, and they employ all kinds of subterfuges to avoid the unpleasant duty. One would suppose that a people situated as they are, compelled to fight a hard battle for life and always in constant danger of suffering for want of food, would be very serious, if not unhappy; on tliQ contrary, they are always bubbling over with good spirits, nearly always laughing and always ready with an amusing witticism or an absurd joke. It would be AN ESKIMO OF LABRADOR. 244 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. difficult to find a people who are better satisfied with their lot in life. The fondness of the Eskimo parents for their children is very beautiful. Nansen says that the children are rarely punished, but that they are so thoroughly good-natured that punishment is seldom needed. It is exceedingly rare for the little ones to quarrel or fight, and they have never been known to call each other ugly names or to use abusive language in any way. They are very sweet and cunning in their ways, if not in their persons; in short, as some one has said, they are " a lot of dirty angels." The Eskimos are remarkable for their devotion to their homes and their pride in their ice-bound country. It is safe to say that no other people love their native land or their homestead quite so well as they. The few that have visited foreign lands have invariably become seriously homesick, and would run any risk to get back again. " Do you see the ice ? Do you see the ice?" was the longing cry of one of them who was returning from Europe ill unto death as he approached his native land. ?i "-^^ \ -.-\ OROUP OF PARSEE LADIES. XIX. HINDU TRAITS. An intelligent American lady in India wrote me a few days ago that she had been living among the Hindus for five years, "and if there was any good in them she had never dis- covered it." Good Bishop Heber wrote of these same people that " as a race they are sober, dutiful to their parents, and affectionate to their children, and of tempers almost uniformly patient and gentle, and easily affected by kindness and atten- tion to their wants and feelings." As I sat a moment ago weighing these two statements, my eye fell upon this sentence, which may partially reconcile them : " Within the limits of the vast empire of Hindustan we find man in every stage of civilization, from the philosopher who reasons calmly and piously on the nature of God, on the universe, on man's con- dition here and hereafter, down to the cannibal savage, to whom God and every spiritual substance is unknown ; so there is no degree of cruelty, no excess of vice, no hard-hearted profligacy, no ineffable abomination of which we cannot find examples among the Hindus ; neither is there, on the other hand, any height of virtue which they have not reached." Mr. Clements Markham, who traveled extensively in India, especially among the villages and out-of-the-way places, insists that whatever may be said of the inhabitants of the great towns, the country people are as a rule singularly temperate, chaste, honest, peaceful, docile, easily governed and patient. (245) 246 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. Bishop Heber also describes the country people as a mild, pleas- ing, intelligent race, sober and, where an object is held out to them, industrious and persevering. " There is," says Dr. Robert Brown, " if not some palliation for, yet an explanation of their duplicity and want of^Teracity, which amounts almost to excuse. Theirs is a country which has been conquered and reconquered by successful and despotic rulers who have ground down the people. The defence of the weak has always been duplicity and flattery ; and accordingly nations which have been frequently conquered and governed by an iron-handed series of rulers, especially if of an alien nation, have invariably developed two classes which combine to make up the majority of the population, viz.: a substratum who avoid the wrath of the conqueror by artifice and duplicity, and who in time be- come by the transmission of the acquired instinct a race of hereditar jr liars ; and the other division — generally found among the higher classes — who maintain their place by flattering and cringing to the conquerors." It has been frequently charged that the Hindus have no gratitude. It is true that their language contains no word to express the feeling of gratitude, but those who know them best agree that, if they have not the word for it, they are not wholly lacking in the substance. The Bev. Charles Acland, in his popular account of the manners and customs of India, tells a story in point: "When we are going to travel," he writes, " we pay the money for the bearers into the hands of the postmasters beforehand ; he then orders the men to be ready at each stage, and he subsequently sends them their pay. At one stage, as I was going to Midnapore, some time ago, the men complained to me that they had not received their money for many months. I questioned them, and finding their story A HIGH CASTE BRAHMIN GIRL. (--IT) HINDU TRAITS. 249 probable I promised to speak to the postmaster, and also of- fered to carry a petition from them to him. This I did. There had been a fault somewhere, but not, I believe, with the post- master; however, the poor men got their money. Since that time, whenever I go along the road, as soon as I come to that place a man calls out : * Here is the kind Sahib that took our letter for us,' and al- thouoh the sta2;e is ten miles in length, yet they carry me over it in less time than it takes me to go a six-mile stage else- where. My palkee is a heavy one, but they lit- erally run as fast as they can the whole way, and two additional men al- ways go with them with- out asking for pay." The Hindus are also accused by the ma- jority of travelers of being extremely dishon- est. In reply to this K <«■ .. -saL.,,-^- - < ...rj Acland BURMESE WOMAN. charge Mr says : " This also I deny ; although their treatment by in- dividuals is enough to make them so. ... I would not hesitate if it were necessary to entrust a thousand rupees to a servant to take to Calcutta ; that is for him a fifteen days' journey ; yet if he chose he might easily get beyond reach ; and such a sum would be sufficient to purchase an estate which 250 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. would render himself and his descendants landed proprietors and gentlemen. I doubt if you could say more than that for English honesty ; although, of course, there may be exceptions here as well as there." Mr. Acland writes that after leaving Jelesore he remem- bered that he had omitted to lock his tin traveling boxes. There were many valuable things in them, and when he reached the first stage they had not then come up ; yet he proceeded day after day for a hundred and fifty miles without the slightest uneasiness. These boxes passed through the hands of sixteen men successively, all of the poorest class, and they all came to hand the day after he reached his destination. Mr. Acland says that he would not have felt so easy had this occurred in England. The Bengalees are the bravest of all Asiatics. They are famous for stratagem, and display remarkable patience and cool- ness, although they are not regarded as patriotic- They are deeply attached to their homes, and although noted for the shed- ding of blood by their rulers, they are not individually cruel. Gordon McCauley, after describing the vices of the Bengalees, says that they do not lack a certain kind of courage which is often wanting among the better classes. They are sometimes found to possess a fortitude such as the stoics attribute to their ideal sage. " A European warrior, who rushes on a patrol of cannon with a loud hurrah, will sometimes shriek under the surgeon's knife, and fall in an agony of despair at the sentence of death. But the Bengalee who would see his country overrun, his house laid in ashes, his children murdered or dishonored, without having the spirit to strike one blow, has yet been known to en- dure torture with the firmness of Mucins, and to mount the HINDU TRAITS. 253 scaffold \vitli the steady step and even pulse of Algernon Sidney." The Parsees inculcate respectable living, and strenuously insist upon a careful fulfillment of one's promises, industry, humanity even towards animals, and blamelessness in thought, word and deed. The Parsees are the most interesting people of northern India. They are followers of Zoroaster, who lived twelve hun- dred years before Christ, and their religion has few of the revolting elements which characterize most heathen religions. The pojjular notion that they are fire worshippers is not exactly true. They do not worship the sun as God ; they only insist that in worshipping God one should fix his gaze upon some one of the wonderful things that God has made. The sun, fire, w^ater, etc., are not gods, but in them they see God revealed. This idea, says Dr. Francis E. Clark, lies at the root of their burial practices. They cannot put bodies in the ground accord- ing to their notion, or else the ground would be defiled. They cannot burn them, for fire is a sacred element. They cannot throw them into the river, for the water would be desecrated. But the vultures, being unclean birds, can dispose of the dead bodies without defiling land, water or fire. Like other Oriental peoples, the Hindus are noted for hospitality. Hunter tells a story of a man belonging to one of the miserable low castes who are attached to the Kandh ham- lets, wdio killed the son of a village 23atriarch and fled. Two years afterw^ards he suddenly rushed one night into the house of the bereaved fathei-. The indignant patriarch with difii- culty held his liand from the trembling wretch, and convened a council of the tribe to know^ how he might lawfully take revenge ; but the assembly decided that however grievously the 264 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. refugee had wronged his host, he was now his guest, and must be kept by him in comfort and unharmed. The Kev. D. T. Van Horn, a missionary in India, writes that in the villages the people are exceedingly hospitable, often insisting upon fur- nishing him with food for himself and his horse free of charge, while in some places they offer to pay him for telling them about Christ. Mr. Van Horn says the longer he lives among the Hindus the more he loves them, and that their childlike sympathy draws out his heart towards them. He adds that in sorrow they will sympathize with you ; in trouble they are ever ready to lend a helping hand, and in the sick-room they are invaluable, and nurse the patient as tenderly as a mother nurses a babe. Mrs. E. M. Bacon, another missionary, writing to the author in a similar strain, tells the story of a highly educated Hindu teacher who, on learning of the illness of the wife of a foreign gentleman, went to his house and insisted on remaining with him through the night and administering to the dying woman. When a Hindu is converted to Christianity his zeal knows no bounds. Miss Lillian E. Marks, of Ajmere, India, writes of a noted Bible reader who is from morning till night besieged by a starving multitude. This Bible woman receives only $2.00 a month. "I wondered," writes Miss Marks, " why the poor came over there while she had so little for them, but in the evening when she cooked her food I was enlightened. Her own daily allowance of food was cooked with that of the other members of the family, but I found that she did not eat it. Quietly, when no one w^as looking, she slipped her share out of the house and gave it to the four starving ones sitting at the door. I found on investigation that she was only eating one small meal a day in order that she might feed them." CEYLONESE GIRLS. (255) HINDU TRAITS. 257 Miss Marks also writes of another noble woman whom the love of God has changed into a saint : " She is Allied with a burning zeal for the souls of her sisters, and day after day she travels about from village to village in an ox-cart preaching the gospel. I have been with her often on her tours. If we had to pass through any village without stopping, ' Caroline Maunna ' would always say, ' Oh, Miss lahib, let us stop here. There may be many people liere who have never heard of Jesus, and I am getting old and I may not pass this way again.' Every morning she was up at three and four o'clock to read her Bible, that she might get a message for the day. Her life was one that any Christian might copy with profit to his souL" One of the most curious customs amono; the Hindus is to set apart an apartment in the house called the chamber of anger, in which any member of the family who happens to be in a bad temper shuts himself up until he has recovered his usual equanimity. The other members of the family are thus undisturbed by the irritabilify of the angry person, and the head of the house knows immediately by looking into the chamber of anger whether everything is going straight with his household or not. Many of the religious ideas of the Hindus, if not in ac- cordance with our own, at least challenge our respect for their consistency. To the Hindu all life is sacred — the life of beast, bird, reptile and even insect, as well as of man. In accordance with this idea they have established hospitals for animals. The hospital for animals in Bombay is one of the great institutions of the city. " Here," says Dr. H. M. Field, " in an enclosure covering many acres, in sheds or stables or in open grounds, as may be best to promote their recovery, are gathered the 258 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. lame, the halt and the blind, not of the human species, but of the animal world — cattle, horses, sheep and goats, dogs and cats, rabbits and monkeys, and beasts and birds of every de- scri]3tion. Even poor little monkeys forgot to be merry and looked very solemn as they stood on their perch. The cows, sacred as they were, were yet not beyond the power of disease, aikl had a most woe-begone look. Long rows of stables were filled with broken-down horses, spavined and ringboned, with ribs sticking out of their sides, or huge sores on their flanks and drij)ping with blood. In one pen Avere a number of kit- tens that mewed and cried for their mothers, though they had a plentiful supply of milk for their jDoor, emaciated bodies. The Hindus send out carts at niglit and jDick them up wher- ever they have been cast into the street. Kabbits, which no man would own, have here snug warrens made for them and creep in and out with a feeling of safety and comfort. In a large enclosure were a hundred dogs more wretched looking than the dogs of Constantinople — ' whelps and curs of low degree.' These poor creatures had been so long the com- panions of man that, ill-treated as they were, starved and kicked, they still apparently longed for human society, and as soon as they saw us they seemed to recognize us as their de- liverers, and set up a howling and yelling, and leaped against the bars of their prison house, as if imploring us to give them liberty .... While walking through these grounds in com- pany with a couple of missionaries, I saw how much better these animals were cared for than some men. I Avas thinking of some of our broken-down ministers at home who, after serv- ing their people faithfully for a Avhole generation, are at last sent adrift, like an old horse turned out by the roadside to die." HINDU TRAITS. 261 After dwelling upon the dark side of Hindu life, Dr. Field Siiys: "But I do not sit in judgment on the Hindu, nor include the whole people in one general condemnation. Some of them are as noble specimens of manhood, with as much 'natural goodness' as can be found anywhere, and are even very religious in their way, and in zeal and devotion an ex- ample to their Christian neighbors." Of this he gives a very striking instance in a grand old Hindu, the Maharajah of Benares, whom he visited in his castle on the Ganges. The Maharajah of Benares is a member of the Viceroy's council at Calcutta, and is held in universal respect by the English com- munity. "Sir William Muir, who is one of the most pro- nounced Christian men in India, whom some would even call a Puritan for his strictness, told me that the Maharajah was one of the best of men." And yet he is one of the straitest sect of the Hindus, who bathes in the Ganges every morning, and in all religious services is most exemplary, even spending hours in prayer. " How this earnest faith," adds Dr. Field, "in a religion so vile can consist with a life so pure and so good is one of the mysteries of this Asiatic world which I leave to those wiser than I am to explain." In concluding an account of his visit to India, the same writer says: "The last night we were in Calcutta it was my privilege to address the students at one of the Scotch colleges. The hall was crowded, and I have seldom if ever spoken to a finer body of young men. These young Bengalees had, many of them, heads of an almost classical beauty; and, with their grace of person heightened by their flowing white robes, they presented a beautiful array of young scholars such as might delight the eyes of any instructor who should have to teach them 'divine philosophy.' My heart went out to them very 14 262 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. warmly, and as that was my last impression of India, I left it with a very different feeling from that with which I entered it — with a degree of respect for its people and of interest in them which I humbly conceive is the very first condition of doing them any good." When we think of India the mind hovers about the black hole of Calcutta, and in that awful chasm sees only the darker side of Hindu character. I would that we might look away now and then and let the eye rest ujDon the Taj — that wonder- ful monument that tells the story of the brighter side. Of this marvelous structure Dr. Talmage has given us a brilliant description. "In a journey around the world," he writes, " it may not be easy to tell the exact point which divides the pilgrimage into halves. But there was one structure toward which we were all the time traveling, and having seen that we felt that if we saw nothing more our expedition would be a success. That one object was the Taj of India. It is the crown of the whole earth. The spirits of architecture met to enthrone a king, and the spirit of the Parthenon at Athens was there; and the s|)irit of St. Sophia of Constantinople was there; and the spirit of St. Isaac of St. Petersburg was there; and the spirit of the Baptistery of Pisa was there; and the spirit of the Great Pyramid and of the Luxor obelisk, and of the Porcelain tower of Nankin, and of St. Mark's of Venice, and the spirits of all the great towers, great cathedrals, great mausoleums, great sarcophagi, great capitols for the living, and of great necropolises for the dead were there. And the presiding genius of the throng, with gavel of Parian marble, smote the table of Russian malachite, and called the throng of spirits to order, and called for a vote as to which spirit should wear the A HINDU LADY. (263) mNDU TRAITS. 265 chief crown, and mount the chief throne, and wave the chief sceptre, and by unanimous acclaim the cry was: 'Long live the sj^irit of the Taj, king of all the spirits of architecture! Thine is the Taj Mahal of India!' " The building is about six miles from Agra, and as we rode out in the early dawn we heard nothing but the hoofs and wheels that pulled and turned us along the road, at every yard of which our expectation rose until we had some thought that we might be disappointed at the first glimpse, as some say they were disappointed. But how anyone can be disappointed with the Taj is almost as great a wonder to me as the Taj itself. There are some people always disappointed, and who knows but that having entered heaven they may criticise the archi- tecture of the Temple, and the cut of the white robes, and say that the River of Life is not quite up to their expectations, and that the white horses on which the conquerors ride seem a little springhalt, or spavined! "My son said: 'There it is!' I said: 'Where?' For that which he saw to be the building seemed to me to be more like the morning cloud blushing under the stare of the rising- sun. It seemed not so much built up from earth as let down from heaven. Fortunately you stop at an elaborated gateway of red sandstone one-eighth of a mile from the Taj, an entrance so high, so arched, so graceful, so four-domed, so painted and chiseled and scrolled that you come very gradually upon the Taj, which structure is enough to intoxicate the eye, and stun the imagination, and entrance the soul. We go up the wind- ing stairs of this majestic entrance of the gateway, and buy a. few pictures, and examine a few curios, and from it look off upon the Taj, and descend from the pavement to the garden that rap)tures everything between the gateway and the ecstasy 266 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. of marble and precious stones. You pass along a deep stream of water, in which all manner of brilliant fins swirl and float. There are eighty-four fountains that spout and bend and arch themselves to fall in showers of pearl in basins of snowy white- ness. Beds of all imaginable flora greet the nostril before they do the eye, and seem to roll in waves of color as you advance toward the vision you are soon to have of what human "genius did when it did its best: moon-flowers, lilacs, marigolds, tulips, and almost everywhere the lotus; thickets of bewildering bloom ; on either side trees from many lands bend their arbor- escence over your head, or seem with convoluted branches to reach out their arms toward you in welcome. On and on you go amid tamarind, and cypress, and poplar, and oleander, and yew, and sycamore, and banyan, and palm, and trees of such novel branch, and leaf, and girth, you cease to ask their name or nativity. As you approach the door of the Taj one experi- ences a strange sensation of awe, and tenderness, and humility, and worship. The building is only a grave, but what a grave! Built for a queen who, according to some, was very good ; and, according to others, was very bad. I choose to think she was very good. At any rate, it makes me feel better to think that this commemorative pile was set up for the immortalization of virtue rather than vice. The Taj is a mountain of white marble, but never such walls faced each other with exquisite- ness ; never such a tomb was cut out from block of alabaster ; never such congregation of precious stones brightened, and gloomed, and blazed, and chastened, and glorified a building since sculptor's chisel cut its first curve, or painter's pencil traced its first figure, or mason's plumb-line measured its first wall, or architect's compass swept its first circle. "The Taj has sixteen great arched windows, four at each CO J D Q, (/) I Q <; h w 5 a< h (J) Q Q D HINDU TRAITS. 269 corner. Also at each of tlie four corners of the Taj stands a minaret one hundred and thirty-seven feet high. Also at each side of this building is a splendid mosque of red sandstone. Two hundred and fifty years has the Taj stood, and yet not a wall has cracked, nor a mosaic loosened, nor an arch sagged, nor a panel dulled. The storms of two hundred and fifty winters have not marred, nor the heats of two hundred and fifty summers disintegrated a marble. There is no story of age written by mosses on its white surface. Montaz, the queen, was beautiful, and Shah Jehan, the king, here proposed to let all the centuries of time know it. She was married at twenty years of age and died at twenty-nine. Her life ended as another life began; as the rose bloomed the rosebush perished. To adorn this dormitory of the dead, at the command of the king, Bagdad sent to this building its cornelian, and Ceylon its lapis-lazuli, and the Punjab its jasper, and Persia its amethyst, and Thibet its turquoise, and Lanka its sapjDhire, and Yemen its agate, and Punah its diamonds, and bloodstones, and sardo- nyx, and chalcedony, and moss agates are as common as though they were pebbles. You find one spray of vine beset with eighty and another with one hundred stones. Twenty thousand men w^ere twenty years in building it, and although the labor was slave labor, and not paid for, the building cost what would be about $60,000,000 of our American money. Some of the jewels have been picked out of the wall by iconoclasts or con- querors, and substitutes of less value have taken their places; but the vines, the traceries, the arabesques, the spandrels, the entablatures are so wondrous that you feel like 'dating the rest of your life from the day you first saw them. In letters of black marble the whole of the Koran is spelled out in and on this august pile. The king sleeps in the tomb beside the 270 THE BBI9HT SIDE OF HUMANITY. queen, although he intended to build a palace as black as this was white on the opposite side of the river for himself to sleep in. Indeed, the foundation for such a necropolis of black marble is still there, and from the white to the black temple of the dead a bridge was to cross; but the son dethroned him and imprisoned him, and it is wonderful that the king had any place at all in which to be buried. Instead of windows to let in the light upon the two tombs, there is a trellis-work of marble, marble cut so delicately thin that the sun shines through it as easily as through glass. Look the world over and you find no such translucency, canopies, traceries, lace- work, embroideries of stone." PRINCESS KAPURTHALA. (371; r.Y Taul Sinai;alui DAUGHTER OF THE RAJAH. XX A HINDU SCHOLAR'S VIEW OF INDIA. G. L. Shakur Doss, a highly educated Hindu and a nota- ble convert to Christianity, in a letter to the author presents some observations which deserve to be quoted at length. "India," says Mr. Doss, "is a changing country. Its characteristic traits are not altogether what they were a century ago. Old influences are abating and vanishing. New character is being formed, and we should judge India accordingly. Look and see that there are at least three great forces casting their influence upon India in this age. The first is the old force of book relisfion of the Hindus and Mohammedans which still holds full sway over the minds of India's millions. The second great power is the English literature. The third mighty force is Christianity. The old religious beliefs and practices are entirely separate from morality, and not necessarily joined as in Christianity. The influence of the English literature is mainly on the intellect. Christianity alone has to contend with the idolatry and immorality of the country. Each of these powers produces effects peculiar to its nature. It is worth wliile now to show how far each has succeeded in its efforts, and this will enable us to form an estimate of Indian character. "In the first place, the Indian heathenism with its estab- lished superstition and learning is still a great factor in keep- ing up the old religious character of its devotees. The Hindus are the most religious people in the world. Keligion pervades (273) 274 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. their domestic, social, political, agricultural and mercantile duties. Nothing is done without some religious ceremony for it. This can be ascertained from the daily life of a Hindu, and also from Mann's Dharm Shaster. I would refer the English reader to Sir Monier William's 'Religious Thoughts and Life in India.' If this nation were converted to Christianity it would be or rather ought to be a very religious community of the Christian Church. In the scale of religious civilization this trait of Hindu character would be a most beautiful trait for Christianity to work upon. " In spite of the old established and still existing supersti- tion and learning of India and the influence they have had in moulding the character of its people, the British rule and the English literature have created a new life in India. The British rule has rightly suppressed the brutal rites and customs of the people — such as widow-burning, suicide before the idol Jugger- naut and infanticide. The English literature has almost trans- formed India by bringing into its possession a vast amount of literary wealth, and by quickening its mind to see what is erroneous and what is wanting in the Indian literature. " And what do you think is the result ? The Indian mind had, no doubt, made great and original achievements in its own way, but the additional influence of Western culture is ena- bling the people to rise to higher character and to a higher order of usefulness in the world. In this respect certainly the English do not think that there is ' nothing in the heathen to begin with, and that therefore our efforts to educate thein are useless.' And they are consistent in their dealings with their Indian subjects. They teach and train them and then trust them, and thus practically admit that the Indians are trust- worthy as well as intelligent. In days gone by the Govern- A BURMESE GIRL OF RANGOON. (275) A HINDU SCHOLAR'S VIEW OF INDIA. 277 meiit used to regard their natural ability and acquired knowl- edge with no little mistrust ; but of late the mistake has been seen, and a more generous policy has been adopted. Native gentlemen of intelligence and ability have been raised to responsible posts, and as magistrates, judges, professors and engineers they have proved equal to the responsibilities laid upon them. Education has found the Indian mind very con- genial for its advancement, and it is making great strides all over India. India is getting filled with University graduates, and even at this early stage private efforts are being made by the Hindus, Mohammedans and Sikhs for starting independent schools and colleges. Such a state of things shows very plainly that the people of India possess intellectuah character equal to that of any Western }>eople. In an article on the 'Influence of English Literature upon India' Rev. John Hewlett, M. A., missionary at Benares, writes that ' the English literary achieve- ments of the Eev. K. M. Banerja, D. L., author of Dialogues on the Hindu Philosophy, of the Rev. Lol Behari Day, author of Govindo Shamanta, of Mr. Ram Chander Bose, M. A., author of two works, one on the orthodox and one on the heterodox sects of Hinduism, and of Dr. Rajendra Lai Jlitra, author of works (especially his Indo Argaus), which throw vast light on the history, character and names of his country- men, prove that Indians are capable of receiving such power- ful mental illumination fvom English literature as to make them most wise instructors of their countrymen." Again, in the same article he says that " the medical and legal professions have been very popular from the adornment they have received from able native gentlemen, highly trained in English. It is well known that a large number of Indian gentlemen have been qualified by their enlightened English education to become 278 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. distinguished officers of the Government, showing remarkable wisdom and impartiality on the bench and great energy and zeal at administrative posts. So that the Western light poured upon India through the schools, colleges and universities has already created an intellectual awakening full of bright prom- ise , for that great country's future." {Ind. Evang. Review, July, 1890.) Ten years have passed over since these words were written, and, as far as my information goes, this awakening has gone far and wide into the countrj^ since. In Lahore, the capital of the Punjab, there are now five colleges, viz.: Gov- ernment College, Mission College, Islamia College, Anglo Vedic College, and Chiefs' College. There is a college at Am- ritsar, one Mission College at Scalkot and one at Rawalpindi. I would also add that the English arts, sciences and manners are practically breaking down the power of the Hindu caste system more than any other agency in India. In short, Eng- lish literature is not only influencing the intellect, but it is also bringing about social changes, such as the education of women, the remarriage of widows, adoption of new occupations, and abandonment of idolatry, caste and child-marriage. Such a capability of intellectual, moral and social improvement is in itself quite sufficient to change the conviction of the Americans, and enable them to see that there is a great deal in the heathen of India to begin with. " The third force which is exercising an influence on the moral and religious tone of India heathenism is Christianity. Buddhism and Mohammedism in their days exerted their in- fluence over India, and moulded the character of the people after their peculiarities, but they are stationary now. The special traits of character formed by them have in turn to be re- modelled by the high and holy influence of Christianity. This "Ji.ff^' if" •'< * A HINDU SCHOLAR'S VIEW OF INDIA. 281 is a thing for which all the good people of the whole Christendom feel very much concerned. Now Christianity preaches a change of character — regeneration — and change of religion without any compromise. It advances its morality instead of the In- dian's and its God and Saviour for the gods and gurus of India. In other words, its aim is to drive away the very soul of Indian heathenism, which renders it the most difficult of all undertak- ings, but the difficuhy is not insurmountable, as is evident by the advances it has already made on heathenism. " Leaving aside the divisions and subdivisions of the In- dian people into castes, races and religions, there are found in the present age two grand divisions : the educated classes and tlie io;norant masses. The chai-acteristic of the educated class is that it is increasing, and educated young men in India are growing up without any religion. They are losing respect for their old religions and Christianity is not very clear to them. For, after reading the scientific dreams of Darwin, Huxley and Tyndall, history turned into fiction by Renan and Strauss, the Religious Thoughts of Parker, and the pantheism of Hegel and a host of other such Western wiiters, they form the con- viction that educated men in Europe and America are ashamed of Christianity as decidedly as educated men in India are ashamed of Hinduism. But, of course, they are striving to the best of their knowledge and ability to serve God outside of Christianity. "Again, those missionaries who are fit for working among the masses only when they come in contact with the edu- cated Indians have peculiar difficulties to encounter, and the best thing they can do to screen their inability is to depreciate the parts of the educated Indians by saying that 'there is nothing in the heathen to begin with.' Inferior preachers, 282 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. whether European or native, cannot command their respect, or explain the Ciiristian truth in a convincing and edifying man- ner to this class of people. Moreover, the schemes and opera- tions of some missions ignore their very existence. There are missionaries appointed as managers of mission schools and col- leges and as preachers for villages, but none are separated to reach and preach to the class under consideration, as Barnabas and Saul were separated for the work among the Gentiles. It should be borne in mind that the Bible instruction given in mission schools and colleges can be only superficial, and by far the great majority of educated heathens from Government, Hindu and Mohammedan colleges remain entire strangers to Christianity — so much so that this class of people need to be preached to as much as the ignorant masses. Now, if amidst such a state of things many have been saved from this class by the efforts of good Christian preachers, whether European or native, all efforts to save the heathen must be worth while. ''As to the ignorant millions of Hindus and Mohammedans the partial efforts of the missionaries for them have not been of much avail. They have willingly allowed and even forced their sons to take to education, which has produced a genera- tion of which we have already spoken. But they themselves are still strangers to education or Christianity, and heathenism, with all its virtues and vices, is the character of this innumer- able mass. It may be said of such peo23le that ' if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to them that are perishing' (2 Cor. iv. 3). But still this would in no wise justify retiring from the field, as it would simply be a suicidal policy. Bemember that the educated and intelligent are not only dissatisfied with the idolatries of the masses, but are also influencing the masses against the old customs. A HINDU SCHOLAR'S VIEW OF INDIA. 283 *' Hitherto I have stated some general features of the Indian character and the forces that are influencing it, and have touched upon the character of the heathen only. But there is a new class of people called Christians. They are the outcome of the Christian efforts in India. Some of them are from the higher and educated classes, though most of them are from the low caste people, very poor and more ignorant than the Hindu and Mohammedan masses. According to Gov- ernment Census Report the population of India at the end of 1890 was 279,684,203, and the numerical strength of Pro- testant native Christians was 559,061. This new class is beino; formed of incono-ruous characters, and whether they fulfil them or not the people come under new conditions on their becoming Christians. The missionaries, finding it perhaps hard to overcome the Hindu and Mohammedan masses, turned to these low castes of the country, and on finding it easy to baptize them they became more eager for number than for quality. It is difficult to give a description of the two kinds of people that are forming the Indian Christian society, and therefore it is better to describe them separately. "The Christians from the higher and educated classes are not behind their heathen brethren in attainments and intelli- gence in all the provinces of India. In proportion to their A YOUNO GIRL OF INDIA. 284 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HTIMANITY. number they are keeping pace with Hindus and Mohammedans in obtaining university degrees. Like the uneducated heathen parents, the uneducated Cliristian parents do their utmost to get their sons and daughters educated. Their superiority, however, consists in the moral and religious tone of their char- acter. As a rule idolatry, street prostitution, polygamy (the common sins of Hindus and Mohammedans), enforced widow- hood, non-education of women (the social evil of Hinduism) have been totally abandoned. Though some drink, yet drunk- enness is not characteristic of Indian Christians. Of course, temptations to it are strong from the side of Hindus as well as Europeans. But these vices are no longer the vices of Indian Christians. There are of course the negative aspects of the Indian Christian morality, and the positive aspects are not so conspicuous, such as having good or self-denying philan- thropy, truthfulness in all its bearings, treatment of subordi- nates, independence of thought, acting from principle, and energy. "The introduction of Christianity and English literature, as I have already intimated, has produced great convulsions in India. The Hindus and Mohammedans naturally felt bound to preserve their religions and customs against these foreign in- vaders, and in this case it would be simply doing justice to my native Christian brethren to speak of their zeal, wisdom and firmnesss who have adopted aggressive and defensive measures for the Christian religion even more than the missionaries. I Avould give a few names and incidents out of many in the Punjab which have come under my personal experience and observation. "The late Mr. G. Lewis, a graduate of the Calcutta Uni- versity and an Indian Christian, adorned the responsible post A HINDU PRINCE. (285) A HINDU SCHOLAR'S VIEW OF INDIA. 287 of a division judge. He was admired for his Cliristian char- acter by the Christians, both European and native. He aided the missions by his purse, and was respected by the Hindus and Mohammedans for his honesty and impartiality as a judge. His death has been a great loss to the Christian community. "The late Mr. Abdullo Athim, a scholar in English,. Persian and Arabic languages, was a convert from Mohammed- anism. He was an extra-assistant Commissioner in the service of the Government. Besides doing his official duty honestly and diligently, he was famous for his zeal for the Christian cause in India. He was a prolific author. He wrote and pub- lished religious books and tracts at his own expense. Toward the latter part of his life, after he had retired from Government service, when his head was silvery, his constitution weak and his voice low, he proved himself a Christian hero. The no- torious Mohammedan, Lufi Mirza Gulane Ahmad, of Ladian (Punjab), who claims to be an inspired prophet, challenged Mr. Athim to a public discussion on the divinity of Christ, the atonement of Christ and the perfection and supremacy of the Bible. The old veteran accepted the challenge, and the time for the discussion was fixed. Christians and Mohammed- ans and Hindus were present to hear the discussion, which was held at Amritsar from the 22d of May to the 5th of June, 1893. There was an excitement in the country over this discussion. The Hindus were anxious to see the Christians win. On the last day the vanquished opponent uttered curses against the mild, but strong and steady Christian champion, that he should die on the 5th of September of the next year. But to his surprise the good old man survived more than a year after the cursed day. The whole conduct of this Christian hero affected a great many of Lufi's followers, and some left him 288 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. and became Christians, and at the same time saved the country from the spreading of a seditious sect. The writer took a share in the discussion, and, seeing Mr. Athim physically and men- tally weak at the time, several times asked him to retire and give him the floor, but he would not do so. His death was another heavy loss to the Christian community. I would like to add that there was not a single European gentleman or a foreign missionary who took part in the discussion. The occasion reminded me very much of a discussion on the Bible between Dr. Joseph Berg and Mr. Joseph Parker, of England, about half a century ago. "A considerable list of Mohammedan converts can be given who are as shining lights in the country, and have written well for the benefit of their Mohammedan countrymen. Among these can be mentioned Eev. Imadrid Din, D. D., in the C. M. S. Amritsar, and the late Molvi Lafdar Ali. The former is an author of several books and tracts on Mohammedanism, and has written a commentary on several books of the New Testament. He is considered a pillar in the church by the Church Mis- sionary Society. " Let us have now a few instances of converts from Hin- duism. The first I would mention is Rev. Tora Chand, of the Church Missionary Society at Ajmere. He is an able man and a writer of several devotional books. He is highly respected by the missionaries. Mr. Chandu Lol, a Govern- ment pensioner, was head master of the government school at Lahore. He has been all along a devoted Christian, and shows a great earnestness in the mission cause. He does not depend upon the missions for his support. His sons are holding responsi- ble posts in the Government service. One is an extra-assistant Commissioner, and one is an assistant engineer. Mr. Chandu A HINDU SCHOLAR'S VIEW OF INDIA. 289 is known to me personally, and he is one of those earnest Chris- tians who long to see their countrymen come to Christ. " The late Professor Kum Cliandar, Director of Public In- TAMIL GIRL PICKING TEA. yft struction in Patiala State, was a thoroughly educated man. He was a convert from Hinduism. His love for Christianity and sympathy for the Mohammedans moved him to leave two liter- 15 290 THE BBIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. ary monuments for their benefit. One is called ' Ijaz-i-quran ' (Quran Refuted) , and one is ' Tahrif Quran ' (Quran Interpo- lated) . Probably the Hindus were not so offensive in his days as the Mohammedans. '' If the reader will pardon what may be denounced as egotism, I will refer to a few incidents in my own missionai-y life, which extends to a period of twenty-five years. Being a convert from Brahmanism, I lost all love for its religious sys- tem, though not for the people. As soon as I was through with my theological course with the late Rev. J. P. McKee, of Jamestown (America), I found that there was only one man — the above-mentioned Rev. Imadrid Din, of Amritsar, who oc- cupied the Christian field against a host of Mohammedan con- troversialists. This turned my attention toward the Mohammed- ans, and aggressive and defensive measures were adopted on new grounds. I commenced my attack on Islam ; ' Quran not needed ' was my theme. For nearly two years the discussion was carried on in the jDapers. Sometimes I was opposed by half a dozen molvees at a time. When the discussion was over the Rev. E. M. Wherry, D. D., of A. P. Mission, published the whole matter in book form. Its second edition is now be- fore the public. My attacks on Islam were renewed on another new basis, viz.: ' The Character of Christ and Mohammed.' Perhaps the people of America are not aware how risky it is to attack Mohammed and his Quran. I was warned and threat- ened by Mohammedans in Pasrur, Jhang and Gujranwala to stop such writing. Those of Gujranwala were followers of the Mirza Gulam Ahmad of Qoquin, whose great book Barahin Ahmadia I had refuted in a ' Review on Barahin Ahmadia,' and two of them are employed in the American U. P. Mission School. I had to face such threats in 1895-96, the time when A HINDU SCHOLAR'S VIEW OF INDIA. 293 the U. P. missionaries were determined to ruin me and had forced me to go to law. In the meantime I had not forgotten the Hindus. The Aryan sect published tracts against Chris- tianity, some of which led me to write for their benefit an elaborate tract on the ' Origin of Vedic Religion.' The Hindus and Mohammedans, unable to make original attacks on the Bible, have been wide awake all over India to stuff their brains with the blasphemies of Payne and Bradlaugh and the mystic theory of Strauss and Penan. Rationalism in Europe is the mother of modern Rationalism in India. ' Everything spirit- ual is a myth, and conscience alone is the law and the law- giver ! ' Such became the new feature of Brahmaism among Hindus and naturalism among the Mohammedans. Sir Lynd Ahmad Khan became a leader of the latter. My love and zeal for Christianity would not let me remain neutral to these civilized heresies, and to the best of my ability I faced Sir Lynd and some of the Brahmas, and the outcome was my two treat- ises against these theories. One is called 'Vindication of the Miraculous Birth of Christ' and the other 'Philosophy of Revelation.' All are in the Verdu language. Besides these I have written and published several other books and tracts in defence of our holy religion. In these days I am writing a commentary on Matthew's Gospel for Indian readers, and it is nearly ready for the press. During my trials and difficulties in 1895-96 my Hindu friends in Gujranwala, namely, INIunshi Jwan Keshan Pleader and Kirpa Rain, sanitary inspector, and several others urged me to retrace my steps to Hinduism, as I had seen enough of Christianity in the life of these missiona- ries. My plain and prompt answer was that I am a Christian because I follow Christ, and not because I follow the missiona- ries. 294 TEE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. " I would now like to give you a few incidents of living Indian martyrs. Mr. Gopot Chand is a convert from Hin- duism. Love of truth moved him toward Christianity, and he had the moral courage to leave his parents and other relations and receive baptism from the Kev. W. W. HarjDer, of the Church of Scotland Mission at Sealkote. His baptism precipi- tated many trials and troubles. He was forced to Hardwar to be purified with the Ganges water. His body they washed over with that water, but his heart was in Christ, and on his return he went back to the missionary. He had to go straight through the trial alone, as there was no other Christian to help him. Some time afterwards distress stared him in the face, but his faith never wavered, and he remained as firm as ever. He has now joined the order of Plymouth Brethren, and is working as a clerk in the executive engineer's oifice, Guj- ranwala. " Mr. Didar Lino- is a verv valuable man in the Church of Scotland Mission, Gujerat (Punjab). He belongs to a very high family of Sikh Lardars. He was brought to Christ by the loving efforts of the Scotch missionaries. After baptism he was i^ersecuted by his friends and relatives, who got the police to arrest him. By perseverance in his trials he is a Christian to-day, and is a useful member of the Church of Scotland. His faith and character are having an edifying influence on the heathen public. "In addition to the above-mentioned notable Indian Chris- tians, I am glad to say that our graduates and under-graduates are filling responsible posts in Government service, such as Bae Mayer Doss, and others ; and some are professors in mis- sion and Government colleges; for instance, Mr. M. Meeker Jee, B. A., in Forman Christian at Lahore, and Mr. Golakhnath A HINDU SCHOLAR'S VIEW OF INDIA. 295 Chatterjie, B. A., in Government College, who graduated in England. Others are pleaders and barristers. "I would mention one more trait of character of the high class converts. As a rule, there is no caste system among them. They have reached the truth that social order does not rest on the reputed natural inequality of men. ' It is not birth which ennobles. Men are great only through their faith, virtue and piety.' They have got to respect human nature, though these virtues be absent. This is evident from their mixing freely among the low caste people and from the intermarriages of Hindu and Mohammedan converts. "All of the above facts show that in a short period and in a country like India Christianity has made remarkable and lasting changes, and efforts to save the heathen have ]3roved useful. In short, the Indian Christians from higher classes have tried, are trying, and will try to better and improve their mental and moral propensities, and to be bouyant in social status with the civilized races." Mr. Doss does not think highly of the mission work among the lower classes. XXI. BRAZILIAN BONHOMIE. The Brazilians are a generous, whole-souled folk. In hospitality they are not equaled by any other American people, and are surpassed only by the Orientals. One may travel in Brazil for months without paying a penny for his entertain- ment. Everywhere 23eoi3le open their doors as well as their hearts, and the traveler is sure not only of a cordial welcome, but of the best room, the best bed, and the best of everything that is to be had. The host can never have too many guests, and the guests can never wear their welcome out. Miss Kuhl writes that while traveling with a party of seventeen she met a man who insisted on entertaining the entire party at his own house and at his own expense. The Bev. G. Bickerstaff, of Castro, says that their generosity is unequaled. He has traveled much over the prairies and through the forests, stop- ping over night at the houses of Catholics, and never has he been made otherwise than welcome, nor was he ever expected to pay anything for his entertainment. The hospitality of the people flourishes in spite of the fact that it is constantly abused. The land swarms with respectable beggars, who spend their lives visiting friends. Mr. Bickerstaff mentions one who wore good clothes and rode a good horse, the gift of friends, who spent his whole time visiting, stopping a month or two at a house. The Brazilians delight in helping one another. While they (297) 298 TEE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. have few public charities, tiieir individual charities are a legion. They delight in seeking out the poor and needy and in visiting the sick, and there are among the converts to Christianity many devout women who spend a large part of their time in going from house to house to lend a helping hand wherever it is needed. The motherly instinct is largely developed in Brazilian women, and not content with raising large families, they are glad to receive into their homes the orphans of their deceased friends and relatives. There are hardly any orphan asylums in Brazil, for the reason that most of the homes of the people are private orphan asylums. In this they have excelled all other peoples. "One charming Brazilian woman," writes Miss Kuhl, "who brought four pupils to our boarding school, told me that she had reared seventeen children. Seven of them were married, and to each of these she had given an outfit and a wedding feast." Miss Kuhl tells of another couple who raised quite as many orphans, not only caring for them while they were children, but giving them an education as they grew up and helping them to start in life after they were married. The Brazilians also have a higher sense of honor than is common among Latin races. The Bev. S. L. Ginsburg writes that a native helper was so poor that he often went without a meal; yet when he was entrusted with thousands of dollars belonging to the church which Mr. Ginsburg represents his accounts always balanced to a penny. Mr. Ginsburg says that he could cite many other instances of this sort. The converted Brazilians can be absolutely trusted. Indeed, there are no better Christians. " To my mind," says Mr. Bickerstaff, whom we have quoted, "true nobility of character does not consist merely in the ability to rise occasionally to heroic deeds, but reveals itself in a consistent Christian life of growth in grace; BRAZILIAN BONHOMIE. 299 in the persistence with which one ' climbs upward, working out the beast, and lets the ape and tiger die ; ' fighting to the death one's own evil passions and inclinations and bearing the petty annoyances of everyday life, not with stoical indifference, but with patience and charity for Christ's sweet sake." Mr. Bick- erstafp says that judged by this standard there are many noble examples of Christian character in Brazil. The hardest thing for a Brazilian to do is to forgive an injury or an insult, yet Mr. Bickerstaff recalls many instances of patience and charity under trying circumstances which have come under his obser- vation. One of his converts was accused of divertins; the finances of the church to his own private use. The man was innocent, but instead of losing his temper he patiently waited under the charge until the opportunity came to present proof of his innocence. Bev. F. C. Taylor, of Bahia, relates many instances to illustrate the piety and zeal of the Brazilian Christians. Some of these instances remind one of the early days of Christianity. An old man was lying upon his bed paralyzed and his mind almost entirely obscured. Several of his friends stood over him and asked if he recognized them, but he only shook his head. "Why," said one, "have you forgotten Jesus, Brother Taylor, Brother Samuel, John Baptist, and all?" He looked up and said: "Taylor I don't know, Samuel I don't know, but Jesus, yes, I know him; he is my Saviour." It is not an ordinary mother who, in addition to the responsibility of her own large family, will gladly take upon herself the burden of raising a dead friend's children, and oiie is prepared to believe the statement that has been made, that there are no people who are more devoted to their mothei's than the Brazilians. It is not unusual for a vouno; man to 300 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. turn over nearly all of his salary to his mother. Mr. Ginsburg tells of a young man employed in the general post-office in his city who, when the rumor became apj^arent that the end of the world was at hand, ran away from his place, leaving a note behind him saying that he wanted to die in the arms of his mother. The Brazilians have some very beautiful family customs. One of these is the evening salutation. When the candles are lighted while the family is sitting at the dinner table, the children rise and, bidding each other good-night, kiss the hands of their parents and ask for a blessing. The children kiss the hands of their parents morning and night, and when meeting after an absence, the father pronounces his blessing upon them. In passing a church a Brazilian will usually raise his hat. This is not done for superstition, but as a delicate expression of religious sentiment. This same delicacy of feeling leads them to raise their hats when a funeral procession is passing. BOOKER T. \A^ASHINGTON. (301) XXII. THE AMERICAN NEGRO. Ijst a forgotten corner of an obscure library I came, the other day, upon a collection of books which thirty years ago were held in great esteem for the light which they were supposed to shed upon the freedmen, as the Negro people were then called. It occurred to me as I took up my pen that if I should set down at the head of this chapter the titles of certain of these volumes — after the manner of the painstaking reviewer — there are older readers who would find in the memories which they would awaken much to account for the chaotic state of mind which we are now in concerning the colored man and his prob- lems. But one does not enjoy recalling the early follies of one's mind any more than one enjoys being reminded of those early follies which are committed in absence of mind ; and to name these books at the present day would be a little less than cruel to those of us who were once accustomed to swear by them. The older reader will understand ; if the younger does not may I be forgiven for explaining that, with the exception of a few geographical and racial terms, there is nothing in these books to indicate the particular branch of the human family with which they are concerned. There are character delineations in them, to be sure — silhouettes by flying tourists, sketches by overheated reconstructionists, half-length portraits by missionary schoolma'ams — but most of them are of that obliging type which leaves the matter of resemblance to each (303) 304 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. individual imagination, wliile the only speaking likenesses are those which speak through their labels. It was not a serious matter thirty years ago. Indeed, I am not sure but that the mist of ignorance which then obscured the Negro served a merciful purpose — as mists have often done in hidiuo- from us difficulties which we did not have the cour- aoe to face. Zealous as were the friends of the freedmen in a those first years of missionary effort, it is a question whether they would have had the heart to enter upon the task at all if they had fully realized its magnitude. The pressing need at the beginning was money ; and so long as there was enthusiasm the money flowed whether or no. But time has cooled our ardor and brought us into a new state of mind concerning the Negro ; and the mist which was once his protection has become his peril. Time was when the friends of the Negro were con- tent with o;ivino- and the entire direction of affairs was left to the men who were on the field ; now the man who has a dollar to offer has a policy to present with it. Strangely enough, this change has been heralded as a happy omen ; but when the stockholders of a cotton-mill who have never been at pains to learn the difference between a spindle and a loom grow dissat- isfied with the way things are going, and undertake to say what the mill needs, and how the work must be done, it is not usually regarded as a happy omen. And this is precisely the peril which to-day threatens the Negro people. All the dis- couraging conditions which exist in the North concerning the colored man and his problems— the growing sense of disap- pointment in his progress ; the disposition to demand of him a harvest without regard to the sowing ; the decline of faith in his future; the increasing desire to eliminate him from current thought; the fickleness of patronage, which to-day leans toward THE AMERICAN NEGRO. 305 the higher education, to-morrow toward industrial training, the next day toward individual benevolence, and the next is with- drawn in disgust — all these conditions exist because, for several years past, the American people have undertaken to decide all questions relating to the future of the race, without taking the pains to learn anything of the race as it is. If the j)resent unmistakable decline of interest in the Negro is to be arrested, if the confusion as to his needs is to be cleared up, if we ever expect to set ourselves to the solution of any one of his prob- lems, it is high time we were making some serious effort to acquaint ourselves with his present condition and tendencies. At the end of a third of a century of unparalleled investi- gation, experiment and discussion, the most striking fact about the Negro problem is still the scarcity of facts which are avail- able about the Negro himself Not that there has been no progress. We have learned a great deal about individual Neojroes who stand well out in front of their race. We have accumulated an immense heap of material concerning the ex- ternal features of the dark mass in the background. But of the real constitution of that mass we are almost as ignorant as we were at the beginning. The average Negro has never been portrayed, except in silhouette. We see him as a shadow on the wall. AVe know the size of his brain, but we do not know what he thinks. We know that he is emotional, but we do not know what he feels. We know the dimensions of the space he occupies in the world, but we are still in doubt as to the part he actually plays in it. We know his rights, and many of his wrongs, but we have yet to learn what he knows or cares about either. In a word, whatever may be the future value of the material that has been gathered as a contribution to the solu- tion of the Negro problem, our present knowledge of the 306 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. Negro is a knowledge of characteristics rather than of charac- ter, of persons rather than of personality. We have been coasting Africa with a kodak and studying the problems of the interior by the aid of the views we have been taking. The Negro is still very provoking. At times he provokes us to good works ; at other times he provokes a smile ; at all times he provokes us to great extravagance of speech. A calm, sane word concerning him seems almost impossible of ut- terance. He provokes our feelings rather than our thoughts, and when we are sure that we have at last arrived at a cool judgment, lo ! it is a fierce conviction. We never look upon him except in a glamour, or a mist, or a coat of paint. We never see him as a man, but as a colored man ; and as if he were not colored enough, we must color him over again according to our individual fancy. We never put him in a cold, white light and look him over in the ordinary way, as an ordinary being; we think of him in superlatives, and he is always extraordi- nary — to one, extraordinarily good or bright ; to another, ex- traordinarily bad or dull. He exhausts our figures of speech. If we compare him to a dog — as some of us are seldom ashamed of doing — we never think of him as a plain, everyday dog of ordinary virtues or vices, but as an extraordinarily bad dog who richly deserves his bad name and all the kicks that go with it; or else an extraordinarily persecuted dog, whose ap- pealing looks prompt us to stoop and pat him on the head, and tell him he is the dearest little doggie in the world, and how mean people are to treat him so, and how he should go right along and bite the last one of them that dares to interfere Avith him. The comparatively indifferent attitude of the Negro toward the recent war with Spain provoked the usual fusillade of super- THE AMERICAN NEORO. 307 latives by which we periodically advertise our continued de- termination to view the colored people only in a colored light. From one side came a storm of unconscionable abuse. The Negro is unpatriotic, cowardly, ungrateful, selfish, said the newspapers. He has forgotten the rock from whence he was hewn. He is not sensible of the obligation which rests upon one who has been emancipated to turn and lend a hand in the work of emancipation. He has no ear for the cry of even his own people in Cuba. He is utterly disappointing — and all that. From the opposite side a small battery managed to make quite as much noise in the Negro's defence. This side as- sumed that the colored people have determined not to fight, and commended them for it. " They are learning some sense," as one editor put it. They have awakened to the fact that this country is against them, and they don't propose to raise a finger in its defence. They realize that they have nothing to fight for but themselves. They are under no obligations to the Government that despises their rights — and more of that sort. If the Negro was really a dog, no doubt he would be able to appreciate the motives of the sentimentalist who stoops to pat him on the head and assure him that he is learning some sense, and that if he is a wise dog he will save his teeth for his own use. But being only a man, and for the most part a very ordinary, dull man, he does not understand. It is true there are members of the race here and there of canine disposition who have shown a fondness for such treatment, but the ordi- nary, decent Negro is of the opinion that he would rather be soundly kicked on general principles than patted on the head and commended for a meanness which he has never contem- plated. All that has been said in the newspapers to the con- // 308 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. trarj, the colored people of the South are not engaged in "learning some sense'' concerning their relations to the Govern- ment under which they live. They have not resolved to have nothing to do with wars because the Government has failed to secure them their rights under the law. They have not con- cluded that they are under no obligations to the Government which gave them their freedom. They have not decided to stay at home because they are unwilling to fight under white officers. And they are not in a bad humor over the alleged discovery that they are a people without a country. It is one of the misfortunes ofi the Negro people that they are advertised by a press which is not authorized to represent them. The Negro newspapers, with few notable exceptions, are in no sense representative of the colored people. They neither make nor reflect public opinion. The white people of the South never think of holding the black race responsible for the sentiments of its editors. It is clearly understood that these men are not as a rule leaders of their race ; they are indeed jealous of the real leaders, and are constantly making trouble for them. The average Negro editor is a small politician, distinguished among his people chiefly for abundant leisure and bumptiousness. He started in life with the idea that the chief business before him was to make men respect him, and he has devoted himself so exclusively to this task that he has failed to do anything to make himself worthy of respect. He patronizes the ignorant masses beneath him, and reflects upon the cultured few above him. The real leader who, like Booker Washington, secures unusual applause from the whites, comes in for his deepest sneer. His motto is friction between the races. He is not held in esteem by his people — even by those whom he suc- ceeds in controlling. Obviously, it is a gross injustice to these THE AMERICAN NEGEO. 309 people to regard the editorial utterances of such a man as reflecting their sentiments. It is not denied that the masses of colored people were indifferent toward the late war, but there is no necessity of seekino; a sensational reason for their indifference. If we can bi'ing ourselves to think of them as ordinary people, there will be no lack of ordinary reasons. It was not noticed that the class of white people who are nearest the Negro's material level showed more interest in the war than the Negro; but no one, I believe, has suggested that the ignorant class of whites have a grudge against their country, or that they are in a bad humor over the discovery that they have no country to fight for. The notion that the colored people resolved to stay at home because they felt that the country was against them is only an editorial fiction. The great mass of colored people have no clear con- ception of " country." Their ideas are local. They think of individuals, not of nations. They have never learned to spread out their loves and hates over a large area. They do not gen- eralize. They have no grudge against society. They lose no sleep over national wrongs. They do not worry themselves over their position as a race. Among the most intelligent class of Negroes there is a conviction that the colored man does not receive his dues, but they have come to the conclusion that it is not a matter to be remedied by keeping it before their j^eople. The worthy leaders of the race are now striving to turn the thoughts of their peo23le away from their real and supposed wrongs, and are assuring them that the best way to secure their rights is to lose sio-ht of them in an all-absorbing effort to do right. It must be admitted that the masses of colored people are not patriotic; but that is not more si2;nificant than the fact that 16 310 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. multitudes of white people are not patriotic either. This end of the century is not the patriotic end. We have electricity — and else. We do not depend wholly upon patriotism to make an army; we count on the war fever, the love of adventure, the witchery of epaulets, sneers for those who stay at home, the hard sense of duty, and the like. The Negro's lack of patriotism does not account for his staying at home. The colored people are lacking in cool courage; but they are more easily influenced than the whites, and it can hardly be doubted that if the same amount of influence that had been used by designing men to keep them at home had been used to induce them to go, they would have responded quite as freely as our own people. The intelligent class of Southerners before whom the colored people have come in and gone out for a quarter of a millennium have yet to discover any signs of the alleged change which they have undergone in their feelings toward the Gov- ernment that gave them their freedom. The colored editor's reiteration that the Negro has at last come into a mood not to be trifled with, and that if this country does not redeem its .pledges to him "something is going to drop," is pure campaign matter. The Negro's crimes are against persons and property, not against governments. The race is loaded down with Indi- vid aal criminals, but not with men who keep their brains fevered with dangerous isms. The Negro problem is serious enough; let us not add to it an imaginary problem. It has long been a comforting thought with those who know the Negro best that, whatever may be his future, he will never thrust upon America the problem of a degenerate, anarchistic, foreign horde. The subject of Negro crime has excited more interest than THE AMERICAN NEOBO. 311 any other problem since the present tide of indifference toward the colored race set in. Yet, when one comes to think of it, our interest has centered in statistics rather than in conditions. We have been content to count the criminals as they pass on the way to the gallows or the penitentiary instead of going to find where they came from. We know something of their ante- cedent conditions — we know that the Negro was once a savage, then a slave, then a child cut suddenly loose from his mother's apronstrings, and thrust out into the very maelstrom of temptation; and we know that these things are sufficient to account for almost any criminal showing the race may make. But of present conditions we have learned little — partly, per- haps, because the recollection of these antecedent conditions, have put us out of heart. We are satisfied as to what prepared the way for the present, and we have preferred not to pursue or to press the matter further. I want to show what, as it seems to me, needs so much to be shown just now — that the present conditions are not so discouraging as is popularly sup- posed. Negro crime is a formidable fact, but it is not a dis- heartening fact, and this, I think, may be made clear here by a glance at that part of the black mass where the criminal con- ditions are at the worst. I should be glad if I could fortify, or at least dignify what I am about to set down by assembling here on the threshold an array of statistics which would indicate the comjDarative criminality of the Negro. But no such statistics are to be had. We have a mass of figures from court and prison records, but that is quite another matter. There are several reasons why statistics of this sort cannot be relied upon for definite conclu- sions as to crime in general ; there are several additional reasons why they cannot speak definitely as to Negro crime in par- 312 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. ticular. Prison records are not necessarily criminal records. There are hundreds of Negroes in our State prisons who are not criminals. A few are there, doubtless, because they hap- pened to be Negroes. More are there because they happened to be j^oor — a fact usually overlooked by sentimentalists who are given to insisting that most of the Negro's misfortunes are due to his color. It has happened to the penniless Negro as it has happened to the penniless white man since time began. In this world an innocent man, white or black, is likely to get justice — if he first gets a capable lawyer. Many others are in prison for crimes actually committed who, nevertheless, are not distinctly criminal. These are confined for petty theft — a species of lawlessness which in the ex-slave seems to be little more than an inherited weakness. Many a Negro who has a mania for laying cunning hands on things which do not belong to him could not be persuaded to lay violent hands on anything whatever. He yields to the temptation to steal a pig much as a poor white devil yields to the temptation to quench an in- herited thirst for strong drink — confessing that he is wrong, but assuring himself that he cannot help it, and that he really means no harm to anybody. But if all the Negroes that are confined in State prisons were actual criminals the prison figures would not tell the whole truth. There are many colored criminals at large who owe their liberty to the disposition of the low mass of the race to screen its lawless element from justice. The number is of course unknown, but every police ofiicial knows that when a fugitive from justice succeeds in putting himself under the protection of a female friend in the black quarter of a Southern city, he is about as far out of the reach of the law as a criminal ever succeeds in getting in this life. Negro men will not undertake to protect or rescue one of THE AMERICAN NEGRO. 313 tlieir number from the law except when under the influence of mob excitement, but there is scarcely a woman in the unde- veloped mass who will not risk her all to shield from arrest any relative or friend who may solicit her protection. It is useless to attempt to get an intelligent notion of Negro criminality until one has first rid his mind utterly of the remarkable theory, now much exploited, that the Negro is criminal as a race. It ought to count for something that this notion did not originate among the people who have had per- sonal relations with the race for the last quarter of a millennium^ Southern people are in the habit of regarding the undeveloped mass of Negroes as a horde of petty thieves, and, in conse- quence, monumental liars ; but it is safe to say that the only Southerners who are disposed to favor the notion that the Negro race is a criminal race never had any but unsympathetic relations with the colored people. The theory that the race was always criminal, and that during the drowsy days of slavery this criminality was latent, betrays the fine hand of a foreign student who has never known the Negro save as a subject for scientific investigation. Whatever conclusions may be drawn / from the statistics, there is not a particle ^of evidence from experience to support this idea of latent criminality. The race ' came to its freedom with overheated blood, but its blood was not overheated by inherited malevolence. There is possibly a good deal of latent badness in us all, but there is no more to ' prove that the blacks are criminal as a race than there is to // / prove that the whites are criminal as a race. The Negro has a great deal to overcome, but he has not yet been cast into the \ \ \ sea with a millstone of degeneracy about his neck. The greater part of the mass is bestial and lawless, but it is not distinctly criminal. The criminal element in the race is larger than ours, 314 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. and owing to the prevalence of petty lawlessness and the free mixing habits of the mass it is not always easily distinguished, but it is none the less a distinct element. In the best class of colored people — the cultured handful at the top of the race — the temptations to crime are probably as small as in the highest class of whites. They have more heat in the blood than the whites, but they live in a much narrower S23here, and therefore have fewer opportunities for wrong-doing. This class is made up chiefly of the house-servants (and their descendants) of the best white families of slavery days — which means that they have had superior moral training; and they are further protected by a social barrier which they have erected between themselves and the degraded mass of the race. Beneath this cultured handful is another class — a double hand- ful of worthy, striving people of j^ractically the same origin, but of inferior ability and fortune. This class is as yet poorly protected by social barriers, yet it rarely furnishes criminals — partly because it has had sufficient contact with the superior civilization to catch the true meaning of life and character, and partly because it is consumed by an ambition to be worthy. This striving class is surrounded by a much larger element that is striving just as hard, but with a very different motive. The larger element is recruited from the great mass of " plan- tation darkies" — Negroes who were raised in the "quarters" at a distance from the "great house," in sight of, but never in contact with the white civilization. They are the Negroes w4io move to town full of ambition, not to be men — they have not so much as heard the meaning of manhood — but to wear good clothes, and live like quality folk. Dominated by the single aim of making clean the outside of the platter, they naturally do not imitate the sort that go to the gallows, but the struggle THE AMERICAN NEGRO. 315 for fine clothes sometimes overreaches the mark, and ends in a suit of stripes. It is from the great mass that is left — the non- striving, drowsy mass that has never looked up at the stars — either real or imitation stars — that the criminal element of the race is chiefly supplied. If I should be asked by an observer in a Southern city what is the best starting-point for one who wishes to get a glimpse of our largest criminal factory, I should say the kitchen. May I be forgiven if I should seem to reflect upon our common benefactor, the cook : I only mean to suggest that if the observer will secure her address, and spend an afternoon in the neighborhood of the nondescript which she calls home, he will probably find what he is looking for sooner than by any other method. The nondescript itself he is likely to find deserted, though it is sometimes in the nominal care of a helpless old woman who vegetates all day in the darkest corner of the room, with a tin-cup of water and a crust on a stool by her bedside. There are three chances in four that the cook's husband is down town, where he has been since early breakfast killing time ; and all the chances in any given num- ber that the piccaninnies belonging to the establishment are prowling about the neighboring streets and alleys getting into mischief, and occasionally fishing bits of bread and meat out of garbage barrels, or making cunningly devised raids on the Italian's apple-stand on the corner. Or if they are not in the neighborhood, they have wandered off to some strange quarter, where they have been picked up by the police and sent to the station to remain until the mother goes at night to claim her property. If the observer should come upon one of these little ones in the act of daring an electric car to run over him, he will probably find himself wondering why a merciful Provi- 316 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. dence does not make use of the wheels of the streets to save these budding criminals from troubles to come ; but Providence evidently has other plans, for he has endowed them with an instinct which enables them to dance with utter abandon on the very verge of death. He is going to let half of them die, anyway, before they are much older, though it is a gruesome thought that they will die simply because they came into the world unprovided with the vitality necessary to stay in it. The observer is likely to return from the scene of investi- gation wondering whether it is an extraordinary case calling for special sympathy, or whether after all it is only the com- mon fate of cooks. If he should choose to pursue the matter further, he will find that considerably more than one-half (in some cases two-thirds) of the colored families of Southern cities are supported Avholly or in part by females, the majority of whom are employed away from home. It has been con- tended that this is due to the fact that it is more difl&cult for men to find employment than women; but anyone who is familiar with the relative position of woman in a low civiliza- tion will suspect that this is an excuse, not a reason. If the observer will go to the country during the crop season, where the farmers are making desperate efforts to get laborers, he will find men of this class on every creek-bank fishing. If the meal-barrel is empty and the fish refuse to bite, they will go to the field; but they never forget their first love. It is often said that the great cotton crop of the South speaks volumes for the industry of the colored man, but every planter knows that the credit belongs mainly to the colored woman. If the women — with their children — should withdraw from the field, the crop would be cut down more than one-half. The real explan- ation of the idleness of the men of this class is that they be- THE AMERICAN NEGRO. 317 long to that grade of society in which woman is a beast of burden. They move to the city to get employment, not for themselves, but for their wives. Thousands of them are only guests in their families. Many a tired washerwoman trudges a mile on Saturday night with her basket of clothes because she cannot afford to pay her husband to carry it, or because . she cannot trust him to collect the money for her work. The devotion of these women to their families is the one bright spot in this hideous mass. The mother carries the entire family on her shoulders as a matter of course. If the father chooses to work he works; when he draws his pay it is his own; if he chooses to spend it on her family he may; he is free; the family is his wife's encumbrance. The wife does not ask to be supported; she only asks that her husband will not beat her, or steal her wages, or forsake her for another. And when he has sinned against her in all these things seven times, and until seventy times seven, she forgives him still — partly because her heart is boundless, and partly, perhaps, be- cause she has infirmities of her own. It would be strange if the fever germs of crime did not multiply at a fearful rate in such an atmosphere. The mother herself in the struggle to provide for her children makes a virtue of the necessity which knows no law. Her wages are not sufficient to support her own family, and often she feels called upon to support two. So strong are her sympathies, and so feeble is her moral sense, that none of her ftimily con- nections can suffer so long as she has access to her employer's pantry. The pilfering of the cook is as much a part of South- ern home life as the cook herself. It has long been accepted as the inevitable, and in the majority of homes it is understood that what is stolen (provided it is of the nature of food or fuel) 318 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. shall be allowed as a perquisite of the cook's office. But a steadily increasing family makes the mother's sources of income more and more precarious, and sooner or later she encounters the temptation to put an end to the increase. Often to a feeble conscience is thus added an enfeebled constitution. If she happens to be personally attractive, another avenue of sin opens .up before her — one in which she is apt to walk ill-concealed from her daughters who are growing up around her. This perpetual struggle to raise a family in a cesspool leads to results which cover too wide a range to be taken in at a glance, and in consequence many of them have been generally overlooked. After the children have spent their most suscep- tible years in the school of the streets, the State takes them in hand and puts them through an intellectual training which further equips them for the downward road on which they have already started. That is to say, when sufficient time has been allowed for the devil to get possession of their wits we proceed to sharpen the said wits for his service. An impulsive reader will pause here to say that if this is true the public schools for colored children had better be closed. This is what thousands of Southerners have been saying for years, but the South is doing more for the education of the Negro to-day than ever before. The fact is the fallacy is too near the surface for the argument to convince even those who make use of it. It is like saying the left wing is not coming ujd; therefore the right should retire. If the left is not going to come up, the right may be compelled to retire; but the immediate business is to bring up the left. If the various moral agencies which are at work among the Negroes continue to lag behind in their w^ork of improving the moral condition of the race, the State may be compelled to fall back; but the immediate business is THE AMEBIGAN NEGRO. 319 to bring up the moral wing. Tliese great agencies liave not been idle, but they have been doing more of the State's work than their own. Their watchword has been mentality rather than morality. In every Southern city thousands of colored children are running wild in the streets, breathing a pestilential atmosphere, loading their blood with the fever germs of crime, and yet this vast swarm of criminals in the bud can have no at- tention because our great benevolent agencies are occupied with the intellectual development of criminals in the blossom. The loudest crying need in every Negro quarter in the South is a day nursery for the benefit of the multitudes of mothers who are compelled to go out to service. Every year the little hand- ful of cultured colored women of the South get together and write preambles and resolutions and apj^eals with the hope of directing attention to this need ; but thus far the agencies that furnish the money for the work among Negroes have not been impressed with the womanish notion of rescuing criminals in babyhood. We have complained a good deal of late because, after all our efforts in behalf of the colored j)eople, the masses have shown little if any moral improvement. But these same masses might more justly complain that we have done little if anything for their moral improvement. The work of throwing moral re- straints around the unfortunate classes of which I am speaking has not yet begun. Not only are the babies going wild in the streets, but our efforts in behalf of the older children are con- fined almost entirely to their intellectual development. The youth who seeks an 02:)portunity to spend his evenings out of reach of the vile atmosphere of his home finds himself between the devil and the deep sea. Here and there in the South is a j)oorly furnished room or two set apart as a Young Men's 320 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. Christian Association, and here and there a church undertakes to keep its doors open several nights in the week. (The colored churches generally have not yet grasped the idea that they are expected to provide moral advantages for their people.) Other decent resorts there are none. Of indecent resorts there are a multitude — low saloons and low dance-halls where every man, and nearly every woman, carries a razor, and where one soon becomes accustomed to the sight of human blood, human lust and the terrific bursts of passion for which the Negroes of this class are noted. Not only have we neglected to provide moral restraints for the young people of the undeveloped mass (the colored youths who have the privilege of breathing the pure atmos- phere of the boarding schools are rarely of this class) , but in many instances we have unwittingly helped to smooth the downward path for them. It used to be said that it would be difficult to find an unhappy Negro, but to-day one may find a specimen of this type in almost every Southern community. It is the girl who has been educated for a sphere above that in which she was raised, and who has knocked at its door in vain. She expected to be a teacher (practically the only respectable calling open to her sex among her people), but when she graduated no vacancies were to be found, and she was left in mid-air, with the alternative of struggling to stay there until a place could be j)rovided for her, or of descending, either to her former life of drudgery, or to that living death in which she could for a time keep up the ai^pearance of a re- fined woman. There is nothing in the history of this people more pitiful than the reproachful cry of the disappointed girl whose mind and tastes have been developed until she can but look back with horror upon the sphere from which she came. THE AMERICAN NEORO. 321 and who has been left like Noah's dove, with no place for the sole of her foot ; who turns with repugnance from her old asso- ciates to tind that there are none of her own sort within reach, and who is everywhere— both North and South— denied fit employment that would enable her to improve the condition of her own family and make her surroundings fit to live in. It is not easy to exaggerate this evil. It has been noticed that the girl who has spent two or more years in the pure atmosphere of a college usually returns home with sufficient character to meet the perils of her changed situation, even when she finds nothing but disappointment. But the average day pupil is developed downward in morals at home as rapidly as she is de- veloped upward in mind at school, and if there is no helping hand held out to her, heaven pity her ! And rarely is the helping hand held out. Every year multitudes of colored girls go forth from the colored normal schools of Southern cities fitted for life to find no way open before them but the way to death. The policy of encouraging the most promising young men of the race to choose secular callings instead of the pul- pit — always the place of leadership among the colored people — has done still more to smooth the downward path for the class of which I am speaking. The incompetency of the colored ministry has long been recognized by the honored leaders of the race as one of the most serious aspects of the Negro problem ; but it is only in recent years that it has been brought to the attention of the outside Avorld. The Kev. Dr. Edward C. Mitchell, President of Leland University, New Orleans, who stands foremost among Northern educators in the South, in a recent address at Asbury Park, called attention to the fact that the phenomenal improvement of the rising 322 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. generation of Negroes " lias not been met by a corresponding improvement in the ministry." No one living outside of the South can realize how far the worthy preachers who lead the race are removed, intellectually and morally, from the great mass of preachers under their care. The world thinks of these honored men as specimens of their vocation ; in reality, they stand in about the same relation to many of the men under them as St. Paul stood to the Corinthians. Indeed, who that has ever heard a Negro bishop urging his preachers to purity of life has not been reminded of the apostle's arraignment of the imperfectly taught Christians at Corinth, who pushed gospel freedom to license, claiming exemption from the moral law, and indulged in licentiousness until even heathen morality was scandalized. Nor can anyone who has never lived in the South realize what an incompetent ministry among Negroes means. The world has heard much of the boss in politics ; it has heard little of that far more interesting character, the boss in black. The Czar of all the Russias is not more absolute in his realm than is the Negro preacher among his people. The pulpit is the oracle of the race. It is often said that a Negro's religion does not affect his moral character ; it would be nearer the truth to say that the sort of religion which the Negro cultivates does not affect his moral character for the better. The Negro who comes under the influence of a pure type of religion de- velopes as pure a type of character as the white man. There are no finer specimens of developed character in the world than are to be found among those " house darkies " who grew up under the white man's preaching and the white woman's home training. The difficulty about the religion inculcated by the average Negro pi-eacher is not that it has too little to do THE AMERICAN NEGRO. 323 with the moral character, but that it has too much to do with it. The Negro preacher not only sways his audience as no white preacher can sway his, but he dominates his people every- where. His will, whether for good or evil ends, is law. So great is this influence that an immoral preacher has nothing to fear so long as his people come within sound of his voice. If he is accused of immoral conduct he does not trouble him- self to deny it ; he simply interprets the Bible down to a level with his life. The ten commandments, he tells his people, were not intended for Christians; the Christian is a son of liberty. " Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." And what orator would want a better argument for an audience of freedmen ? The rest of the chapter does not need to be told. Like priest, like people. Nor is it necessary, for our present pur- pose, to point out tlie remaining phases of the problem which crowd into view as I write. The chief cause of the excessive criminality among the colored people is the condition of the homes of the undeveloped masses — rather the practical home- lessness of the masses ; or, to put it yet differently, the lack of available mothers in the masses. This is the blackest spot; and, as I have tried in these observations to indicate, it is not indelible. Or to change the figure, the pit, though horribly dark, is not unfathomable. One can hear a stone strike bottom. This is more than can be said of the slum pit of the great cities. There we listen for the stone to strike bottom until our hearts sink within us. The answer to every question is a mock- ing echo. In the low Negro quarter one does not stumble at eveiy step upon the obstacles which one encounters among degenerate whites. The mother in the slums is a withered 324 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. vegetable; the mother in the black quarter is feeble of con- science, but she has blood and muscle and a loudly throbbing heart, and shoulders that do not shrink from heavy burdens. There is something to start with. The slum mother cares neither for herself nor for her children; her black sister does not care for herself, but she is not likely to oppose any effort that may be made for her children's welfare. Moreover, the problem of getting a revolutionizing idea into the heads of the people is not so serious in the black quarter as it is in the slums. The white degenerate can seldom be persuaded to go where ideas are to be had, and when he does go his head is too full of the dehumanizing isms of his class to make room for a new thought. The Negro, on the other hand, is a persistent church-goer, and having no isms to cherish he goes with an empty, if a sleepy, head. We send men into the slums to im- part life-giving ideas, but few are ready to receive them; in the black quarter the multitude are ready to learn, but the teachers are wanting. The pulpits are as empty of ideas as they are full of sound. In a word, the problem of Negro criminality is not the hopeless problem of degeneracy. In the slums our heads ache while we ask. What can we do? In the black quarter our hearts ache while we ask, Why are we not doing ? XXIII. THE AMERICAN NEGRO. (continued.) Wherever one finds a decline of interest in tlie Negro and his problems somebody is standing by to explain that it is because of the Negro's failure to meet expectations. Nowhere does one find a disposition to inquire who is re- sponsible for the expectations, "We made our calculations on the harvest," our ready apologist hurries on to say; "we put down our money, and sent laborers into the vineyard, and w^e looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild graj^es;" and he lays the w^iole responsi- bility for the failure on the vineyard, notwithstanding, as he may be jDresently induced to confess, he has never been at the trouble to find out anything about the size or possibilities of the vine, the needs of the soil, the character of the work done, or even the time of harvest. History does not record, I believe, an instance of a slaveholder demandins; of a slave a harvest regardless of the sowing. That last crime was left for the Negro's present taskmasters, I have said that this reaction was inevitable. Slavery had been destroyed by fire — the fire that kindles and rages in the bosoms of men. It was the only way: no great evil is de- stroyed but by great heat. But the fire that burns a den of iniquity to the ground is not the means with which to build a temple on its ruins; and this is what many of the early friends of the Negro undertook to do. By fire the slaves had been set 17 (325) 326 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. free; by fire they should be set up. The idea prevailed that if the North was to be kept interested in the freedman it would have to be kept in a blaze ; and many a shrewd manipulator of collections undertook to stir up enthusiasm by fanning anew the flames that had done their legitimate work and should have been allowed to die. During this period of passion the wildest reports of the achievements and possibilities of the Negro com- ing from the South circulated as freely in the North as the money which was poured red hot from the North circulated in the South. It was impossible for this spasm of enthusiasm to last, and when it subsided nothing was more natural than that the northern philanthropist should whip out his note-book and pencil and begin to figure on the unbusiness-like business. And it was inevitable that, having nothing but figures before him, he should rise from the calculation with a murmur on his lips. The murmur broke forth in a loud protest when soane- body, having run up the columns under the head of "higher education," figured out that every educated Negro in America had cost a fortune. There were the figures, and it was useless for people living some hundreds of miles from the field to attempt to go behind the returns. According to these figures the Negroes equipped with the higher education were but a handful, while the sums given for higher education aggregated several millions. According to these figures higher education for the Negro was a failure. The figures might be only figura- tive, but there were the books. The sums put down for higher education might have been devoted necessarily or unnecessarily to other purposes, but there were the books. It has been several years since this cooling discovery was made, and it is still a common remark that the effort to give THE, AMERWAN NEGRO. 327 the Negro people the higlier education has proved a failure. I am not going to burden these pages with the usual tables of statistics which, after all, impress us as significant or worthless according to our preconceived opinions ; but I may be pardoned if I here set down two or three general statements of facts. That the amount that has been given for higher education is very large cannot be questioned. For nearly a generation the North has been annually scoured for funds for this purpose, and with a liberality only less amazing than its patience it has continued to respond to these appeals until nearly two hundred institutions popularly rated as universities and colleges have been opened to the Negroes of the South. Yet a very simple sum in arithmetic will show that if every dollar that has been given for higher education had been devoted exclusively to this object, the practical results would have been scarcely sufii- cient to supply the pressing needs of either of the two profes- sions most widely open to the Negro people. As a matter of fact, but a small jDart of this sum has been devoted to collegiate work. In 1896, of 40,127 pupils reported in attendance at 178 colleges and universities (all but five in the South), only 1,455 were pursuing collegiate studies. Of these, 161 graduated at the end of the school year. I would not be understood as re- flecting upon any of the institutions that attempt to do real college work, but it should be added that only a small propor- tion of these graduates received what would generally be re- garded as a collegiate education. "We hear much of higher Negro education," says Dr. DuBois,* "and yet all candid people know there does not exist to-day in the centre of Negro j^opu- lation a single first-class, fully equipped institution devoted to * The Study of the Negro Problems, by W. E. B. DuBois : Annals of the American Academy. January, 1898. 328 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. the higher education of Negroes : not more than three institu- tions in the South deserve the name of college at all." This discrimination may be severe, but even admitting to the rank of colleges all the institutions that are doing secondary work, a majority will still remain to be classed as primary schools. There was a time when these primary schools were a necessity; but since the establishment of the public school system in the South it has been hard to find an excuse for their existence. They are to the real colleges what tramps are to the unworthy poor. They not only reflect upon the institutions that are doing college work, but they deprive them of the money they deserve and need and that is really intended for them. If one-fourth 'Of the money spent upon these so-called colleges since the establishment of the public school system in the South had been used to supplement the school fund in needy black dis- tricts, fully as much more would have been accomplished in the way of primary education as under the present system; and no one who is familiar with the educational work among the Negroes can doubt that if the remaining three-fourths had been given to the institutions that were giving, or were willing to give collegiate instruction, the results by this time would have effectually dispelled all doubts of the value of the higher education as a factor in the development of the Negro people. The effort, then, to give the Negro people a collegiate edu- cation has not yet failed, for the simple reason that it has not yet been made. An effort has been made to teach the freed- man to read and write, and that has succeeded to the extent of relieving the race in America of nearly half of its illiteracy. It has not yet been noticed that this effort, which has covered so wide a field, has led to the solution of a single Negro prob- lem, local or general ; but no one, I believe, has seriously pro- THE AMERICAN NEQRO. 329 posed to deny the Negro these rudiments of an education. On the other hand, it is not denied that the effort which has been made to give to a few promising Negroes a collegiate education has led to the solution of many perplexing j^i'oblems in partic- ular localities; and yet because an educational plant equipped, to turn out less than two hundred graduates a year failed to rescue a submerged nation in a scoi'e of years, the plant has been pronounced a failure, and it has been even proposed to put out the fire and close the doors, that we may have means to experiment on another line. There is no sadder commentary upon the chaotic state of mind which we are in concerning the Negro and his problems than the discussion that is still going on between the two edu- cational factions into which the patrons of the Negro are divided. This side opposes industrial education because it fails to provide the race with the intellectual and moral leaders it needs. That side opposes the higher education because it can- not orive the race the industrial lift that it needs. Each faction sees perfectly what is being done in its own shop, and what is not being done in the shop over the way ; and eacli condemns the other, as the eye might condemn the hand because it can- not see a bird, and as the hand might condemn the eye because it cannot seta trap. This is the kernel of the matter: it is the eye saying to the hand, " I have no need of thee;" and the hand responding with a spiteful slap, " I have no need of thee." It is a quarrel about a conflict which does not exist, and which in the nature of things can never exist. We should no more attempt to substitute industrial training for collegiate instruction than we should attempt to substitute the hand for the eye: the question is not whether the Negro people need this or that kind of training; they need both. Nor is it whether this or that 330 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. policy is best in view of to-day's needs : the Negro has suffered too much already from ■ his own hand-to-mouth policy to be saddled with one of ours. The question is, What can be done to-day with the means at hand that will result in the greatest good for the greatest number for all time? If a dozen men have fallen into a well, sentiment will be for getting them all out in a lump; but if we have our senses about us we will reach for the nearest man first. We cannot well help the men who are underneath until we have rescued those on top ; and it may be that when we have got the top men out they will turn and rescue their fellows without our aid. The work of rescue is from the top downward, never from the bottom up- ward. Men do not rise out of degradation, but by a force from above. The submerged tenth will never emerge while we who stand on the bank stare vacantly at the place where we saw the last bubble. Nations do not rise by a force originating in the ignorant masses, but by a j^ower that has come into the hands of a man here and there above the masses. If the Negro peo- ple are to be raised in accordance with the divine order, this power — ^the power of a revolutionizing idea — must be imparted to those who are at the top of the race — the unsmothered few who stand where they can see and breathe and stretch their limbs; and these must in turn reach down and impart that which they have received to those who are beneath them. Not by putting a new cunning into the hands of the common masses, but by putting a new idea into the heads of the uncom- mon few will this race be lifted to its place in the world. The opponents of the higher education could hardly have chosen a more critical moment for this agitation. After years of painful struggle the work has just reached the point where one could catch a glimpse of the blue sky through the tangled THE AMERICAN NEGRO. 331 growth ahead. The way was opening up for a forward move- ment. To-day there is a demand in all parts of the South for the few institutions that are doing college work to enter the wider field which they were designed to occupy. Not only is there need for larger boarding accommodations, that those who are to receive a liberal education may have a chance to pursue their studies out of reach of the pestilence that walketh in the darkness of the average Negro home, but the time has come for these colleges to extend their work to take in the homes within their reach. The university settlement idea is destined to work out its greatest results among the Negroes of the South. If the various agencies for the amelioration of the condition of the poor and ignorant which have been found necessary in white communities are ever to be established among the colored peo- ple, the work will be inspired, if not set on foot, by the col- leges. Certainly until these colleges shall have provided an edu- cated ministry there is little hope that the Negro church will undertake any great reform, or inaugurate the hundred-and- one benevolences which are so much needed by the race. For, be it remembered that the Negro is still practically unguarded by any of the sheltering arms which we are accustomed to throw around our own people. It is still true that almost the only place in a southern city where a Negro youth can spend his evenings is a low groggery or a lower dance hall. But, to make an end of this list of needs, if the Negro problems are ever to be seriously studied — and after a quarter of a millennium of confusion and contradiction one will hardly suggest a further postponement — the work must be undertaken by the Negro colleges of the South. This means money ; so do all the needs I have named. But there is an opportunity 332 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. at any one of these colleges for a million dollars to do what ten millions cannot do at any white institution in the land. The danger which threatens the prevailing system of edu- cation is hardly a more serious matter than the effect which the decline of interest in the Negro at the North may have upon the Negro himself. After all that has been said of the black man's lack of gratitude for what the North has done for him, j I it is worth while to remember that nothing has yet been dis- » covered that will inspire a Negro like a white man's sympathy. I am not sure that the sympathy of the Northerner who re- gards the Negro simply as his protege, has inspired him to more good than evil ; but I am sure that all the interest that the North has bestowed upon the Negro in the form of brotherly sympathy has done him only good, and that continually. The ) popular notion that the black man does not care whether any- body cares for him or not has no foundation in fact. The Negro is not a sensitive plant — he can stand a good deal of rough treatment ; but he is a sympathetic animal — he cannot stand neglect. A favor will not win him ; but show him your sympathy and you have grappled him with hooks of steel. When, under the provocations of the reconstruction period, the South practically dropped the Negro, the proffered friendship of the North was as a giant hand stretched out beneath him. That hand was not a help to the entire race : too many stretched themselves out at full length upon it; but those who were reaching upward found themselves a cubit higher when they stood upon it. The striving Negro does not look toward the \ North to-day with the yearning of those early days, but the j white man's sympathy, wherever he can find it, is still his chief incentive. For this outstretched hand — the hand with the sympathy in it, not the hand with the money in it — to be with- THE AMERICAN NEGRO. ' 333 drawn just now, might not mean a great deal to the degraded mass at the bottom, or the cuUured handful at the top ; but heaven pity those who are struggling upward by its kindly aid, and who have yet found no certain place for their feet. In the passing of the old "house darkey," time, that inde- fatigable maker of problems, has brought the South another hard nut to crack. For the going of these old servants means the sundering of the only tie that has been of real service in preserving harmony between the two races since their practical separation. To the observer from without this will perhajDS be regarded as a proper subject for the exercise of a judicious skep- ticism; nevertheless, any Southerner of the better class who is old enough to recall the events of the last generation will find it difficult to resist the conviction that the degree of har- mony which existed between the two races during this period was due largely to the existence of this one bond which the war did not break. One may call it a very small thread if he will, but it has proved to be a very durable one. In the days of slavery, as every one now knows, the "house darkies" — otherwise known as "great-house servants" and "quality Negroes" — were slaves only in name, or rather in law. It was by no means an unusual thing for the master of the house to stand in awe of his butler, and the "black mammy" who did not hold undisputed sway in her realm was an ignoble excep- tion. These house servants were raised as members of the family ex-officio; and if they proved faithful, in the course of time the ex-officio appendage dropped off. When the war was over and the time of separation came, they went away with the understanding that they were still members of the family, and that they were not to forget the old home. They did not for- get, nor were they forgotten. And through the trying years \ \ 334 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. that followed it was their coming and going more than any- thing else that restrained the two races in the day of passion. For when " the lower element among the whites would lose all patience with the Negro, and needed only an encouraging glance from those who stood above them, the Southerner who wore in his heart the picture of an old ''black mammy" found himself strangely patient. And who can tell how often these old servants restrained the rabble of their own race, not out of love for them, but out of love for "ole marster" and "ole missis.'' But they are passing, and the end of the procession is in sight; and a strange thing is happening in the South: a gen- eration is growing up in ignorance of the Negro. A Pharaoh who knows not Joseph is coming to the throne. The South- erners who are now of middle age grew up with black play- fellows, but their children and the children of their playfellows stand facing each other to-day — strangers. One side snaps its fingers at the other, the other turns away with a sneer. Not a spark of the old feeling on either side has descended from father to son. The white youth does not look at a black but to look down upon him; the black youth does not look at a white but to watch him with suspicion. One does not need to be a prophet to read the rest of the chapter if something is not quickly done to change the situation. There is but one thing that can be done: to the North it is not the ideal thing; to the South it hardly seems a practicable thing; but it is the only thing. The older people of the South who understand the Negro must re-establish, in some degree, the cordial personal relations which existed between them and the black race before the war. It must be done by this generation, for it cannot be done by the next. And it is not a forlorn hope. Race preju- THE AMERICAN NEGRO. 335 dice as it exists in the South to-day is largely a post-bellum // growth. The feeling that the Negro is inferior to the white man of course existed before the war; but the idea that one cannot afford to take a personal interest in a Negro's welfare is / ' clearly a modern conception. The highest born woman of the old South never heard of it. Her hands were full of work for ! \ the amelioration of the condition of the colored people. She loved her servants. She looked after their heads and hearts as / well as their bodies. She often taught them to read, in spite of the law. She was an angel of mercy to the plantation Negroes in the "quarters." And all legends to the contrary notwith- standing, she kept a ceaseless watch over the virtue of her housemaids. What there was of chastity in the race before the war stands on the recording angel's book as a memorial to the faithfulness of the Southern mistress. It is sometimes said that the people of the South would gladly restore these cordial relations, but that the Negro would not consent to it. But the Negro has consented to it where he has been given a chance. There are families in the South to- day in which these old-time relations have never been broken. To visit their homes is to get a glimpse of slave days without slavery. The housewife is still concerned for the physical, in- tellectual and moral welfare of her servants. Her husband still inquires diligently after the families of his emiDloyees, and busies himself when occasion requires in their behalf. The Negroes employed about the home-place still assemble with the family at morning prayers. The young housemaid still re- ceives instruction and counsel with regard to the pitfalls which surround her. In all respects, so far as can be observed, the bond of sympathy between the blacks and their employers in these homes remains as it was before the war; and I have not 336 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. . been able to learn that either side would willingly have it otherwise. There are sentimental patrons of the Negro still living who are so zealous for the Negro's privileges that they are unwilling to see a renewal of personal relations between the two races except on such terms as the whites cannot be induced to accept ; but no one seriously believes that they could success- fully oppose any effort which the South might choose to make 1 1 1 in this direction. The Southerner has not lost his power to 'I influence the Negro, as he finds when he tries to exert it. If it be said that what is needed is a recognition by the Southern people, not of employees, but of the Negroes who have risen to independent positions, it may be answered that when South- erners have renewed the old-time personal interest in their i employees a better recognition of the more worthy members of the race will follow as a matter of course. Before the aboli- jl tion agitation, when a Negro of unusual talent arose, he was honored by Southern people very much after the fashion that the North honors a Negro of like talent to-day. I have dwelt at such length upon the charges that have been brought against the Negro that little space is left to speak I of his positive virtues. Perhaps the most characteristic virtue I ji of the American Negro is his amiability. He is not always ■1 kind, but he is a lover of men. It cannot be said of him, as •*■ has been said of the Hawaiians, that he cannot hate, for he is ! J { capable of terrific outbursts of temper, but it may be said with ' little exaggeration that the sun does not go down on his wrath. ' j He is very provoking to a good hater in being unable to "stay . mad." He does not cherish enmity ; he forgets it, and before \ * you have had time to cool he is back again, all smiles and humility, and equally ready to ask a favor or to grant one. The Negro slave, whatever his failings, was never accused of THE AMERICAN NEGRO. 337 cold-hearted ness. In liim the sense of human brotherhood was largely developed, and so deep was his good-will towards men that it was not often seriously affected by ill treatment. He loved to he Avith his master ; he loved to feel his master's eye upon him, and was always on the lookout for opportunities to do things which would bring him his master's approving smile. The old-time Negro rarely betrayed a trust. Many volumes could be filled with incidents illustrating his faithful- ness. " When the war began," said Senator Vance, of North Carolina, " naturally you expected insurrections, incendiary burnings, murder and outrage, with all the terrible conditions of servile war. There were not wanting fanatical wretches who did their utmost to excite it. Did you find it so? Here is what you found. Within hearing of the guns that were roaring to set them free, with the land stripped of its male population, and none around them except the aged, the women and the chil- dren, they not only failed to embrace their opportunity of vengeance, but for the most part they failed to avail them- selves of the chance of freedom itself. They remained quietly on our plantations, cultivated our fields, and cared for our mothers, wives and little ones, with a faithful love and a loyal kindness which, in the nature of things, could only be born of sincere good-will." The Rev. Dr. R. F. Campbell, in his admirable pajjer on " Some Aspects of the Race Problem in the South," gives a patlietic incident illustrative of the faithfulness of the old-time Negro to his master. "About 1856," he writes, "a holder of a small tract of poor land, which was worked by a few slaves, died, leaving a widow and two children. The surrender left this little family with only the very poor and worn-out planta- tion. In 1876 the son died, and about the same time the 338 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. dauo-liter married a worthless man and removed to another o t State. This left the widow alone with no means of support. One of the Negroes, formerly owned by the family, seeing the condition of his old mistress, came at once to her relief and began to supply her with food purchased w^ith his own wages. " In 1891 he moved to another part of the State, 225 miles from the old plantation home. But before leaving he told one of the leading merchants of the community to see that his old mistress did not suffer for anything, and to send the /> bills to him. At first bills for food came, but later he has paid for her clothes, too, and all this without the slightest ex- pectation of getting anything in return. She is now over eighty years of age, iand her last days are made bright by the j gratitude and affection of her foi-mer slave." Dr. Campbell adds that the friend who gave him these facts said of this man : " He is quite reticent about it, and I learned of it only about a year ago.'' It is often said that the new Negroes are not drawn to the white people as their fathers were ; but while they stand ; aloof, there is nothing which an aspiring youth of the better type desires so m-uch as the good opinion of white people. It is notMng to him to be honored by his own- race if the superior race refuses to see any difference between him and the low mass ' from which he has risen. That is all he is complaining of — that we insist on counting him in the unclean mass. We do not encourage him to lead a virtuous life. He no longer asks for social equality — ^he no longer wants it ; but what he does / want, and what he has the right to ask, is a recognition of the lines which his own strivings and the strivings of others of his / ^ / sort are making in the race. He wants to be distinguished from those who do not strive. THE AMERICAN NEGRO. 339 As I write these words I am reminded of three men whose names suggest more vividly to my mind the bright side of the Negro race than ail the facts which I have been able to set in array in the Negro's behalf. The first two are " old- time darkies." The venerable Bishop Asbury, while on a tour of visita- tion through South Carolina in 1788, came one day upon a Negro who was sitting on a creek bank fishing. "What is your name, my friend?" asked the bishop. "Punch, sah." "Do you ever pray. Punch?" "No, sah." The bishop got down off his horse. The care of all the churches was upon him, but the churches would have to wait while he tried to save that lone black soul in the wilderness ; and for an hour he sat by the poor man's side trying to push a few seeds down into his benighted mind. Then he prayed with him, bade him farewell, mounted his horse and rode on. Twenty years afterward the bislio|) was again on a tour through the South. One day a travel-stained Negro came to the house where he was stopjDing and begged to see him. It was Punch. He had walked seventy miles to get a glimpse of the man who had brou^'ht lio-ht into his darkness. It trans- pired that the bishop had no sooner passed out of sight after that memorable interview on the creek bank than Punch shouldered his fishing-rod and made for the "quarters," his whole soul aflame with the wonderful truths he had heard, / Henceforth he was a new man, and he soon developed talents / / which made him an irresistible force on the plantation. The slaves ceased to steal their master's rice, and Sunday carousals 340 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. were no longer known among them. The overseer tried to stop Punch from preaching, but he might as well have tried to stop a whirlwind. The next order the preacher received was from the overseer to come and pray for him. In a few months Punch found himself at the head of a large plantation church, which belonged to no particular denomination, and which recognized no authority save his own. Twenty-eight years after Bisho23 Asbury's second visit, a Methodist missionary to the slaves passing through that section heard of this church in the wilderness, and went to find it. Meeting a Negro on the road, he inquired if there was a preacher on the plantation. "Oh, yes, massa," said the man, "de bishu}) lib hyar." Following the slave's directions, he came presently to the "bishup's" cabin and knocked. The door opened and Punch, now a hoary-headed patriarch, stood before him leaning on his staff. The old man regarded his visitor a moment in silence, and then, lifting his eyes to heaven, devoutly exclaimed: " Lord, now lettest thou thy servant dejoart in jDcace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." " I've many children in this place," he explained pres- ently, " and I have been praying the Lord to send somebody to look after them when I'm gone ; and now he has sent you, my child, and I am ready to go." Standing by his bed a day or two afterward, the mission- ary heard him murmur : " Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace ; let- let-le-" And immediately his prayer was answered. A more remarkable Negro was Henry Evans, a freedman from Virginia who settled in Fayetteville, N. C, the latter part of the last century to ply his trade of shoemaking. The de- THE AMERICAN NEGRO. 341 graded condition of the slaves of the town weighed heavily upon the cobbler's heart, and he soon began to preach to him. In those days every town had its " lewd fellows of the baser sort," whose chief amusement was the persecution of preachers that had no parishioners to defend them, and the Negro preachers, being entirely without substantial backing, usually came in for an extra share of ill treatment. The mob soon drove Evans from the town, but, unwilling to give wp his work, he made ap- pointments among the sandhills of the surrounding country, and many slaves managed to slip out of town at night to hear him. Time and again the mob broke up his meetings, and often his life was imperiled. But by frequently changing the place of meeting he managed to continue his work. In a little while the town people began to suspect their servants of attend- ing the meetings, so marked was the imiDrovement in their morals, and thinking that one who had done the slaves so much good might be worth listening to, they called ofP the mob and Evans was invited to return. It was not long before the Negro had won, by his marvelous eloquence and holy life, the hearts of the people of the community, and the attendance of white hearers upon his preaching was so large that the chapel which they had built for him had to be enlarged to twice its size to accommodate the crowd. A change of fortune so sud- den and so great would have turned the head of an ordinary man, but it only made Henry Evans more humble. " The whites are kind to me, and come to hear me preach," he would say to his people, " but I belong to my own sort ;" and he acted accordingly. He never spoke to a white man but with his hat under his arm, and though the best peo2")le of the town held him in great esteem, he would never permit himself to be seated in any of their houses. " And yet," says Bishop) Capers, 342 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. who knew him well, " Henry Evans was a Boanerges, and in his duty feared not the face of man." On the Sunday before he died, while another was con- ducting the service, the door connecting the little shed-room, in which he lived, with the chancel opened, and the old man tottered into the church and leaned upon the chancel rail. "I've come to say my last words to you," he whispered. "It is this: None but Christ! Three times have I had my life in jeopardy for preaching the gospel to you. Three times I have broken the ice on the edge of the water and swam across the river to preach the gospel to you. And now, in my last hour, if I could trust to that or to anything else but Christ crucified for my salvation, all would be lost and my soul perish forever." By the side of these two ancient worthies I would place the foremost American Negro of our time. "My earliest recollection," writes Booker T. Washington, "is of a small one-room log hut on a slave plantation in Virginia. After the close of the war, while working in the coal mines of West Virginia for the support of my mother, I heard in some acci- dental way of the Hampton Institute. When I learned that it was an institution where a black boy could study, could have a chance to work for his board, and at the same time be taught how to work and to realize the dignity of labor, I resolved to go there. Bidding my mother good-by, I started out one morning to find my way to Hampton, although I was almost penniless and had no definite idea as to where Hampton was. By walking, begging rides, and paying for a portion of the journey on the steam-cars, I finally succeeded in reaching the city of Bichmond, Virginia. I was without money or friends. I slept on a sidewalk ; and by working on a vessel next day I THE AMERICAN NEGRO. 343 earned enough money to continue my way to the Institute, where I arrived with a capital of fifty cents. At Hampton I found the opportunity — in the way of buildings, teachers, and industries provided by the generous — to get training in the class-room and by practical touch with industrial life — to learn thrift, economy and push. I was surrounded by an atmosphere of business, Christian influence and a spirit of self-hel^) that seemed to have awakened every faculty in me, and caused me for the first time to realize what it meant to be a man instead of a piece of property. While there I resolved, when I had finished the course of training, I would go into the far South, into the Black Belt of the South, and give my life to providing the same kind of opportunity for self-reliance, self-awakening that I had found provided for me at Hampton." The story of Booker Washington's work at Tuskegee is too familiar to be told here. To-day this man occupies a higher place in ]3ublic esteem than has been reached by any other member of his race. The question forces itself upon the mind: Can it be that a race which has produced a Booker Washington is in hopeless case? XXIV. THE FRIENDLY TIBETANS. Tibet has been so jealously guarded from "foreign devils"" by its rulers, the Chinese, that very little is really known of its people — though many marvelous stories have been told about them. It is now generally admitted that most of the books of the earliest travelers through Tibet are little more than romances. Isabella Byrd Bishop, a noted traveler and author, who is perhaps our best authority on the Tibetans, says that while the people " look the wildest of savages " they are by no means what they seem. They are probably the ugliest people in the world, and much of their ill repute is due to this unfortunate circumstance. Mrs. Bishop describes them as- having high cheek-bones, broad, flat noses without visible bridges, small, dark, oblique eyes with heavy lids, and imper- ceptible eyebrows, wide mouths, full lips, thick, big, projecting ears deformed by great hooks, straight black hair nearly as coarse as horsehair, and short, square, ungainly figures. Their grotesque appearance is heightened perhaps by their costume and ornaments. To all this must be added the painful fact that they are preeminently dirty. " They wash once a year, and, except for festivals, seldom change their clothes until they be- gin to drop off." Yet they are healthy and strong and attain to extreme old age. Notwithstanding their unprepossessing exterior, recent travelers have found them almost invariably friendly, and Mrs. (347) 348 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. Bishop thinks that they are among the " pleasantest of peoples." " I ' took ' to them at once at Shergol," she says, " and terribly faulty though their morals are in some respects, I found no reason to change my good opinion of them in the succeeding four months." Everywhere the peoj^le treated her with every evidence of friendliness, often wearing their festival dresses and abandoning their most ordinary occupations in honor of her visit. ,. They were exceedingly anxious to amuse her and to have the time of her sojourn among them pass as pleasantly as possible. Speaking of the Nubra people, she says it was im- possible not to become attached to them, for on every hand she was met by evidences of their good-will. " Feasts were given in our honor, every gonijo was open to us, monkish blasts -on colossal horns brayed out welcomes, and while nothing could exceed the helpfulness and alacrity of kindness shown by all, there was not a thought or suggestion of backsheesh. The men of the villages always sat by our camj)-fires at night, friendly and jolly, but never obtrusive, telling stories, discussing local news and the oppressions exercised by the Kashmiri officials, the designs of Russia, the advance of the Central Asian Kail- way, and what they consider as the weakness of the Indian Government in not annexing the provinces of the northern frontier. Many of their ideas and feelings are akin to ours, and a mutual understanding is not only possible, but inevi- table." » Mr. Redslob, a missionary in Tibet, testifies that when on different occasions he was smitten by heavy sorrows he felt no difference between the Tibetan feeling and expression of sym- pathy and that of Europeans. Mrs. Bishop says that " a stronger testimony to the effect produced by Mr. Bedslob's twenty-five years of loving service among the people could ii%,^ ^1^ THE FRIENDLY TIBETANS. 851 scarcely be given than our welcome in Nubra. During the dano'erous illness that followed anxious faces thronged his humble doorway as early as break of day, and the stream of friendly inquiries never ceased till sunset, and when he died the people of Ladak and Nubra wept and made a great mourn- ing for him as for their truest friend." Although polyandry exists among the Tibetans, and family life is in some respects very dark, it is said that the children are brought up to be very obedient to their parents and that parental affection is very strong. In their way the Tibetans are a wonderfully religious people. A form of Buddhism prevails, and one is seldom out of sight of monasteries. Mr. Andrew Wilson says that they are "the most preeminently praying people in the world. . . . They have praying stones, praying pyramids, pray- ing flags flying over every house, praying v/heels, praying mills, and the universal prayer — ' Om mani padmi haun ' (God the jewel in the Lotus) — is never out of their mouths." Mr. Wilson describes a praying mill at Jangi — an ingenious con- trivance driven by water power, and calculated to present in a very short time several millions of petitions. But the one prayer of the Tibetans is the eternal " Om mani x>admi haun'' " These six syllables," says Colonel Yule, " among all prayers on earth, form that which is most abundantly recited, written, printed, and even spun by machines for the good of the faith- ful. They are the only prayers known to the ordinary Tibe- tans and Mongols: the first words the child learns to stammer, the last gasping utterances of the dying. The wanderer mur- murs them on his way, the herdsman beside his cattle, the matron at her household tasks, the monk in all the stages of contemplation. They form at once a cry of battle and a shout 352 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. of victory. They are to be read wherever the Lama church has spread, upon banners, upon rocks, upon trees, upon walls, upon monuments of stone, upon household utensils, upon strips of paper, upon human skulls and skeletons. They form the utmost conception, the path of rescue and the gate of sal- vation." Colonel Montgomerie thus describes one of the prayer-wheels in common use : " It was necessary that the Pundit should be able to take his compass bearings unobserved, and also that, when counting his paces, he should not be interrupted by having to answer ques- tions. The Pundit found that the best way of effecting these objects was to march separately, with his servant either behind or in front of the rest of the camp. It was, of course, not always possible to effect this, nor could strangers be altogether avoided. Whenever people did come up to the Pundit, the sight of his prayer-wheel was generally sufficient to prevent them addressing him. When he saw any one approaching, he at once began to whirl his prayer-wheel round, and as all good Buddhists whilst doing that are su23posed to be absorbed in re- ligious contemplation, he was very seldom interrupted. The prayer-wheel consists of a hollow, cylindrical copper bag, which revolves round a spindle, one end of which forms the handle. The cylinder is turned by means of a piece of copper attached to a string. A slight twist of the hand makes the cylinder revolve, and each revolution represents one repetition of the prayer, which is written on a scroll kept under the cyl- inder. (The 23rayer is sometimes engraved on the exterior of the wheel.) The prayer-wheels are of all sizes, from that of a large barrel downwards ; but those carried in the hand are gen- erally four or six inches in height by about three inches in diameter, with a handle projecting about four inches below the THE FRIENDLY TIBETANS. 353 bottom of the cylinder. The one used by the Pundit was an ordinary hand one, but instead of carrying a paper scroll with the usual Buddhist prayer, ' Om 7nani padmi haun,^ the cylin- der had inside it long slips of paper, for the purj^ose of record- ing the bearings and number of paces. The top of the cylin- der was made large enough to allow the paper to be taken out when required. The rosary, which ought to have 108 beads, was made of 100 beads, every tenth bead being much larger than the others. The small beads were made of a red compo- sition to imitate coral, the large ones of the dark corrugated seeds of the ridras. The rosary was carried in the left sleeve. At every hundredth pace a bead was dropped, and each large bead dropped consequently represented 1000 paces. With his prayer-wheel and rosary the Pundit always manages, one way or another, to take his bearings and to count his paces." The power of the gospel has developed some noble char- acters among these savage people. Mrs. Bishop mentions the Tibetan British postmaster in Leli as a man of spotless reputa- tion. Everyone places unlimited confidence, she says, in his integrity and truthfulness, and his religious sincerity has been attested by many sacrifices. "He is a Ladaki, and the family property was at Stok a few miles from Leh. He was baptized in Lahul at twenty-three, his father having been a Christian. He was for ten years mission schoolmaster in Kylang, but returned to Leh a few years ago as postmaster. His ' ancestral dwelling' at Stok was destroyed by order of the wazir, and his property confiscated, after many unsuccessful efforts had been made to win him back to Buddhism. Afterwards he was de- tained by the wazir, and compelled to serve as a sepoy, till Mr. Heyde went to the council and obtained his release. His house in Leh has been more than once burned by incendiaries. 354 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. But he pursues a quiet, even course, brings up his family after the best Christian traditions, refuses Buddhist suitors for his daughters, unobtrusively but capably helps the Moravian mis- sionaries, supports his family by steady industry, although of noble birth, and asks nothing of anyone. His ' good-morn- ing ' and ' good-night,' as he daily passed my tent with clock- work regularity, were full of cheery friendliness ; he gave much useful information about Tibetan customs, and his ready help- fulness greatly facilitated the difficult arrangements for my farther journey." XXV. • IN THE FLOWERY KINGDOM. After all that has been written about the Chinese little is known of their real character. This is due mainly to the fact that for some reason the Chinese are never s]3oken of except in superlatives. One never writes about them in a cool, disin- terested way. There is something about their character that tempts one to take sides, and one finds himself either an ex- travagant admirer or an equally extravagant hater of the whole race. One writer extols them as excelling all the races of the world in the qualities which constitute greatness; another denounces them as being among the lowest specimens of humanity, hardly above the beasts of the field. We have been told on the one hand that "the Chinese have demonstrated that Christianity is not necessary to the higliest civilization, for they have obtained the most advanced culture without any knowl- edge of our ScrijDtures or creeds." We have been told with equal vigor on the other hand that they are the lowest order of animal creation. One thing seems tolerably clear, and that is that Chinese chai"acter has been persistently misrepresented. As the Rev. H. P. Beech, a former missionary to China, has said: "The Chinese proverb to the effect that the summer insect will not speak of ice, nor a frog in a well discourse on the heavens, is forgotten by many writers who study the Chinese in our laundries, or in Chinese ports, where contact with the vices of a AVestern civilization let loose for a lustful (357) 358 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. holiday has had a baneful effect on a much tempted and abused people. Merchants who live in the treaty ports, travelers along the coast with no knowledge of the language, and the average steamer captain with the vicious life of the port from which to gain his data concerning the Chinese and missionary effort, are not to be wholly trusted as witnesses concerning the natives and missions among them." Archdeacon Graves, of Hong Kong, who is regarded as a standard writer on the Chinese, concludes a strong indictment of their institutions by acknowledging that, notwithstanding the conditions are so unfavorable to the development of social and civil virtues, the Chinese are on the whole a courteous, orderly, industrious, peace-loving, sober and patriotic peoj^le. Rev. Dr. Dennis, who has written the ablest review of missions that has been published, after dwelling upon the dark side of Chinese character, says that these peoj^le "could teach a con- siderable portion of the Occidental world profitable lessons in filial piety, respect for law, reverence for superiors, economy, industry, patience, perseverance, contentment, kindliness, polite- ness, skill in the use of opportunities, and energy in the con- quering of an adverse environment. The merchants of China, in contradistinction to the officials and to small traders, are held in high esteem as men of probity and of business honor. The capabilities of the Chinese people under favorable auspices will surely secure to them an exceptionally high and honorable place in the world's future. There is a staying power in their national qualities, and a possibility of development under healthful conditions which deserve more recognition than the world seems at present to accord." "A permanency of Chinese institutions," says Dr. Cun- nyngham, "certainly speaks well for them. If they have not ZZV THE FLOWERY KINGDOM. 359 solved the great problem of liuinan government, they have succeeded in preserving intact, through thousands of years, far beyond that of any other nation, their form of government and their national institutions." Dr. Cunnyngham declares that the Chinese are an industrious, quiet, peace-loving people. They reverence age and give themselves to absolute obedience TWO " YELL.OV/ KIDS." to parents. This habit of subordination, he says, and the con- stant control of their passions tends to render crimes of violence less frequent than in almost any other country. It is generally admitted that the long life of the Chinese government is due mainly to the fact that it is established on the basis of reverence to those who are in authority. "Filial piety," says Prof. Douglas, "is the leading principle in Chinese ethics, the ]X)int 360 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. upon which every teacher from Confucius downwards has most strongly insisted, and its ahnost universal practice affords the ground for the belief held by some that in the long continu- ance of the empire the Chinese are reaping the reward of the fifth commandment of the Mosaic decalogue. Reverence for parents among the- Chinese includes reverence for all one's ancestors, and for the Emperor as the father of all." The Chinese text-books tell the story of Yu Shun, who is said to have lived twenty-two centuries before our era. Although his father was stupid and his mother depraved, he was so loving and dutiful a son that, so the story goes, God gave him ele- phants with which to plough his field and birds to weed it; and the Emperor sent nine of his sons to be his servants, and gave him two of his daughters to be his wives, and finally abdicated in his favor, saying that one who could be so dutiful a son could govern the empire. No other people have so high a regard for the aged and the learned. It is said that if a man presents himself at the literary examinations year after year until he is eighty years of age, the Em|)eror, to show his respect for gray hairs, grants him an honorary degree and the costume of the rank for which he has been an unsuccessful competitor; and sometimes the same honor will be conferred on a very old man who has never competed at the literary examinations. "Family festivals are held to celebrate each decade of their parents' life, and are sometimes held even after the parents' death. Among other gifts in these family festivals a handsome coffin is thought to be a peculiarly acceptable present to make to an aged parent." Chinese literature is full of stories of filial affection. It is told of an old man that he dressed and behaved IN THE FLOWERY KINGDOM, 361 like a little child so that his aged parents, when looking at him, might not be reminded of their advanced years. Their regard for learning is even greater than their ven- eration for age. They have a maxim which runs, that "in learning age and youth go for nothing; the best informed take the precedence." Dr. E. H. Graves, a distinguished American missionary in China, tells us that the name "teacher" is in- scribed on a tablet in connection with "heaven" and "earth" and "prince" and "parents," as one of the five chief objects of veneration, and worshiped with solemn rites. The teacher is regarded as one whose duty it is to do more than simply impart mental knowledge. He is to be the instructor, guide and friend to his pupil, the model on which the pupil's morals and man- ners are to be formed. The personal character of the teacher is to be regarded as of first importance, and his ability to in- spire the pupil with ardor in the pursuit of virtue is the gauge of his efficiency. "Of course many teachers fall far below this ideal. The Chinese classics are not lacking in lofty ideals, comparing favorably in their moral teachings with the Greek and Latin classics; but, as has been said, 'Confucian scholars seem to think that, by paying a sentimental reverence to the instruction of the sages, they have thus become in some way partakers of their virtues.' They need the power of the fear of God and of true love to men to enforce sentiments which they admire from a distance." In no country in the world, says Dr. Kobert Brown, has less court been paid to wealth, because all rank and distinction in China spring from learning; hence mere wealth must be always vulgar, and if undistinguished by other qualities the mere possession of riches must rank as inferior to the mandarin who by his knowledge can rise to the highest distinction in 362 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. the state, next to the Emperor himself, and in most cases to wealth also. The same writer says that it is only in the Anglo- Chinese, or foreign communities, that the unlearned rich man is held in respect among his countrymen. He is honored in- finitely less than the poorest scholar who has taken a degree at the great competitive examinations. Dr. Graves insists that, in spite of all that has been said to the contrary, the Chinese have within them the elements of a stalwart, reliable character. They are industrious, enterpris- ing, persevering, and their business men have a practical com- mon sense which has earned for them the name of " Yankees of the East." They have an instinct for organization, and societies and guilds abound even in their smallest communities. Theoretically, their moral standards are high, though many of their practical maxims are degraded. Even their vices are mixed with virtues. For example, while they have a proverb, " One leaf is not missed from a big tree," by which they mean that there is no harm in stealing a little from a rich man, they regard stealing from the poor as a great outrage. Dr. Graves in his " Forty Years in China " tells us that he has seen a little stall of fruits or sweetmeats by the side of the street with the prices marked on each pile of peanuts or sugar-cane. While no one was present to receive the money, no one would think of helping himself without paying for it. "A Chinese shop- keeper," says Dr. Graves, " would probably see no harm in overcharging a rich man who is able to stand it, that he might sell at a reduced rate to the poor man who needed the article for food. The provision of the Mosaic law with regard to gleaning is practiced by the Chinese in some of their crops, f Indeed, the human spirit in the law of Moses is exemplified in their standard of what is right." m IN THE FLOWERY KINGDOM. 363 While opium is eating out the vitality of the Chinese people, Dr. Graves thinks that it is a matter about which the whiskey-loving white races can afford to be modest. " It was not an Oriental, but a British company that promoted the cul- tivation of the poj)py in India, and encouraged the use of the drug. in China, almost forcing it upon the people by the war of 1842, And while the habit affects all classes as does the drink habit with us, it is by no means universal, nor is the conscience of the nation dead to the evil. The Chinese government has always regarded the use of opium as a source of danger to the State and as an element of natural decay, absorbing as it does much land that might be used for producing food. The Emperor, Tao Kwang, when urged to legalize the traffic and tax the drug, exclaimed: 'I can never consent to derive an income from the vices of my subjects ' — a sentiment that is none too common among those in high places in our own nation." The Chinese are remarkable for their mild and gentle dispositions. They are lovers of peace and enemies to all the vices which spring from asperity of temper. " There is not," says Dr. Brown, " a more good-humored people on the face of the earth than the Chinese, nor a more peaceable one." They are also conservative in their disj^osition. " When the natural timidity of the people has so far burst the bounds of moderation as to compel them to rush into rebellion, the object of the revolution is never to destroy the form of government that is existing, but only to oppose the tyrant." Speaking of the harrowing tales of the cruelty of the Cliinese to their criminals, the noted traveler, Dr. H. M. Field, says: "We must not take the pictures of these terrible scenes a.s if they were things which stare in the eyes of all beholders, 19 364 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. or which give the fairest impression of Chinese law ; as if this were a country where tliere is nothing but suffering and crime. On the contrary, it is preeminently a land of peace and order. The Chinese are a law-abiding people. Because a few of their bad men are found in a city of a million inhabitants, and pun- ished with severity, we must not suppose that this is a lawless community. Those who would judge thus must at least be called on to point out a better governed city in Europe. Their fearful Draconian code can at least claim that it is successful in suppressing crime. The law is a terror to evil-doers, and the proof of this is that order is so well preserved. This great city of Canton is as quiet, and life and property are as safe as in London or New York ; yet it is done with no display of force. There is no obtrusion of the police or the military, as in" Paris or Vienna. The gates of the city are shut at night, and the Tartar soldiers make their rounds ; but the armed hand is not always held up before the public eye. The Chinese love the land of their birth and the commu- nity in which they were born, and always hope to go back there, or at least for their bones to lie beside those of their own people. " If he who attains to honors of wealth," says a pop- ular proverb, " never returns to his native place, he is like a finely dressed person walking in the dark" — all is thrown away. Infanticide is not so common as is usually supposed. Chil- dren may be often found floating in the river with large gourds attached to their backs ; but these, it is said, are children who have fallen from the family boats which are to be seen in such numbers on the Canton river and elsewhere, and all of whom have these gourds fastened to them to prevent them from sink- ing in case they tumble overboard. Whatever may be said of the abominable custom of ban- IN THE FLOWERY KINGDOM. - 365 daging the feet of the women, it is after all only a result of one of their ideas of beauty, just as tight lacing was at one time an almost equally abominable custom of our own. Chinese poets speak of these deformed feet as golden lilies, and the pitiful rocking of the women in attempting to walk as " the waving of the willows." The custom of binding the feet is not uni- versal. It is not practiced among the very poor nor among; the Tartar women, though many who have not this deformity will walk as if they had it ; and it is not uncommon to see- women hobbling along the street in a manner intended to deceive passersby into believing that they have fashionable feet also. Travelers, whose acquaintance with the Chinese is con- fined chiefly to the lower classes, such as street loafers and fre- quenters of the inns, are apt to regard the Celestials as a very rude, coarse, unmannerly race. Captain Younghusband says that when one can see the Chinese gentleman at home one modifies his impressions considerably. " I saw much to admire^ and even to like in them. I liked their never-failing politeness to one another, which seemed to me to be too incessant and sus- tained to be mere veneer, and to indicate a real feeling of regard for one another. Chinamen have little regard for strangers, but I think they have for one another." Cheerfulness is another noticeable trait of the Chinese, " The general impression among Europeans," says the writer whom I have just quoted, ''is that Chinese are cold, hard crea- tures, who have not a laugh in them. As a matter of fact they have plenty of heartiness and joviality when they care to indulge in it. I should say, too, that their conversation is good; it is certainly bright, and it is natural and well sus- tained." Concluding his estimate of Chinese character, the 366 TEE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. writer says : " A Chinese is perhaps rather too celestial, rather too much up in the clouds and above ordinary mortals, and certainly shows too little interest in the common everyday affairs of this world ; but he is an interesting man to meet at home. And, mingled with the irritation which his superciliousness so often inspires, I often have a feeling of regard for a man who can aspire to such a lofty standpoint as the Chinee does, and in his case I felt that it was not all simple self-conceit, for he had in him the pride of belonging to an emmre which has stood intact for thousands of years, and which was approach- ing civilization when we ourselves were steeped in barbar- ism. It will be a revelation to many to learn that in the matter of integrity China stands ahead of all other nations, being rated five per cent, above Holland, ten per cent, above Great Britain, and fifteen per cent, above America. The Rev. Gilbert Mcin- tosh, of the American Presbyterian Press, Shanghai, writes that during fourteen years' supervision of Mission Press work in China he has had many opportunities of becoming ac- quainted with and admiring the trustworthiness of Chinese business men in financial transactions. The most interesting case he has met with among Chinese Christians was that of Mr. Loo, for many years compradore (cashier) of the American Presbyterian Mission Press, Shanghai. He was a shrewd busi- ness man, and could easily have had a more lucrative position in a purely commercial enterprise ; but he faithfully kept on at a comparatively small salary, in loyal service of the Mission Press. " Large sums of money passed through his hands, both in connection with Mission Treasury and Press work ; yet, when he suddenly died, the closing of his books was a simple matter because perfect clearness and honesty had characterized IN THE FLOWERY KINGDOM. 367 the discharge of his onerous duties. In all these years not a dollar had stuck to his palm." Rev. W. W. Lawton, of Chinkiang, a representative of the American Bible Society, says that when a Chinaman comes to examine his Bibles he almost invariably tries to "jew" the colporteur down. If he says that he will take a Bible or a tract, " unless he has agreed to give the regulation price, you had better count your money over, for it is almost sure to be short; but if he once agrees to give what you charge, you can then take his handful of cash and put it in your pocket, confident that he has counted out the full amount." The popular notion of Chinese character is that it is the quintessence of selfishness. Yet Chinese life is not without its stories of liberality and sacrifice. In a letter to the author, the Rev. C. W. Pruitt, of Hevanghsien, tells of a wealthy neighbor of his who recently celebrated his birthday. He in- vited to dinner a large number of friends and relatives ; but so desirous was he to have as many as possible share the pleasures of the occasion that he almost literally fulfilled our Lord's in- junction and had the word circulated in the highways that all would be welcome. Mr. Pruitt adds that perhaps some would say that this astute Chinee hoped to get a reputation for gen- erosity for giving a dinner to so many of the poor, "but in my opinion he was influenced largely by a cordial desire to see many people happy on this glad day." A missionary, whose name I have unfortunately mis^Dlaced, tells an interesting story of a Chinese Avidow, of threescore years, who is the center of Christian influence in her commun- ity. " She lives after the fashion of the j^lainer Chinese — a tiny yard, a small old brick house, a hard dirt floor, broken furniture, no window-glass, not even one of the kerosene lamps 368 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. now SO common in China to replace the flickering oil-dip, none of the comforts of an American home nor the display of the rich Chinese. But the poorer Christians find a friend in her, and she contributes liberally to the work of the Lord. I have known her at one time to contribute over seventy dollars, suffi- cient to support a native preacher for a year. And again she bought and deeded to the church a piece of property worth a hundred and ten dollars. Bearing in mind that a hundred dol- lars would be a liberal estimate of all her expenditures on her- self and her grandson for a year, we may appreciate the com- parative worth of these gifts," It may sound a bit extravagant, but the Chinese are really a humane people. The Rev. B. F. Edwards, of Lienchow, has furnished us with several illustrations of this virtue. " The great desire of a Chinese father or mother," says Mr. Edwards, -"is that a son may be horn to them. When a family is very poor and a daughter is born, or when several girls have pre- viously been born into the family, it is often considered de- sirable to take the baby girl's life. Not far from our home is an institution designed to prevent this. This place has been secured by popular subscription, and a nurse is provided to care for the children. After caring for them for some time, perhaps only a few months, they are sold, with the understanding that they are to be wives in the families to which they go. It is true," adds Mr. Edwards, "that this often means a life of servitude, but, considering that this is a heathen people, it is highly commendable." Mr. Edwards also writes of the home for the aged at Canton, which, he says, is accomplishing much good. In Canton there are life-saving boats, and it is said that in a neighboring town men of means offer a reward for the rescue of drowning people. m THE FLOWERY KINGDOM. 371 The Rev. T. C. Britton, of Soocliow, sends the following extracts from an article on the benevolent institutions in Soocliow written by a Chinaman : " The benevolent halls of Soocliow stand as a forest in abundance, their number not being easily estimated. The officials and peoi^le together contribute all that is ex|)ended in each institution. This work was originated for no other pur- pose than for the benefit of the peoj^le. "Any family, residing within the city or without, that is too poor to rear their children, may bring them in infancy (both sons and daughters) to this institution. Wet nurses having been previously employed, the children are fed and clothed as well as if they were in homes." [Mr. Britton says that he visited this institution and was kindly received. "The office shows signs of being a place where much business is transacted. Over the door is a large tub, in which the infants are placed by those that bring them. In this receptacle the babe remains till some one inside is awakened by its cries. They reported eight hundred children, all of whom are kept, not in the building, but in the homes of their nurses, except a few sick ones. One of these infants was brought into the office while I was there. It was warmly dressed and carefully carried by its nurse. This institution is said to have been established two hundred years ago."] " The offenders and unscrupulous villains, whose charges are a degree lighter than that they should be imprisoned, are put in the reformatory, with the hope that they will reform — be thoroughly aroused to the consideration of their former wickedness — and do well. The expenses of this institution are met by the Provincial Governor." The Rev. B. G. Partch, of Cliinan, to whom I wrote ask- 372 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. ing for instances of the brighter side of Chinese life and char- acter, replies that he read my request to the members of his class, who gave him the following bits of information : " Food depots and clothing depots are opened for the poor in the provincial cities every winter. There are also asylums for women who are uncared for, asylums for orphans, asylums for the blind, free dispensaries, and free schools, most of which are supported by private subscription. In the regions visited by the Yellow Kiver floods, where the population must shift about, land is purchased for free burial of strangers, a most gracious thing in a country where burial customs are so important. " A man by the name of Chin in Chinanfu hit upon the following plan to relieve distress : To a poor man, whom he considered deserving, he would lend cash, perhaps as much as five thousand, on the understanding that he was to return a part every day. If he succeeded he might borrow more ; if he failed the amount lost was charged to charity. "Last year there were two men going to Manchuria. The weather was cold and their clothing insufiicient. Matters had come to a difficult pass when the first said to the second : *Why should two of us die ? You take my clothes and save your- self The second said: ' Wait awhile.' They had gone but a little further when the first was surprised to see that his com- jDanion had entirely divested himself of clothing, lain down in the snow, and was urging him to put them on. In the coun- try of Yu-Cheng a rich man took pity on his poor neighbor farmers, who could not afford animals, and placed a cow and a horse at their disposal for i^lowing purposes, to be used in rota- tion." Dr. Cunnyngham says that he once saw in China an asylum for homeless and friendless cats, founded by a devout Ili THE FLO WEE Y KINGDOM. 373 Buddhist woman. Chinese have foundling asylums, and in some of the larger cities free medical dispensaries are provided for the poor. In seasons of famine and distress the v,^ealthy classes often give liberally for the relief of the suffering. Dr. Cun- nyngham adds that there is ground for the belief, however, that benevolence in China is the fruit of early Christian teach-, ing, perhaps that of the Roman Catholic missionaries centuries ago. In many parts of China there is a consideration shown for strangers that is remarkable. At the time of the Ku-cheng riots, an old man who was not a Christian ran fourteen miles to warn the missionaries of danger, and stood by until he felt that the foreigners were safe. The rioters had never seen the foreigners but were afraid they were there for evil purposes. A missionary lady writes that once when she was traveling she was belated and compelled to stop at a place where foreigners were unknown. She feared that she could not get a room at the inn, but a laboring man who had already engaged his room insisted upon her taking it. This lady adds : "During my furlough in America I was once obliged to stay over night at a little village, the train having to stop for repairs. The con- ductor told us there was only one hotel in the place, and every man ran for that hotel. Several ladies sat up all night. I could not help contrasting my Chinese heathen friends with these co-called Christian people." The same writer adds that the Chinese women are virtu- ous, and that a man will i^rotect the virtue of his wife or of others with his own life. In spite of all that has been said of Chinese deceit and insincerity, the instances of fidelity among them are innumsr- able. Miss J. E. Martha Lebun, of Sing-in, relates a story of 374 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF IIUMANITT. a woman attending her training school who was left in charge of the institution for three weeks during Miss Lebun's absence in Shanghai. " When I came back," Miss Lebun writes, " I found a letter in my desk saying that her mother had died, and asked if I would not tell her. I dreaded it for fear she wa^uld get sick, for she was attached to her mother, and perhaps would leave me. But how amazed I was when, after a very careful conversation with her, in which I finally told her the worst, she quietly but sadly answered : 'I knew it; she died two weeks ago.' 'Why then did you not go home,' was my reply. ' No,' she answered, ' you trusted your house and the school to me, and I jn'oraised to be responsible for it. How could I leave ? If all my family had died I would not dare to go.'" Miss Lebun adds that during her absence nothing was locked up except her trunk. " Everything was open, and the natives had free access to all my rooms, closets and everything, and nothing- was missins:." The Rev. J. M. W. Farnham, of Mokanham, relates a story of a coolie Avho was in the employ of an English broker in Shanghai. The Englishman lost his health, and having no income was presently reduced to great straits. This coolie hired himself on the street and used his scant wages to buy comforts for his sick master. A lady friend told Mr. Farn- ham how^ her husband had lent a Chinese servant a sum of money to help him take up a mortgage. Years afterwards this lady was left a widow and in need of money. She had forgot- ten about the loan when one day the old servant came to her with the entire sum his former master had lent him. Miss L. Moon, of Tungchow^ relates liow^ a good many years ago a missionary took up a poor boy and taught him a little English, sufficient for business purposes. "This enabled IN Til hi FLOWKUY hlNdDOM. ;^75 him to secure successive positions vvitii lonM^ruu-s in Chinese ports. In llu! course of tiin<; he }ic(;iiii)ulut(!(i eonsidcirnhle properly. In tlie meantime IIk; lady who had lMii;j,lii him Enjilish rein rued lo America. Siie iiad various r(;verses of fortune, and iici- only son was rem which along the border amounts to fervent hatred. While the Spaniards are prone to look down on their neighbors as degenerate relatives, their opinion is not shared by the rest of the world. " Even those who are inclined to assess the Spaniards at a figure sufficiently high — to take him at his own valuation is out of the question — prefer to have dealings with the Portuguese." The Portuguese are better workmen than the Spaniards, more faithful and more indus- trious, and it is claimed that even in manners they have the advantage ; though on this point there is room for difference of opinion. While the Portuguese are hearty haters of their neighbors (449) 450 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. across the border, they are not lacking in cliarity. No other people are more humane, though their tenderness of heart often amounts to softness and renders them unfit to execute justice. Capital punishment is unknown among them, and in prison the criminal enjoys so much freedom that it is difficult to see wherein his punishment consists. The people love to show their sympathy for prisoners, and one never passes a prison that a hand is not stretched out of the window for alms, or, if the window is too high from the ground, a basket is let down by a cord ; and there is always bread or meat or coin ready to fill either the hand or the basket. The women of Portugal are more independent than those of Spain, and in some respects more interesting. They are cheerful, genial, sympathetic, full of repartee and ready wit, and withal hard workers. At home they know how to assert their rights, " and expect both lover and husband to hold a humble place in their respective stations." The peasant women are, as a rule, affectionate, self-denying, blind to the faults of others, and more moral in their lives than most of the humbler classes in other European countries. It is true that they are rather coarse in expression and sometimes un- truthful, but the former is due in part to their lack of education, while the latter is generally due to an inordinate desire to be agreeable and polite. By N. Sichel. A GIRL OF THEBES. XXXIV. IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS. The cliaracteristic virtue of the modern Egyi^tian is rev- erence for parents. It is said that an undutiful child is rarely heard of in Egypt. Among the middle and higher classes it is the custom for a child to greet his father in the morning by kissing his hand, and then to remain standing before him in an humble attitude waiting to know his wish or to receive CHILDREN ON THE ROAD TO TUNIS. his permission to depart. Nearly the same respect is shown toward the mother. A son is not expected to sit, or eat, or smoke in the presence of his lather unless bidden to do so. And this deference is shown toward his father as lono- as he lives. It is not uncommon for a grown man to be seen Avait- ing upon his father and the family guests at meals and on other occasions. (451) 452 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. Although the mother is second in authority in the home, she receives honor as having authority from God. In early times, however, the authority of the wife was equal to that of the husband, and Dr. Trumbull says that there are communi- ties in Egypt to-day where the mother-in-law reigns supreme in the household; at least so long as she has strength to main- tain her hold. Morality among women is probably as high as it is in most Oriental countries. Much has been said of the voluptu- ous dances of the women; but it should be remembered that in Egypt a woman never dan- ces with a man, and in most cases she does not think of dancing except in the privacy of the harem with her com- panions, and never before her husband. With regard to the harem also it should be borne in mind that nearly all that has been written about it is little more than romance. No one, except the master of the house and the nearest relations, is allowed to enter the harem. "If a physician is called," says Mr. Frederick Ober, "the curtains are drawn across the sick- bed. If the pulse of a Moorish lady is to be felt a eunuch covers her arms and hands, leaving only the WTist free. If the tongue is to be shown, the eunuch covers her face with his hands, and the poor lady has to stretch out her tongue between TYPK OF MOORISH ^7VOMAN. EGYPTIAN GIRL. (4.^3) IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS. 455 his fingers. If she suffers from smallpox the eunuch counts the marks, and reports to the physician. As a rule a man is allowed to see unveiled only his own wives and female slaves, and those whom he is prohibited by law from marrying, on account of their being within certain degrees of consanguinity or family connections." Those who have visited the harems of Cairo have never gone beyond the reception room. There they have been permitted to converse through an interpreter with a group of veiled mysterious figures with w^hom they have exchanged views as to their costumes and jewelry, and then they have been shown to the door by the jealous and watchful eunuch who ushered them in. When rigid custom dictates that even the husband of the hostess shall never see her lady callers, and that, should the visit be prolonged till dark — as it fre- quently is — on no account shall he show himself, it could not be expected of a foreigner to really know anything of the inner life of an Oriental woman in the bosom of her family. It may or may not be significant that the women of the harem always express themselves as perfectly satisfied wdth their mode of life. It is claimed that they are by no means to be regarded as prisoners, usually having the liberty to go out A MOORISH BEAUTY. ^m 456 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. and visit their friends as often as they please. Mr. Eugene Daerr says that he has often seen the mother of the khedive of Egypt on the street. She wore an Oriental veil, which was so thin that it did not conceal the features; while the eye and A YOUTH OF HIPPO. the eyebrows were entirely exposed. She is both beautiful and accomplished ^nd speaks several languages fluently. The terra Moor is usually used to designate all Moham- medan inhabitants of Morocco, though, as Dr. Robert Brown has said, it should be limited to the inhabitants of the towns and to the nomadic tribes on the southwest of the desert. AN EGYPTIAN BEAUTY iiY THE SHADOW OB' TlIK PYIUUIIDB. 459 AVliile the Moors have no longer the power to win victories, they still possess much of the good taste for architecture which CARTHAGINIANS OF TO-DAY. characterized them when they dwelt in Spain, and also some- thing of the courage of those palmy days. The Berbers, wlio form the population of the great desert, are found along the Egyptian frontier, in Fezzan, Tunis, Alge- ria and Morocco. They are a robust, active, athletic people, 460 TEE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. with strongly marked features, and a marvelous talent for patience. The most attractive people among the Berbers are the Kabyles, who are of a light olive complexion. The chil- dren of this tribe are noted for their beaut v. A BOY OF CONSTANTINE. "When the Arabs overran the country, many of the aboriginal inhabitants were driven out, and found refuge even so far as the banks of the Niger ; but the Kabyles, who had intermarried with the Romans, id who had been Christian- ized, remained and embraced Mohammedanism, though traces IN UPPER EGYPT. 14(51) IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS. . 463 of their ancient condition still cling to them in names and customs." The Kabyles live in rude houses and cultivate their fields, manufacture pottery, and are generally industrious, in striking contrast with the Nomads, who regard labor as a disgrace. They are exceedingly hospitable, though it is said that they make a distinction between those who pay for their lodging and those who do not. If a traveler offers money it is taken, and in such a case it is purely a business transaction, and they do not feel under any obligation except to provide what he pays for. On the other hand, if they receive a traveler with= out reward they regard his entertainment as a religious duty and receive him as a friend. It is said that in some parts of the country it is necessary to go without a penny and depend en- tirely upon free hospitality in order to be sure of safe guidance. The Kabyles are noted for their honesty in dealing with one another. Mr. Richardson, a noted traveler, says that he has found quantities of dates packed up in the sand without a guard, and their place indicated by a piece of wood. Among these rude children of Sahara it is a point of honor not to touch anything confided to the desert. (466) STARTING ACROSS THE DESERT. XXXV. THE MARKET FOR FAIR WOMEN. The people of Caiicassus are among the most beautiful in the world. Everywhere one sees men of tall and vigorous frames, and women of slender, elegant figures, regular features, and large, finely cut eyes, though it has been said one must look in vain for that nobler type of beauty which is found only among nations of advanced civilization, ''where the eyes are the unerring reflectors of the exalted sensations of mind and heart." For ages Caucassus has been the market from which Oriental princes have replenished their harems ; but even so acute an observer as Mr. Barkley, the noted traveler, insists that he could see nothing in the women to admire except their small hands and feet. He admits, however, that the men are magnificent, and declares that they are to the rest of the hu- man race what Arab horses are to the humbler steeds. While a pretty Circassian woman, according to western ideas, may be rare, a plain Circassian man is seldom seen. It is said that no people in the world have more beautifully shaped heads, more perfectly chiseled features, or more intelligent countenances. They are quick and graceful in their movements and always restless. Mr. Barkley grows enthusiastic over the shapely liands and feet of the Circassian women, and insists that he never saw one that an Eno;lish o'irl of sixteen mio-ht not envy for shape and size. He adds that this fact may be readily attested by examining the smallness of the handles of the nu- nc.:) 468 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. merous knives which may be found in any collection of Oriental curios. The people of Oaucassus differ from the Turks in that they are always in a hurry and are never silent for a moment. The Turk is always silent and never in a hurry, but unless a Circassian is on his dying bed he is never quiet. He does not know how to loll, and rarely walks, but must be ever on the run, and he moves so rapidly " that he may be known a mile off by his quick steps." While the Circassians are not fond of work, they are prodigious talkers, and when in company speak as eagerly and as rapidly as if their lives depended on what they wanted to say. With regard to the proverbial beauty of the Circassian and Georgian women it should be said that only the finest speci- mens find their way into Europe, " as a system of selection is always going on in the wife markets of the Osmanli Turks, the occupants of whose harems are mostly of these two nationalities." The Georgians are the most polished people of Caucassus. They are very hospitable and pardonably fond, it is said, of their gala day with its morning of horsemanship and its even- ing of the dance and courting under the walnut trees. Their lips are always opening with song ; their hours are always happy, and they carry their cares very lightly, if, indeed, they may be said to carry them at all. Although marriage by force is in vogue, it is claimed that Georgian husbands are reasonably exemplary and usually treat their wives well. Polygamy is rarely practiced, though per- mitted among them. Eespect for the aged is perhaps their most remarkable virtue. Even the younger brothers of tlie family rise when the oldest enters the room where they are sitting. XXXVI. THE MAGYARS. On entering Hungary the traveler is at once struck with the remarkable beauty of its inhabitants. The high-class Magyar ladies are said to resemble the Circassians, while even the country women, exposed as they are to the hot sun of the plains, deserve their traditional reputation for good looks. Tissot grows enthusiastic over the freshness, delicacy, and purity of the complexion of the Magyar women, whether blondes or brunettes. Their wavy hair is superb, and in their large Oriental eyes, tipped with long lashes, " there mingles reverie with passion." While their features are not always regular the tyjDC is refined. " Ruby lips, pearly teeth, supple figures, and tiny arched feet complete a form which may even at a distance be recognized as that of a Magyar." The men are tall, manly and stately in form, but as a rule the women are finer looking than their lords, which a writer says is "the very reverse of that which prevails in Northern Europe, where for one fine looking woman there are ten men with faces and figures that deserve remark." The Magyar is always polite and courteous, though some writers have hinted that their behavior is not altogether free from a certain element of interested calculation. The peasants are very particular to give every one his proper title, or rather as is usual a title higher than that which one has earned. (469) 470 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. Ordinarily they address each other as "Thy Grace," varying the inflection according to the social grade of the person to whom they are speaking. The Magyars are exceedingly hospitable and their generosity is proverbial. It has been said that a German soldier has such a high oj^inion of the Hun- garian's goodness of heart, that he prefers being quartered in a village of Hungary to having his tent pitched among people of his own nationality. The Magyars are remarkable for their j)atriotism and courage, though, as one writer says, love of country is apt in some instances to degenerate into mere blatant invectiveness against every other nationality, empty boastfulness regarding the greatness of the Magyar, and an utter failing in capacity to see the infirmities and errors of their own country. But there is no question about their bravery. Nowhere will one find more stirring stoi'ies of heroism than in the annals of Hungary. Dr. Brown says that during their long struggle against the Turks it was the invariable agreement among the citizens when the latter besieged a town to refuse capitulation, and to forbid even the mention of the word on pain of death. The women followed their husbands to the trenches and in sorties, and at other times occujDied themselves in repairing the broken 'walls. When the signal was given for a final assault the women ran to mingle in the ranks of the besieged, and were only to be distinguished from the men by their blind and impetuous courage. "Some," says Boldenji, "fought hand-in- hand, others from the tops of the walls rolled down upon their assailants huge stones or poured quantities of boiling oil ujion them." During the insurrection of 1848 the women exhibited a courage which perhaps has not been equaled in modern times, TEE MAGYARS. 471 many of them fighting in the uniform of a private soldier. A wealthy young girl is reported to have performed prodigies of valor, while another girl of high social standing was promoted for heroism, no one suspecting that she was a woman. The Magyar regards his wife as his inferior, and usually speaks of her as his "escort," while she refers to him as. her " lord." If you meet a Magyar peasant couple on the road you will pass the husband first and later on the wife, who follows at a resj^ectful distance. Yet the Magyar is regarded as generally kind to his wife. "Does your husband love you ? " asked one of a newly married woman. " I don't know," she said, " for he has not beaten me yet." While this is probably true to life among the higher classes, it is not true of the peasant, who is noted for his gentle- ness to his wife. The language of courtship continues long after the honeymoon is over, and she is always his "rose," his " star," or his " pearl." The Magyars are a people of many different creeds ; yet the best of feeling prevails, and every man worshi^^s God according to the dictates of his own conscience. In some places where the people are too j^oor to build more than one house of worship the Protestants hold their services in the Catholic church, after taking the precaution to hang a curtain before the altar. 24 (474) A CUBAN BEAUTY. XXXVII. THE PEARL OF THE ANTILLES. The story is told that when the flag of Castile and Aragon came down for the last time from the walls of Havana, the commander turned to the American officer who had come to take possession and said : " I cannot congratulate your country on its victory. You have come to rule over the basest, most despicable people on earth." At that very moment there were some thousands of Americans whose hearts were melting toward the Cubans as a noble race of martyrs. Somewhere between these two extremes doubtless lies the truth about these much misunderstood folk. The corner-stone of Cuban character, as Mr. Francis H. Nichols has said, is the Spaniard of Columbus' time plus the Negro slave, the conquered Carib and the tropical sun. If he has inherited many of the vices of his ancestors, and few of their stronger virtues, he is certainly not without many of their gentler traits. Perhaps most of the vices of the Cubans to-day can be traced to the mistrust which for centuries was so faith- fully cultivated by Spanish misrule. Cubans mistrust every- body, including the man who has had their best interest at heart and has done the most for them. Mr. Nichols says that no power on earth could ever make a Cuban patriot believe that Sagasta was actually led by disinterested motives when he proposeut the spurs to him and rode as riding for life or death. In a few moments the tropical storm that had been gathering broke, and in the terrific downpour she was drenched, beaten down in her saddle by the rain and gusts of wind, blinded by the sheets of water that dashed into her face. Her hair huni>; in soaked masses about her shoulders, rivulets of water trickled from every point ; but not for one instant did she falter or think of turning back. Fortunately the horse she rode was a fine animal, and he covered the distance in record-breaking time. Slie reached the camp ; and just as Pena was about to turn in for the night a slender little figure, soaked, drenched, panting, slij^ped from her horse almost into his hammock, and said : ' Please, Colonel Pena, General Gomez wants you and your men at Saratoga.' "After the startled colonel had assured himself that this apparition was a real live girl and not a wraith boi-n of the 484 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. stx)rm, he ordered out his men. Unfortunately, all but an escort of thirty men iiad been sent into the Holguin district ; but Pena took this small number and started immediately for the scene of action. The courage of this young heroine had won his heart, and, taking the half-drowned little figure in his arms, he gathered up his blanket out of his hammock, wrapped her closely in it, and setting her before him on his own saddle, 'car- ried her thus all the way back to her home. "The storm had ended and the stars were shining brightly in an unclouded sky when the colonel rode up about midnight to the humble palm hut, tenderly supporting the child in his strong arms. With simple and unconscious eloquence she had told her unvarnished tale, and then, warm and dry and safe, she had fallen asleep, and was deep in the land of dreams be- fore the clatter of hoofs on the midnight air aroused the family. The gallant colonel's eyes were wet as he lifted her down. " ' Senora,' he said, ' both your son and your daughter are worthy of Cuba.' Then, saluting, he rode away to battle, al- though he had but thirty men instead of four hundred ; and it was at the ensuing battle of Saratoga that he won from Gomez the title of ' The Fighting Colonel gf Camaguey.' " This tale I heard under the velvety stars of a tropic night in Cuba told by one who was himself in the battle." * * True" Stories of Heroic Lives. New York : Funk & Wamalls Co. XXXVIII. THE INDUSTRIOUS SWISS. There are really no such people as the Swiss in a strict ethnological sense, Switzerland being, like Austria, only a polit- ical expression. Indeed, until about five hundred years ago not a germ of modern Switzerland had appeared on the map of Europe, nor did the confederacy become an independent j^ower until the seventeenth century. Though the word "Swiss" has been for ages in common use, the idea that there has always been a country of Switzerland as there has always been a country of Italy or Germany is only a po|)ular delusion. As Mr. Freeman has pointed out, it is no less erroneous to imagine "that the Swiss of the original cantons are the lineal descendants of the Helvetii." The inhabitants of Switzerland are really the overflow population of all the nations around, though they have dwelt apart from the rest of the world long enough to develop some distinctive traits. The Swiss are noted, for their neatness. "Crossing from the French side into Canton Vaud," says a writer whose name has escaped me, "is like stepping from a disorderly kitchen into a dainty parlor. The first habitation on the Swiss side of the border is a neat cottage with shutters painted in the Vaudois colors — green and white — and as you may see through the open doors and transparent windows, is as clean inside as it is irreproachable outside." The writer says that he pointed out the difference to his companion, an intelligent native. (485) 486 THE BBIOHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. "Yes," he said, "the French are nasty." It is not so much because they are poor, the Swiss thought, for all the people on both sides of the border are industrious farmers or pill-box makers or both, and fairly well-to-do; "but it is because the Vaudois are so much better instructed than the French." Per- haps this explanation is the true one. One never linds a Vau- dois who cannot sign his name, and one seldom finds a French peasant who can. The Swiss are all hard workers, and their houses are veritable bee-hives. Nearly all the manufacturing in Switzer- land is done at home. The Swiss laborer stands high, and holds himself quite as high as he stands. He insists on being treated with deference by the master whom he serves, and will not tolerate in him an air of affected superiority or of haughty scorn. The people generally are religious, honest, faithful to their word, moral in daily conduct, good-humored, and have withal a very delicate sense of humor. In many parts of the country there is practically no poverty. When one grows too old to work he is maintained at public expense, and he is not looked down upon on that account. On the contrary, he is regarded as a member of a benefit society with accumulated funds, and not as a pauper for the support of whom his more fortunate neighbors have to pay an unwilling tax. When the poor fund is insufficient the deficiency is made good out of the ordinary revenue of the commune. At all events, the un- fortunate are adequately provided for, and the orphans are educated and taught a trade. The watchmakers, who have made Switzerland famous, are perhaps the best workers in the world. They are remarkably skillful, and perhaps no other people are so well equipped by nature for the most delicate work. , The j)easant farmers are THE INDUSTRIOUS SWISS. 487 generally better off than their French neighbors. As I have already intimated, they have something of an education, and there is a degree of refinement among them. XXXIX. THE SOUTHERN SLAVS. The Slavs, who form eighty millions of the population of Europe, constitute that great body of the Aryan stock which found its way at an early period from Asia to Eastern Europe and intermarried with the aborigines of the country, and at a subsequent date was blended with the various Tartans and other Asiatic tribes who followed in their wake. The present position of the Southern Slavs is due to the emperor Heraclius, in his easrerness for their alliance and assistance Q-ivinsr them Dalmatia in which to settle. The modern Slavs are described as of a rather swarthy complexion, with small, deep-set eyes, and a nose inclined to "snub," dark hair and heavy beard. They are not of a high grade intellectually, but as a rule they are industrious, and they are endowed with a capacity for obey- ing, which, as has been said, has made them among the best soldiers of Austria and Russia. The Serbs of Servia are amono; the most interestinsc of tlie Slavonic people who have been recovered from Turkish domination. Many of the customs of these people are identi- cal with those of the Russians. An inferior kisses the hand of his superior, though of late the custom of hand-shaking has been introduced, and it is said that if you visit a Serb cottager tlie host will shake hands with you while the eldest daughter will wash your feet. A Serb treats his servant as he would his 25 (491) 492 TEE BBIGET SIDE OF HUMANITY. own children, and when he starts on a journey he blesses them, while they kiss his hand and wish him a happy return. The ambition for an education is widespread among the youth of the race. Poor students are glad to perform any kind of menial service while attending the higher schools. The peasants of Servia are emphatically pious, and their domestic life is pure. Indeed, morality among them is much higher than in the neighboring countries. No sacrifice is too great for them in the performance of their religious duties, and all the stated fasts of their church are faithfully observed. Every family has its patron saint. "These saints, as treated in Servia, are in reality a direct survival from pagan times. The early Christian missionaries, finding it impossible to win their converts from their ancient gods, persuaded them, to ex- change them for saints, who were duly installed after the fash- ion of the idols which they displaced." The Servians are a very conservative people, and there- fore, although given to hospitality, they require a stranger to be well introduced before receiving him with open arms. The Slavs of Bulgaria are known in history mainly for their fighting propensities. In modern times, however, they have lost much of their warlike spirit, having grown weak under misfortune and the iron rule of the Turk, though they have not yet entirely lost their ancient valor and ambition. They have always shown themselves capable of great things as a race, and under the free institutions which they at present enjoy they are advancing at an encouraging rate. Education is becoming more general, and the people are being gradually emancipated from the slavish ideas which for ages have gov- erned the nation. In character the Bulgarian '' steers a middle course be- THE SOUTHERN SLAVS. 493 tween the fiery excitement of the Greek and the uproariousness of the Armenian." He is quiet, but always determined, and generally sticks to a point until he gains his purpose. The everyday life of the Bulgarian does not differ widely from that of the Greek, except in the greater ascendency which Bulgarian women have over Greek women. The Bulgarian wife works as hard as her husband, and contributes quite as much to the family funds, and keeps herself as well as her home attractive. Her husband, though intemperate on feast days, is for the re- mainder of the year, as a rule, sober and well behaved. The charge of intemperance that has been brought against Bulgarian women is said to be wholly without foundation. While the Bulgarians are by no means an intellectual race, they nevertheless insist on doing their own thinking as far as they are able. They j)i'actice the happy art of settling their own differences quietly among themselves without calling ia the aid of the authorities. In brief, they are a peace-loving^ hard-working people, " possessing many domestic virtues which,, if properly developed under a good government, might make the strength of an honest and promising state." The Montenegrins are the most picturesque and probably" the best specimens of peasantry that can be seen anywhere in Europe. After a long and fierce struggle with the Turks, they have now attained independence and are beginning life anew with little culture and no wealth. Altogether they number about 250,000, most of whom are scattered widely over their little territory, and are engaged for the most part in pas- toral and agricultural pursuits. Years of ceaseless fighting have made the Montenegrin a brave " though a somewhat turbulent individual," and though, as some one has said, the skulls of the Turks which once upon a time were the picturesque 494 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. ilecorations of the capital, have been removed, the Montenegrin is quite capable, if occasion should offer, to replace these national monuments. Eyery Montenegrin is a soldier ready at an hour's notice to take the field and always ready for war as a pastime. He enters a fight with zest and pursues it to the bitter end. The story is told that during their latest difiiculty with the Turks an old man of eighty years drew a pistol and killed himself because the prince refused to allow him to march with the troops. Everything is primitive among these jiicturesque peoj^le. The position of woman is not high, though it cannot be said that she is maltreated. Like the women of Bulgaria, they are always equal to great occasions, and rise to marvelous courage when danger threatens. They are capable of a patriotic zeal that amounts to ferocity, and often excel their husbands in the spirit which they display in time of war. Fond as he is o*f a fight, the Montenegrin is not, as has been claimed, a savage in his customs. On the contrary, he is remarkable for his humanity, and is particularly merciful to the lower animals. It is true that he was until lately in the habit of mutilating his prisoners, but this was only the remains of an ancient custom, which, horrible as it seems to Europeans, was quite natural in the country from which he came. Mr. E. A. Steiner, in an account of a recent visit made to the court of the Prince of Montenegro, says that with all the admirable qualities of the Montenegrin he is a very tyrannical husband. Yet, strange to say, he is not without the spirit of chivalry. The prince told Mr. Steiner that a Montenegrin woman can always^ask any man she meets to be her protector, and that in no case does she have any reason to regret her choice. They have some very ungallant proverbs, such as: THE SOUTHERN SLAVS. 495 " He who does not beat his wife is no man," and " Twice in his life is a man happy : once wlien he marries and once when he buries his wife," but, like some of our own, they belong more to the realm of humor than to reality. " As far as our homes are concerned," said the prince* " they have one thing in which they are superior to those of the Anglo-Saxon people : hospitality is a law with us. We protect our enemies as soon as they enter our doors, and not even my power could compel one of my subjects to surrender his guest to me. Our proverb says : ' As long as he is in my home he is like myself.' You know we were once home- less in these mountains, and no stranger, whomsoever he be, would be turned from the door of my jDOorest subject. It has happened not seldom that wounded Turks were harbored in some of the homes of my people, and were assisted to escape as soon as they were able to walk." Mr. Steiner describes the prince as a tall, well-built man, with a face indicating robust health aad telling a story of hard- ships in the battlefield. " His eyes are penetrating and their light magnetic. He draws one to homage^ — I should say even to love. His subjects adore him, kiss the hem of his garment, and I can say it is no empty form with them. He knows the affairs of every tribe. He is chief justice, the head of the church and the head of the army. On occasions like these he passes among the crowds, greeting the veterans, listening to their complaints, and cheering his subjects, who at this time were particularly downcast, for there had been no war for years, and the drouth had played havoc with their crops." The same writer says that he was permitted to enter the large garden where the different tribes were gathered to be reviewed by their ruler, where he witnessed a very touching 496 THE BRIGHT BIDE OF HUMANITY. iscene. The people stood about the prince in a semicircle " like giant trees of the forest untainted by vice or disease, untouched by culture." Although 30,000 of them passed in review before liim, including many an old comrade of the battlefield, for each of them he had a friendly look. He walked among them both as a king and brother, and they kissed the border of his gar- ment as he passed. " No doubt each of them," said Mr. Steiner, " would have been ready to give his life for his prince." While one of the tribes was in review, and he was passing from ■one man to another, receiving the usual salutations, he came to an old warrior, who stood meekly in his place waiting for an opportunity to greet him in the usual way. But the prince raised him up and kissed him on the cheek, saying, " Bratje, it is for me to salute thee, for thou hast saved my life," and the old man thus honored wept for joy. AT THE CxATE OF THE CORFU (IONIAN ISLANDS). (498) XL. THE GREEK AT HIS BEST. The Greeks have long been peculiarly unfortunate in the class of people who have done the advertising for the nation. It is well known that the riff-raff of the Levant are Greeks and the average Hellene who wanders away from his native land is apt to be more intent on making enough money to go back than on carrying back with him a character which would be a credit to himself and his country. There is a cleverness too about the Greeks which often gains for them a not very flattering reputation, as cleverness often does when allowed to run loose. The Greeks the world over bear the reputation of being much too sharp at a bargain, and are credited with a cun- ning which falls little short of duplicity. In France an unscru- pulous rogue is usually known as " un Grec." There is something to be said, however, for the Greeks abroad. That they are often too cunning cannot be denied ; but for ages they have been compelled to fight a hard battle with fortune ; and an age-long battle of this sort almost in- variably results in duplicity. For centuries they have been so far in the minority to the people with whom they have had to treat that it has required all of their superior acuteness to hold their own and escape the oppression of the conqueror. It was only natural that their acuteness should degenerate to chicanery. Moreover, they were always trying their wit, not against Europeans, but against Orientals, who regard cunning (499) 500 THE BUIOHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. as a mark of superior ability, and who never hesitate to cheat the man who may be governed by the higher motives which rule among people of the West. "A slave, the Greek had for centuries only the consolation of making money, or of gaining a place by which he could make more. Hence he became what he is so unfortunately well known often to be, and the finesse of which he is so proud has become a sort of hereditary trick- ery, which compels people not quite so keen to exercise ex- treme caution before trying mercantile conclusions with this singularly wideawake people." It should also be remembered that this trait is not peculiar to the Greeks, and that a certain amount of astuteness and tact are regarded as necessary to one's very existence anywhere in the Turkish empire. The best and purest specimens of the race are to be found in the Greek islands, where the higher class are certainly not more cunning than any other order of Mediterranean trading people. In their native land the Greeks are active and ener- getic, and in many respects resemble their ancestors. "A Greek of our day is as fond of disputation as the Greek of the period of Plato, and the subjects of King George, in their eager search after some new thing, might fittingly stand for the por- traits of those whom Paul of Tarsus reproved for their fickle- ness." Notwithstanding their remarkable mental activity, how- ever, they are not apt to run into extremes. " The tact which in so many of the Greeks degenerates into low cunning in its better form lends courteousness to their manners, so that life to the good-natured stranger is more agreeable in Greece than in almost any other country of the Mediterranean shores." They are of a cheerful disposition, and rarely fall into melan- choly. Hence suicide is almost unknown among them. In THE GREEK AT IIIS BEST. 501 their daily life they are moral above many of their neighbors, being particularly moderate in eating and drinking. One may spend months and even years in Athens without seeino; an intoxicated man. Indeed, Athenians say that a drunken man is never seen among them. We are reminded of the customs of the ancient Greeks, who taught their sons to avoid excess in the use of wine by pointing out to them their drunken slaves that they might see what brutes wine made of men. The Greek is remarkable for his desire to learn. Educa- tion with him is a passion. There is no sacrifice which a Greek boy will not gladly make in order to acquire knowledge. This has gone so far that the land is filled with professional men, while there are too few farmers to till the soil. During the revolution of I860 students, liable to serve as soldiers, could al- ways be found attending lectui"es at the universities, many of them gun in hand, ready the moment their studies ended to resume their places in the ranks. Often chambermaids and other servants of the household spend their leisure hours in self-instruction. " It chances if a physician engages a Greek lad to brush his boots he will seize every opportunity to peruse his master's medical books, or to con his Latin grammar, in order when the time comes to be able to advance a step in that upward direction toward which his eyes are ever wandering." This ambition to rise is always accompanied by a degree of self-confidence, which makes the young Greek fluent and clear- headed, and always able to tell his story; though, as one writer intimates, it may be trusted that the version will be adapted to the cause in which he has a part. That he is patriotic is shown by the zeal which he has dis- played in fighting for his independence, and the readiness with which he has often taken up arms in defense of what he believed to be the best interest of his country. 502 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. The Albanians, who are closely related to the modern Greeks, are supposed by many to be of a purer race than the Greeks proper. They have lofty, broad brows, and small, delicately moulded features, with a classic cast of countenance. The women are regarded as the most beautiful in Southeastern Europe, and the children are almost invariably charming, with large, solemn eyes and "splendid mouths, slightly turned down at the sides, which gives them a singularly sweet and thoughtful expression." The manners of the Albanians are remarkably polite, and they have a tact and a delicacy of per- ception not to be found among other half-savage mountaineers. It is said that although they are cruel enemies and have little regard for human life, they are staunch friends, truthful, vir- tuous, hospitable and companionable. Very few Albanian women have any education, but they are strict observers of etiquette and are very proud of their ancestry. Mrs. Blunt, who lived some years among the Albanians, says that they have the rough vices, and often the unthinking virtues of semi-savage races. If cruel, at least civilization has not yet taught them its general lesson, " that honor and chivalry are impractical relics of Middle Age superstition quite uu- worthy of the businesslike man of to-day whose eyes are fixed on the main chance." The Albanian, too, can plunder, but he does it "gun in hand, and openly on the highway ; not behind a desk or on 'Change. His faults are the faults of an untrained violent nature : they are never mean. His virtues are those of forgot- ten days, and are not intended to pay. He is more often abused than praised, but it is mostly for want of knowledge; for his vices are on the surface, while his sterling good qualities are seen only by those who know him well and know how to treat him." XLI. THE HOME-LOVING GERMAN. Tacitus describes the Germans of his day as a fair- haired people who slept under the stars, and were so numerous that they could bear up the sky on their spear points. The description, so far as it relates to numbers, holds good of the Germans to-day ; but they no longer sleep under the stars, nor are they, since the inflow of Celtic and Slavonic blood, alto- gether a fair-haired people. The popular idea of the German is that he is a phlegmatic, lumpish, unexcitable sort of individual, with prodigious stay- ing powers, and little momentum. As a matter of fact, if the German is somewhat lumpish he is not altogether unexcitable, and while he has great staying powers he has also shown him- self to possess a ponderous energy. It is often said that the German is vain and loves to have incense burned before him. This little infirmity, which, by the way, has been greatly exaggerated, serves to hide many noble qualities from the eyes of the world, which is never dis- posed to look very deep when vanity lies on the surface. Un- questionably the proneness of the German student to hold in contempt every man whose acquirements in any particular sub- ject do not equal his own has been seriously in the way of a just estimate of German character. Then, too, one cannot learn the German at a distance. As Dr. Field has said, one may travel from the Baltic to the Adriatic, and see all the jmlaces (503) 504 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. and museums and picture galleries, and yet be wholly ignorant of the people. " But if he has the good fortune to know a single German family of the better class into which he may be received, not as a stranger, but as a guest and a friend — where he can see the interior of tlie German home, and mark the strong affection of parents and children, of brothers and sisters — he will get a better idea of the real character of the people than by months of living in hotels." With this last sentence fresh in the mind, one is prepared for the statement that the characteristic virtue of the German people is family affection. Not army discipline but domestic love is the bulwark of the German nation. The German in the bosom of his family has long been a recognized symbol of earthly happiness. Certainly no other people are more beauti- ful in their home life. The German women are said to be the best of housewives, though it is claimed that they are re- garded too much in this light. They are, as a rule, well edu- cated, but they do not have the privileges which are claimed by the " new woman " of America, nor are they disturbed on the subject of the " rights " which are withheld from them. It has been charged that the wife of the middle class is a household drudge ; but, as has been said, it would be difficult to marry and live without drudgery on such incomes as are common. Among the middle class of the Germans the posi- tion of the housewife is easily mistaken by the foreigner. When a German woman pays attentions to the guest, such as are usually left in America to one's servant, it does not mean that she is a slave. It is, on the contrary, only a bit of high- bred courtesy. Few families in Germany are rich, and in the majority of homes such attentions must be given by the house- wife or not given at all. A FRISIAN MAT PLAITER. (507) ■ki THE HOME-LOVING GERMAN. 509 The rudeness of maimers for which the Germans have been so severely criticised, and which has been greatly exag- gerated, may be easily accounted for by the separation of the sexes in social life. Young men in Germany associate very little with young women, and they have few amusements or in- terests in common. It is this, and not moral looseness, which accounts for the unrefined expressions which it is claimed are too commonly used by both sexes in the fatherland. Indeed, it is said that the morals of the German people are now rather better than in most parts of Euro23e. Everywhere the mar- riage tie is sacred. If betrothal is not always followed by wed- lock it is because the German is accustomed to beins: controlled in almost every action of life, and is not always allowed to exer- cise his own free will, even in this respect. A military officer, for instance, before taking a wife must satisfy the authorities that in case he dies his widow wdll have sufficient means to live as becomes a lady of her position. The Germans are noted for warmth of heart. As some one has said, their marvelous digestive powers have their result in great kindliness and good nature. They are a good- humored peoj^le, and, all reports of their rudeness of manners to the contrary notwithstanding, they are essentially j)olite. "Across three thousand miles of sea, and I know not how many miles of land," writes Mr. Thomas Bailey Aldrich, " I toucli my hat at this moment to tlie landlord of the snu% little hostelry at Wittenburg, who Avaked me at midnight to excuse himself for not having waited on us in person when we arrived by the ten o'clock train. He had had a card-party — The Herr Prof. Something-splatz and a few friends — in tlie coffi^e r(X)m, and really, etc., etc. He couldn't sleep and didn't let me sleep until he had made his excuse, which was down- 510 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. right charming iii you, my host of the Golden Adle*'. I thank you for it, and I'd thank you not to do it again." An attractive feature in the German character is a deep love of nature. "The German people need the forest," says Kiehl, "as a man needs wine." They love the country, and during the summer most of the day is spent out of doors. All families in comfortable circumstances have a garden a little out of town, and there ensconced in a bower erected under trees on an artificial mound, perhaps high enough to enable them to overlook the road, the ladies of the family will sit the livelong day working at their feminine occupations, or else harmlessly indulging in that gossip which flows so freely when a number of German women meet in a " coffee party." Next to their private resorts the public garden is the place where the German appears in least disguise and in his natural character. Here he reveals his love for music, which amounts to a passion. Luther spoke the mind of the whole Ger- man people when he declared that a man was a fool, a dull, heavy dolt,whose blood was not stirred by martial airs or softer melodies. The conservatism of the national character is remarkably strong. Whatever else the German may be, wherever he goes ho is always a German. He never leaves behind his national traits. Everywhere he shows his ponderous energy; every- where his home is a pattern for his neighbors; everywhere he is thorough in all things, and always frugal. The distressing stories which were published anent the loss of the Elbe at sea a few years ago filled the popular mind with the idea that the Germans are without the spirit of sacri- fice, and that they are too selfish to be heroic. Yet at the very time these stories were going the rounds of the press a thrilling incident of German heroism at sea passed unnoticed. SB H N «■ flfi f * 1 ^ 1 j^K^^I l^H ^^'i [ yHH ^^BBKaL'^Bayt j Il m^ >|j ^mmni^ 'i ggjti . ^M 1 H^9^^^' .^fl m^M m^^Hfe^r. V " '^I'si^:: '„1'«-'- '■ . ■ ^3 GERMAN PEASANTS (AUSTRIA). (511) THE HOME-LOVING GERMAN. 513 A fishing village was awakened one morning by a gun- shot off the coast. Hastening to the beacli, the people saw a ship wrecked on a reef a mile away. The crew were in the ri2:sina:. A lifeboat was run out, but Harro, the leader of the crew, was absent. ** Eight men, however, rowed out to the wreck. The crew were got into the lifeboat, witli the exception of one who was lashed high upon a mast. He was half frozen, and as the storm was increasing and the lifeboat overloaded, it was decided that he could not be taken off. When the lifeboat returned to the shore Harro had arrived. He asked if every one had been saved, and was told that one remained. "'I will fetch him,' said Harro. 'Will you go with me?' "The men refused, saying that it was impossible. "'Then I will go alone,' cried Harro, and sprang into the lifeboat. At this moment his mother came running down, and begged him not to venture out, reminding him that both his father and brother, Uwe, had been drowned. Uwe was his youngest brother, and as he had not been heard from for years he was supposed to be dead. "'For love of me,' Harro's mother begged, 'don't go!' "'But the man on the mast!' exclaimed Harro. 'Are you sure he has no mother to mourn his death?' " Harro's mother said no more, and her son and four other men set out for the wreck, which was not quite under water. The waves were so furious that it was difficult to aj^proach. At last the lifeboat reached it, and Harro climbed the mast and fetched the half-frozen man down. He was laid in the bottom of the lifeboat, and Harro bent over him and remained so until the boat was so near shore that his voice could be heard. Then he waved his cap and shouted : '"Tell my mother we have saved Uwe!' " XLII. OUR ENGLISH COUSINS. Voltaire once said that if lie could have chosen his birthplace he would have chosen England. Max O'Rell, the brilliant French writer, after mercilessly, if somewhat face- tiously, berating John Bull and his island through a whole volume, grows sober at .. the end and magnanimously adopts Voltaire's sentiment. It is the usual way. When we want to be facetious or sarcastic the Englishman furnishes us with abundant material ; but when we cease our fun-making and draw toward a sober conclusion we never fail to be impressed by his solid worth. " Like Americans," says Dr. Talmage, " the English have been much lied about." And they have been much lied about for the reason that we are disj)osed to judge them, as the world is disposed to judge Americans, by the occasional adventurer who happens to be loud enough to force himself upon our attention. Kichard Harding Davis says that if the English judged us by the chance American, and we judged them by the aver- age English adventurer, we would go to war again for some reason or other at once. But this is what most of us are really doing. We judge the English by the Englishmen who make themselves offensively conspicuous. As Mr. Davis says, we forget that the gentleman, whether he comes from New York or London or Athens, is not conspicuous, but passes by unheard (514) OUR ENGLISH COUSINS. 515 like the angels we entertain unawares, and that where a gentle- man is concerned there can be no international differences. As Americans we insist that our women should be judged by the intelligent and womanly women whom one meets, not by those who scratch their names over cathedrals when they go abroad, "nor by tlie young women who race through the halls of the Victoria Hotel." Certainly we should grant to our English cousins as much as we demand for ourselves. Many Americans think of the Englishman as a gouty, grouty, gruff, grumbling individual, who finds his motives for living in the delights of being an Englishman, of being im- polite, selfish, discourteous, and where there are toes to be tread upon unspeakably cruel. A more moderate view is that he is a staid, immobile creature, " slow in action, mental and physi- cal, sluggish, stolid, and with a dislike of movement which is composed in equal parts of vis inertice and local attachment." Concerning this latter opinion Grant White says that there was never a notion more incorrect, or set up more directly in the face of commonly known facts. Concerning the former Dr. Talmage says that he has never found what Americans call a " grouty Englishman," and he insists that the English people are warm-hearted and genial to the last degree. " Their homes, their carriages, their hearts are all wide open." He thinks that the Englishman is better natured than the American, and gives as a reason the fact that his digestion is better. " If a man has to wrestle with a lamb-chop three hours after swallowing it his good humor is exhausted. The contest in his body leaves him no strength for a battle with the world." Dr. Talmage is as much im- pressed with the way in which the Englishman' overcomes the horrible weather to which he is accustomed, and asks that " if 26 516 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. in this shadowy weather he can be so genial I would like to know how they are in the usual summer brightness." The same writer also insists that it is a delusion that Englishmen delight to grumble. " As near as I can judge, each community appoints some one to do the grumbling for it, and he becomes the champion grumbler." Grace Greenwood, writing out of her own experience in England, says that " hospitality more generous and cordial, kindness more constant and considerate, it were quite impossible to conceive. Tenderly do they deal with the stranger's heart, most sweetly do they strive to console it for the loss of home joys and deep, dear affections left behind." Thomas Bailey Aldrich says that every American who has passed a week in rural England must have carried away, even if he did not bring with him, " a fondness for our former possessions." Grant White admits that incivility is not uncommon in England, and says that Englishmen themselves will hardly deny that many of them are arrogant, insolent and overbearing. " And yet," he adds, " as I write this I am almost ashamed to do so, remembering what I can never forget, and should grieve and shame to forget, the kindness, the gentleness, the sweetness of nature, the almost tender thoughtfulness for others, that I have seen in so many Englishmen not only in England, but here before I have met them on their native soil." Elsewhere he says: "Those who have gone with me thus far will not be surprised at my saying that I found the manners of English folk in most respects pleasing and admirable. And by manners I mean not merely the attitude and the action and the sjDcech which appear upon the surface of social intercourse, but the motive feeling which underlies this surface, and which influ- OUR ENGLISH COUSINS. 517 ences the actual conduct, as well as the bearing of man toward! man. Moreover, the distinction between manners and manner must be constantly kept in mind." * Referring to the remark often heard that English manners lack both warmth and grace, Mr. White says that as a people they have no manner. " I would not say, as Malvolio says of Viola in her page's dress, that their manner is a very ill manner. There is simply the absence of pleasing outward demonstration, a reserve so absolute and yet so unconscious, (unconscious, perhaps, through long- habit and continued practice) that it is very like indifference. But even to this judgment there must be made many exceptions — exceptions so numerous that sometimes it seems as if, like the exceptions to the conjugation of French verbs, they almost invalidate the rule. Certainly, I have never seen, nor could I desire to see, more show of heartiness and warmth than I have met in Englishmen." Robert Louis Stevenson, in his essay on "The Foreigner at Home," speaking of the trials of a Scotchman when he first visits England, says: "A Scotchman is vain, interested in him- self and others, eager for sympathy, setting forth his thoughts and experience in the best light. The egotism of the English- man is self-contained. He does not seek to proselytize. He takes no interest in Scotland or tlie Scotch, and, what is the unkindest cut of all, he does not care to justify his indiffer- ence." On this Richard Hardins; Davis comments: "If the Scotchman, who certainly seems reserved enough in our eyes, is chilled by the Englishman's manner, it is evident how much more the American must suffer before he learns that there is * England, Without and Within, by Kichard Grant White. Boston : Houghton, Mifflin & Co. 518 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. something better to come, and that the Englishman's manner is his own misfortune, and not his international fault. The Englishman says to this, when you know him well enough to complain, that we are too 'sensitive,' and that we are too quick to take offence. It never occurs to him that it may be that he is too brusque. If you say, on mounting a coach, 'I am afraid I am one too many, I fear I am crowding you all,' you can count upon their all answering with perfect cheerfulness, * Yes, you are; but we didn't know you were coming, and there is no lielj) for it.' It never occurs to him that it is not per- haps the best way of putting it. After a bit you find out that they do not mean to be rude, but you learn to be rude your- self, and then you get on famously." Much of the Englishman's apparent grufPness is the natural result of his honest hatred of social shamming. There is nothing the Englishman so heartily loves as sincerity, and nothing he so heartily despises as anything that in his eyes approaches hypocrisy. Even when he turns away abruptly from our courtesies, it is with disgust at what he imagines is j)ure shamming. As some one has said. Englishmen adulterate their goods, but not their conduct; and he will not brook any- thing in others that looks like adulteration .of manner. The shamming must be very good to make an impression at all or to , escaj^e severe rebuke. Mr. White tells of a lord, the wealthiest of country mag- nates, who was openly snubbed by his humble neighbors when he took upon himself the gracious airs of a lord of the soil, and was given to understand that, with all his money and his newly acquired acres, he was only a rich Londoner. " Even Mr. Disraeli could not use bis: words in talkina; to his rural OUR EN0LI8II COUSINS. 519 neighbors without being girded at by all the scoffers of the opposition." Again, much of the selfishness which we are disposed to set down to the discredit of the Englishman is only the exhib- ition of the self-assertion which pervades the Englishman, and which Mr. White says is admirable and much to be desired. This egoism, which leads him to maintain his per- sonal rights of whatever kind, is absolutely beyond reach of all wealth, power or rank. "This absoluteness," says Mr. White, "is a genuine outcome of the English character. It exists nowhere else." The same writer defines England as a land where every man has rights which every man must respect. "He may incur the danger of disregarding them if he chooses to do so; but in that case the chances are ninety- nine in a hundred that, whatever his rank or his influence, he will suffer for it, even if he accomj)lish his purpose; and even that he will not do without a fi^ht. The rio;hts are not the same rights, and those who would rather have identity of rights with the constant risk of having them disregarded with impu- nity by "the 23ublic," or by rich corporations, or even by an assuming individual who takes on the form of a corporation — -perhaps physically as w^ell as financially — will probably prefer some other country." The world has long found delight in accusing England of selfishness in her policy, but Max O'Rell, strange as it may seem, finds no fault with her in this particular. "Is not patriotism the most manifest and excusable form of selfish- ness?" he asks. "Is it selfishness to think one's children handsomer and more intelligent than those of other people ? Is it selfishness to accept a good situation, rather than refuse it and offer it, like a good Christian, to one's neighbor ? Show" S20 TEE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. me a country that opens its doors more hospitably and gener- ously to the foreigner. Show me another country where he meets with so much attention and respect. All that is required of him is that he shall respect the law ; and, short of being able to sit in Parliament, he enjoys all the privileges of a born Englishman." Americans who have long been accustomed to the phrase *' wife-beating Englishman " will hardly be prepared to hear that the English are remarkable for their beautiful home life. Grant White, whom I have so often quoted in this chapter, says that while there is nothing more sad and gloomy than out- of-door life in a large English town, there is nothing more charming than the interior of a well kept English home. It is a paradise of study and comfort and well-understood luxury. Washington Irving was struck with this, and said that what most delighted him was the creative talent with which the English decorated the unostentatious abodes of middle life. ''The rudest habitation, the most unpromising and scanty portion of land in the hands of Englishmen of taste becomes a little paradise." Irving adds that "the charm, however, of English scenery, is the moral feeling that seems to pervade it. It is associated in the mind with ideas of order, of quiet, of sober, well-established principles, of hoary usage and reverend custom. Everything seems to be the growth of ages of regular and peaceful existence." The English above all other people — and I may hardly -except the Americans — understand the meaning of comfort. " With what ingenious forethought," says a writer, " are the smallest needs anticipated, what care and study are expended upon every convenience of life ! " The everyday intercourse of families in such an atmosphere of comfort is, as one might OUR ENGLISH COUSINS. 521 expect, hearty and warm, though an American would not re- gard it as by any means effusive. They have some very beau- tiful customs. Ordinarily all the family, including the guests, shake hands on parting for the night and again on meeting in the morning. Mr. White was charmed to see two middle-aged men who lived in the same house meet in the breakfast-room, and shaking hands very warmly say : " Good-morning, brother." And all this among a people whose coldness we are never allowed to forget. A large part of the comfort in the English home is due to the devotion of English women to their families, and particu- larly to their children. Travelers grow enthusiastic over the thoughtful consideration of English women in the home, and Mr. White says that he believes they are the best, the most " self-sacrificing daughters, wives and mothers in the world, except the good daughters and wives and mothers in America ; and even them I believe they generally surpass in submissive- ness and thoughtful consideration." He thinks this is the result of the general subordination which pervades English society. "In the manner of Englishmen toward women there is neither the effusiveness of the Frenchman nor the sad and voiceless slavery of the American ; little bowing and flourishing, and not much flattery, but with a silent assertion of masculine mastery and no readiness to yield everything to a woman's caprice or convenience merely because she is a woman, there is an exhaustless fund of tenderness and a never-dying flame of chivalry among these wife-beating men. The Englishman's bearing toward women is the Yankee's, wholesomely corrected by a tempering of common sense and not unreasonable selfishness." Frances Power Cobbe tells in the Contemporary Revieio a characteristic story illustrative of this point: how she once asked 522 TEE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. an elderly French gentleman to give some attention to a charm- ing young lady who was going on the same train with him from London to Paris, and how he was too happy to place himself at her service, and how he made himself very agreeable on the route, but how, when on their arrival at Boulogne there was serious difficulty about the lady's luggage, the Frenchman, rather than lose the train to Paris, expressed his regrets and was whirled off, leaving his young charge to get out of her trouble as best she could. " The result," says Miss Cobbe, " might have been annoying had not a hoSiely Englishman stranger stepped in and proffered his aid, and, having recovered the missing property, lifted his hat and escaped from the lady's expressions of gratitude. In this little anecdote," Miss Cobbe goes on to say, " lies a compendium of the experience of hundreds of ladies on their travels. The genuine and self-sacri- ficing kindness of English and American gentlemen toward women affords almost a ludicrous contrast to the florid polite- ness compatible with every degree of selfishness usually ex- hibited by men of other nations." The English woman is rarely a coquette, and is not re- markable for social tact. She is chiefly the sensible companion and helper of her father, brother, husband or lover, over whose interests she watches without weariness. She is not a society woman after the American notion. Indeed, in England society is in the hands of the men, who give it its tone, while women are CJ^lled in to furnish its grace and ornament. The "queen" of society is usually a man. The English woman looks up to him and finds her pleasure in pleasing him. As Mr. White has said, no matter how clever or brilliant she may be, she does not seek to make herself an idol, unless indeed she chooses to set propriety at naught and brave an accusation of bad form. "A Avoman's eye in Ensjlnnd never looks straiojht and steadv into OUR ENGLISH COUSINS. 523 your eyes, saying I am quite able to take care of my own person and interests and reputation. Don't trouble yourself about me in those respects. Meantime, sir, I am taking your measure." There is always a mute ap^^eal from her womanhood to your manhood. This charm belongs to the English woman of all ranks, and beautifies everything that she does, even if she does it awkwardly, which is not always. She shows it if she is a great lady and welcomes you, or if she is a housemaid and serves you." The same writer is charmed with the manners of the English business woman, and says that they always have a j)leasant word or a smile in answer to a passing remark, and seem to be chosen for their pleasant ways as well as for their efficiency. " From not one of them, from one end of England to the other, in great cities or in quiet country towns and vil- lages, did I receive one surly word or look, or anything but the kindest and promptest attention. I can say the same of the shopwomen, who waited upon customers not as if they were consciously condescending in the performing of such duties, but cheerfully and pleasantly, and with a show of interest if the purchaser was satisfied." Max O'Kell says that the Englishman has greatness, but no magnanimity ; virtue, but no heroism when British interests are not at stake. " He is not so brilliant or so impulsive as his neighbor, more richly endowed by nature ; but he is more independent, more enterprising, more persevering and more wise." Bari'ing his exceptions, this estimate is probably veiy near the truth. The Englishman may not be as magnanimous as the Frenchman or the American, but he is magnanimous, and his heroism may not cover as wide a field as the Ameri- can's, but he is heroic. Moreover, no people are sounder in judgment or more intelligently patriotic. XLIII. THE DOUREST AND TENDEREST OF MEN. An Englishman once said to a Scotchman that no man of taste woukl ever think of remaining any length of time in such a country as Scotland. " Tastes differ," replied Sandy. " I'll take ye to a place ca'd Bannockburn, no far frae Stirling, where thretty thousand o' yer countrymen ha' been for five hundred years, and they've nae thought o' leavin' yet." There are still a few Englishmen who, along with some of his American cousins, entertain in all seriousness the no- tion that " every home-bred Scotsman is red-headed ; and that they all wear kilts, play on bagpi^^es, drink whiskey and use snuff, and feed exclusively on kail-brose and barley meal." On the other hand, there are still a few Scotsmen who declare that the English may be "no sae very bad considerin', but even at the best neither mair nor less than a parcel o' upsettin', ignorant pock-puddin's." Perhaps the prevailing sentiment among the Scotch, however, is not far from that of the in- spired shepherd of the " Noctes," who said " that the Eng- lishers are the noblest race o' leevin' men — except the Scotch." There are perhaps no peoj^le whose character has so much fascination about it as the Scotch. No other people have in- spired so many songs or furnished material for so many stories. Talmage said that there is something about the Scotch char- (525) 526 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. acter, whether one meets it in New York, or Loudon, or Perth, that thrills one through and through. He attributes it partly to the fact that it is because he has such a strong tide of Scotch blood in his own arteries ; but many who have none of the Scotsman's " bluid " in their veins have experienced the same sensation. The Scotch are so strong and so sturdy that one is inspired by the very sight of them. " Their integrity, industry and thrift," says one writer, " their love of country and indom- itable bravery, and, not the least, their strong sense of religion and regard for the Sabbath — all combine to render Scotland a sort of gem in the garniture of the world. Then the Scotch- man himself is an honest, square-built man, with massive face and liigli, broad cheek-bones, ever priding himself upon his frankness, and speaking his thought, which is not always pleasant ; but then it is Scotch ! " " There is such a roar in their mirth," says Talmage. "Take a Glasgow audience, and a sjDcaker m^ust have his feet well planted on the platform or he will be overmaf^tered by the sympathy of the populace. They are not ashamed to cry, with their broad palms wiping away the tears, and they make no attempt at suppression of glee. They do not simper, or snicker, or chuckle. Throw a joke into a Scotchman's ear, and it rolls down to the centre of his diaphragm and then spreads out both ways, toward foot and brow, until the emotion becomes volcanic, and from the longest hair on the crown of the head to the tip end of the nail on the big toe there is a paroxysm of cachin- nation." Perhaps the most striking trait of the Scotchman is his honesty. There is no man on earth more absolutely sincere. There is not a trace of untruth in him. There is nothinsj half-hearted or half-minded in him. What he loves he loves, THE DOUREST AND TENDEBEST OF MEN. 527 and what lie hates he hates ; and, whether he loves or hates, he does not hesitate to let you know it. If he is a Liberal he is a Liberal ; if he is a Tory he is a Tory, and there is never the slightest possibility of doubting it. In his religion he is just as decided as in his politics. " Get him right," says Tahnage, *'and he is magnificently right; get him wrong, and he is awfully wrong." There is no danger that he will be one thing to-day and another to-morrow. There is little chance of his being anything else half a century from now; for the Scotchman seldom changes. As Talmage puts it: " By the time he has fairly landed his feet in this world he has made lip his mind, and he keeps it made up. If he .dislikes a fiddle in church, you cannot smuggle it in under the name of a bass viol. We like persistence. Life is so short that a man cannot afford very often to change his mind. If the Israelites in the wilder- ness had had a few Scotch leaders, instead of wanderins: about for forty years, they would, in three weeks, have got to the promised land, or somewhere else just as decided." The Scotchman who believes in the Sabbath believes in a whole Sabbath. One of the distinguishing characteristics of the Scotch of half a century ago was the rigidity with which the observance of the Sabbath was inculcated. Dean Ramsay tells a story of an English artist who, while making a tour of " auld Caledonia," remained in a small town over Sunday, and, to pass the time, walked out in the environs. Seeing the pic- turesque ruins of an old castle, he asked a countryman who was passing to tell him the name of the castle. " It's no day to be speiring sic things," said the countryman, and it was the only answer he got. A lady who had become an Episcopalian took to church with her one Sunday a favorite servant, who was a Presby- 528 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. terian of the old school. There was a full choral service, and she felt sure her companion would enjoy it. On her return home the lady asked her what she thought of the music. "Oh, it's a' varra bonny," was the response, " but, oh, my lady, it's an awful way o' spending the Sabbath ! " Dean E-amsay also tells of a lady who, on going into her kitchen on Monday morning, found a new roasting jack (which had been so constructed as to go constantly without winding up) broken. She asked the cook how it happened. Jenny replied that she did it herself, for said she, " I was nae gaing ta hae the fule thing clocking and rinning in my kitchen tli-e blessed Sabbath." The dean says "that reverence for the holy day often took a form one would hardly have anticipated." An old Highlandman said to an English toui'ist : "They're a God- fearin' set of folks here : 'deed they are, an' I'll give ye an instance o' it. Last Sabbath, just as the lairk was skailin, there was a drover chief frae Dumfries comin' along the road whust- lin' an' looking as happy as if it were ta muddle o' ta week. Weel, sir, our laads is a God-fearin' set o' laads, an' they yokit upon him an' a'most killed him." There is a story, not unlike this, told of David Hume, the fat philosopher. He had fallen into a mudhole and stuck fast. He called for assistance to a woman that was passing. She came up to him, looked at him a moment, and said : "Are na ye Hume, the atheist?" "Well, no matter if I am," said Hume, "Christian charity commands you to do good to every one." "Christian charity here, or Christian charity there, I'll do naething for ye till ye turn a Christian yerself. Ye maum repeat the Lord's Prayer and the Creed, or, faith, I'll let you wallow there as I find ye." The skeptic, really afraid for his THE DOUREST AND TEND ERE ST OF MEN. 529 life, rehearsed the required formulas, and was thereupon helped out of his unpleasant situation." The Highlanders of Scotland are noted for their piety. "The old folks had special prayers for every occasion. A prayer on going to sea, a prayer for resting the fire at night, for kindling it in the morning, for lying down at night, for rising up in the morning, for taking food, for going in search of sheep, cattle and horses, for setting out on travel, and all other occasions." As Dr. Robert Brown has said, however, the Highlanders are, strictly speaking, no more Scotch people than the Sioux or the Chippewas are people of America. "Yet in some respects they might claim to be called the Scottish nation, since they, of all the races inhabiting the northernmost part of Britain, are the only one which can be fairly described as natives. The other may be of a tolerably ancient date, but they are none of them so old as the Celts." The Highlander has many noble qualities, though, as the writer whom I have just quoted says, it is not to be denied by his friends that, like all the sons of men, he has a few very indifferent ones to counterbalance them. "Chastity of conduct and modesty of speech are every- where characteristic of the Highland race. Respect for the dead is evinced by the care with which the departed are buried, and the funeral trains which follow the hearse over the wildest roads and in the roughest of weather." Dr. Brown reminds us that as seamen and soldiers the Celts or Scots have dis- tinguished themselves in every part of the world, and anyone who has seen the herring fishers off the northern coast of Scot- land, many of them being Hebrideans, can appreciate the courage and skill of the rnce. " Fidelity to their chiefs is of course a classic virtue among the Gaels and other Celtic people. 530 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. Bight across the hills from Houbeag in South Uist lies Corra- dal, where there is a small cave in which Prince Charles Edward lived in hiding for six weeks. Hundreds of poor crofters and fishermen knew of his place of concealment. Yet, though ten thousand pounds — double the value then compared with wdiat it is now — was offered, not a man ever attempted to betray the ill-fated adventurer." Speaking of the Scot in America, Dr. Peter Koss says: " He is regarded as an embodiment of common sense, a natural lover of civil and religious liberty, a firm believer in free insti- tutions, in the rights of man, in fair play, and exemplary in his loyalty to wdiatever cause he may have adopted. They laugh at his reputed want of wit, at his little idiosyncrasies, at his dour- ness, at his dogged determination, at his want of artificiality, and several other peculiarities, but admire intensely the effective- ness of his work, and the habit he has of 'getting there' in whatever he sets out to do, the quiet way in which he so often climbs to the top, whether in banking or in professional or military circles, the public-spiritedness he shows in all walks of life and his truly democratic spirit.* "A believer in law," continues Dr. Ross, "he is ever on the side of authority; a believer in religion, he is a staunch upholder of public and private morals and of honesty in politics ; he does not aspire to political influence, to control a caucus, or lead a district, but he treasures his ballot as the out- come of his civil liberty, the charter of his freedom and equality in the Commonwealth. Whatever adds to the material of the country finds him an effective supporter ; in the cause of education he is ever in the ranks of the foremost Avorkers, * The Scot in America, by Peter Ross, LL.D. New York : The Raeburn Book Company. I THE DOUREST AND TENDEREST OF MEN. 531 and ill charity his liberality and practical interest are every- where apparent. Take him all in all, he is a useful citizen, and in that regard is second to none. His jDatriotism is not that of the orator who believed in the old flag and an appro- priation ; but it is true, reverent and from the depths of his heart. So, too, in the great Dominion north of the St. Law- rence, no native has a deeper affection in his heart of hearts for ' This Canada of Ours ' than the Scot who has thrown in his lot in that part of the continent, and he is as proud of the maple leaf as he is of the thistle." The same writer says that, while giving himself up to the land of his adoption, the Scot in America does not forget the land of his birth. " It may be to him but a sentiment, yet the sentiment burns deeper into his heart as the years roll on.- It may be forever to him a reminiscence, a dream of the past, and the mournful notes of 'Lochaber No More' may sound in his ears as he conjures back to memory the once familiar scenes and recalls once weel-kenned faces. But as time creeps on its very name becomes sacred, and his highest hopes are all that is grand in Scotland, and all that has lifted her up among the nations, and that has made her to be regarded as an unfaltering champion of civil and religious liberty, may be transplanted, preserved and perpetuated in the land which has become his own. He never thinks of Scotland w^ithout a flutter, without a benediction ; and he is ever ready to re-utter in his own words the sentiments of good old Isabella Graham, when, nearing the end of her earthly pilgrimage, she wrote : " ' Dear native land ! May every blessing from above and beneath be thine — serenity of skj^, salubrity of air, fertility of soil — and pure and undefiled religion inspire thy sons and daughters with grateful hearts to love God and one another.' " 532 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. Speaking of a visit to liis native land, Andrew Carnegie says : " It was on Saturday, July IGtli, that we went over the border. The bridge across the boundary line was soon reached. When midway over a halt was called and a vent given to our enthusiasm. With three cheers for the land of the heatlier, shouts of Scotland forever, and the waving of hats and handker- chiefs, we dashed across the border. O Scotland, my own, my native land, your exiled son returns with love for you as ardent as ever warmed the heart of man for his country. It is God's mercy I was born a Scotchman, for I do not see how I could ever have been contented to be anything else. The little plucky dour deevil, set in her own ways, level-headed and shrewd, with an eye to the main chance always, and yet so lovingly weak, so fond, so led away by song or story, and so easily touched to fine issues, so leal, so true ! Ah ! you suit me, Scotia, and proud am I that I am your son." Mrs. Barr says that the Scotchman never loses sight of his native land. " His father's hearth is as sacred as an altar in his memory. A bluebell or a bit of heather can bring tears to his eyes ; and the lilt of a Jacobite song makes his heart thrill with an unparalleled loyalty. Those who saw John Campbell on the Broomilaw would have judged him to be a man indiffer- ent to all things but money and bills of lading. Those who saw him softly stepping through the old halls of Drumloch, or standing almost reverently before the hard, grim faces of his ancestors, would have called him an aristocrat who held all things cheap but an ancient home and a noble family." A learned professor of one of the Scotch universities once said that Scotland was remarkable for three things — songs, sermons and shillings. Commenting on this, Dr. Robert Ford says that while it cannot be disputed that she has an THE DOWEEST AND TENDERE8T OF MEN. 533 enormous and ever-increasing store of these three things — and that, moreover, she loves them all — there is another quality of her many-sided nature which is more distinctly characteristic of the Scotch, and that is the faculty of original humor. " Not one in ten thousand of the Scotch people may be able to pro- duce a good song, or a good sermon ; and not one in twenty thousand of them may be able to ' gather meikle gear and baud it weel thegither ; ' but every Scotchman is a born humorist. Humor is a part and parcel of a Scotchman's very being. He may not live without it — may not breathe. Consequently it is found breaking out in the most unlikely as well as in the most likely places. It blossoms in the solemn assemblies of the people ; at meetings of kirk sessions ; in the city and town council chambers ; in our presbyteries ; our courts of justice, and in the high parliament of kirk itself. Famous specimens of it come down from the lonesome hillsides; from the cottage, bothy and farm ingle-nooks. It issues from the village inn, the smiddy, the kirkyard, and functions of feasting and sorrow give it birth as well as occasions of feasting and mirth. It drops from the lips of the learned and unlearned in the land ; and it is not more frequently revealed in the eloquence of the university savant than in the gibberish of the hobbling village and city natural." * Dr. Ford says that in all his reading he does not remember to have seen a satisfactory analysis of Scotch humor. Sydney Smith would never admit that the Scotch had any humor at all. " Their only idea of wit which prevails occasionally in the North," said he, "and which under the name of 'wut' is so infinitely distressing to people of good taste, is laughing im- * Thistledown. A Book of Scotch Humour, by Robert Ford. Alexander Gardner : Paisley and Paternoster Square, London. 534 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. moderately at stated intervals." He declared that it would re- quire a surgical operation to get a joke well into the Scotch understanding. It must be that he either wrote " sarcastic," as Dr. Ford says, or that he was moved by prejudice, though even Charles Lamb had a somewhat similar notion of the matter. "No humor in Scotch folk!" exclaims Dr. Ford. "Every living Scotchman — every intelligent and unbiased Englishman as well — recognizes the irrelevancy of the indict- ment, and as often as it is introduced immediately laughs it out of the court of serious argument." Dr. Ford fills a volume with illustrations from which one may get an idea of the subtle quality of Scotch humor. Two Scotchmen, "messmates and bosom cronies, from* the same little clachan," happened to be stationed near each other when the now celebrated signal was given from the admiral's ship — England expects every man to do his duty. " No a word o' puir auld Scotland on this occasion," dole- fully remarked Geordie to Jock. Jock cocked his eye a moment, and turning to his com- panion — "Man, Geordie," said he, " Scotland kens weel eneucli that nae bairn o' hers needs to be tell't to do his duty — thafs just a hint to the Enylishers." During the time of the great Kussian war a countryman accepted the " Queen's shilling," and very soon thereafter was sent to the front. But he had scarcely time to receive his "bajDtism of fire" when he turned his back on the scenes of carnage, and immediately struck off in a bee-line for a distant haven of safety. A mounted officer, intercepting his retreat, demanded to know where he was going. "Whaur am I gaun?" said he. "Hame, of course; man. THE DOUREST AND TENDEBE8T OF MEN. 535 this is awfu' wark; they're just killiii' ane anither ower there." A brother countryman took a different view of a similar situation. Just before his regiment entered into an engagement with the enemy, he was heard to pray in these terms : " O, Lord ! dinna be on oor side, an' dinna be on the tither side, but just stand ajee frae baith o' us for an oor or twa, an' ye'll see the toosiest fecht that was ever fochen." What a fine, rough hero was there ! Speaking of praying prior to entering into engagements'; recalls to Dr. Ford another good and equally representative, anecdote. It is told of two Scotch matrons. They were dis- cussing current events. "Eh, woman!" said one, "I see by the papers that oor sodgers liave been victorious again." "Ah, nae fear o' oor sodgers," replied the other. " They'll aye be victorious, for they aye pray afore they engage wi' the enemy." " But do you think the French'll pray too ? " questioned the first speaker. "The French pray!" sneered her friend. "Yatterin* craturs ! Wha wad ken what they said ?" What a charmingly innocent auld wife! Surely it was this same matron who once upon a time entered the village- grocery and asked for a pound of candles, at the same time laying down the price at which the article in question had stood fixed for some time. " Cawnils are up on account o' the; war. Anither bawbee, mistress," said the grocer. "Eh, megstie me!" was the response. "An' can it be the case that they really fecht wi' cawnil licht?" A Scotch blacksmith, being asked the meaning of meta- 536 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. physics, explained as follows: "Well, Geordie, ye see, it's just like this. When the jDairty that listens disna ken what the pairty that speaks means an' when the pairty that speaks disna ken what he means himsel', thafs metapheesicsJ^ One of the peculiarites of the Scotch wit is that it never dies. At least it is often found in full bloom when the Scotch- man himself is dying. Dean Ramsay in his delightful collec- tion of Scotch stories tells of an old lady who lay ill. "A friend was trying to encourage her by expressing the hope that she would soon be better, and in the spring enjoy some of their country spring butter. "Spring butter,'' exclaimed the invalid ; " by that time I shall be buttering in heaven." And when at the point of death she heard some one say, "Her face has lost its color; it grows like a sheet of paper" — "Then I'm sure it maum be broon paper," said the dying woman. Of the heroism of the Scotch soldier every child is familiar. It is not so well known that the Scotch have an everyday heroism the record of which, if it could be written, would surpass that of their martial valor. There is nothing truer to the everyday life of the Scotch than Crockett's story of the Stickit Minister: "'It is more than seven years noAv,' said Robert, 'since I first kenned that my days were to be few. It was the year my father died, and left Harry and me by our lane. '"He left no sillar to speak of, just plenty to lay him decently in the kirk-yard among his forebears. I had been a year at the Divinity Hall then, and was going up to put in my discourses for the next session. I had been troubled with my breast for some time, and so called one day at the infirmary to get a word with Sir James. He was very busy when I went in, and never noticed me till the hoast took me. Then on a THE DOUREST AND TEND ERE ST OF MEN. 537 sudden he looked up from his papers, came quickly over to me, put his own white handkerchief to my mouth, and quietly said : " Come into my room, laddie ! " Ay, he was a good man and a faithful, Sir James, if ever there was one. He told me that with care I might live five or six years, but it would need great care. Then a strange prickly coldness came over me, and I seemed to walk light-headed in atmosphere suddenly rarified. I think I know how the mouse feels under the air- pump.' "'What's that?' queried Saunders. '"A cruel ploy not worth speaking of,' continued the Stickit Minister. 'Well, I found something in my throat when I tried to thank him. But I came my ways home to the Dul- larg, and night and day I considered what was to be done, with so much to do and so little time to do it. It was clear that both Harry and me could not go through the college on the little my faither had left. So late one night I saw my way clear to what I should do. Harry must go, I must stay. I must come home to the farm, and be my own "man;" then I could send Harry to the college to be a doctor, for he had no call to the ministry, as once I thought I had. More than that, it was laid on me to tell Jessie Louden that Kobert Fraser was no better than a machine set to go five years. " ' jSTow, all these things I did, Saunders, but there's no use telling you what they cost in the doing. They were right to do, and they were done. I do not repent any of them. I would do them all over again were they to do, but it's been bitterer than I thought.' "The Stickit Minister took his head off his hand and leaned wearily back in his chair. "'The story went over the country that I had failed in my 538 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. examinations, and I never said that I had not. But there were some that knew better who might have contradicted the report if they had liked. I settled down to the farm, and I put Harry through the college, sending all but a bare living to him in Edinburgh. I worked the work of the farm, rain and shine, ever since, and have been for these six years the "Stickit Min- ister " that all the world kens the day. Whiles Harry did not think that he got enough. He was always writing for more, and not so very pleased when he did not get it. He was aye different to me, ye ken, Saunders, and he canna be judged by the same standard as you and me.' "'I ken,' said Saunders McQuhirr, a spark of light lying in the quiet of his eyes. "'Well,' continued Robert Fraser, lightened by Saunders' apparent agreement, 'the time came when he was clear from college and wanted a practice. He had been ill-advised that he had not got his share of the farm, and he wanted it selled to share and share alike. Now I kenned, and you ken, Saun- ders, that it's no' worth much in one share, let alone two. So I got the place quietly . bonded, and bought him old Doctor Aitkin's practice in Cairn Edward with the money. "'I have tried to do my best for the lad, for it was laid on me to be my brother's keeper. He doesna come here much,' continued Robert, ' but I think he's not so ill against me as he was. Saunders, he Avaved his hand to me when he was gaun by the day ! ' "'That was kind of him,' said Saunders McQuhirr. "'Ay, was it no'?' said the Stickit Minister, eagerly, with a soft look in his eyes, as he glanced up at his brother's portrait in cap and gown, which hung over the china dogs on the mantelpiece. THE DOUREST AND TEND ERE ST OF MEN. 539 *"I got my notice this morning that the bond is to be called up in November,' said Robert. ' So I'll be obliged to flit' "Saunders McQuhirr started to his feet in a moment. * Never,' he said, with the spark of fire now alive in his eyes, ' never as lang as there's a beast on Drumquhat, or a j)Oun' in Cairn Edward Bank,' bringing down his clinched fist upon the Milton on the table. " ' No, Saunders, no,' said the Stickit Minister, very gently ; ' I thank you kindly, but I'll be flitted before that!'" The stubbornness of the Scotchman, or rather what he calls dourness, is proverbial ; but it is not so well known that alongside of his dourness one may be sure of finding an equal amount of tenderness. One of Ian Maclaren's best fugitive stories — I happened upon it some time ago in the British Weekly — illustrates this remarkable combination of traits. It tells of an old man who lay on his deathbed, and who demanded to be told the truth about his condition. The doctor, himself a young Scot, answered plainly that he could not recover, and then the old man asked when he would die, and the doctor thought early next morning. "Aboot daybreak," said the Scot, with much satisfaction, " as if, on the whole, he were con- tent to die, and much pleased he would be at the rising of the sun. He was a characteristic type of his nation, rugged in face and dry of manner, an old man, wlio had drifted some- how to this English city and was living there alone, and now he was about to die alone, without friends in a strano-e land. The nurse was very kind to him, and her heart went out to the quiet, self-contained man. She asked him whether he would like to see a clergyman, and said that the chaplain of the in- firmary was a good man. 540 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. " ' A've nae doubt he is,' said the Seot, 'and that his meen- istrations wud be verra acceptable to English fouk, but a've never hed ony dealin's wi' Episcopalians. . He micht want to read a prayer, and I cudna abide that, and mebbe I cudna fol- low the texts in his English tongue,' " The nurse still lingered by his bed. He looked up to her and assured her he was in no need of consolation. " ' Saxty years ago ma raither gared me learn the wale (choice portion) of the Bible, and they're comin' up ane by ane in ma memory, but I thank ye kindly.' " As the nurse went back and forwards on her duties she heard her patient saying at intervals to himself : 'I know whom I have believed.' 'I am persuaded that neither life nor death.' Once again she heard him : ' Altho' the mountains depai't and the hills be removed,' but the rest she did not catch. " During the afternoon a lady came into the ward whose service to the Lord was the visitation of the sick, a woman after the type of Barnabas and Mary of Bethany. When she heard of the old man's illness and loneliness, whom no friend cam^e to see or comfort, she went to his bedside. ' You are very ill,' she said, ' my friend.' " * A'm deein',' he replied, with the exactness of his nation, which somewhat fails to understand the use of graceful circum- locution and gentle phrases. " 'Is there anything I can do for you ? Would you wish me to sing a few verses of a hymn ? Some sick people feel much comforted and soothed by singing; you would like, I think, to hear Bock of Ages,' and she sat down by his bedside and opened her book, while a patient beyond, who had caught what she said, raised his head to enjoy the singing. " ' Ye're verra kind, mem, and a'm muckle obleeged to ye, THE DOUREST AND TENDERE8T OF MEN. 541 but a'm a Scot and ye' re English, and ye dinna understand. A' ma days liev I been protestin' against the use o' human hymns in the praise of God ; a've left three kirks on that account, and raised ma testimony in public places, and noo wud' ye send me into eternity wi' the sough of a hymn in ma ears ? ' " For a moment the visitor had no reply, for in the course of all her experiences, during which she had come across many kinds of men and women, she had never yet chanced upon this kind of Scot. The patients in the infirmary were not distin- guished by their religious scruples, and if they had some preju- dices they turned on large and full-blooded distinctions between Protestant and Catholic, but never entered into the subjects of doctrine. "'Ye'll excuse me, mem, for I'm not ungratefu',' he con- tinued, 'and I wud like to meet yir wishes when ye've been so kind to me. The doctor says I canna live long, and it's possible that ma strength ma' siuie give way, but a'll tell ye what a'm willin' to do.' " The visitor waited anxiously to know what service he was going to render her, and what comfort she might offer to him, but both were beyond her guessing. '"Sae lang as a've got strength and ma reason continues clear, a'm prepared to argue with you concerning the lawful- ness of using onything except the Psalms of David in the praises of God either in j^ublic or in private.' " Dear old Scot, the heir of many a covenanting tradition and the worthy son of covenanting martyrs, it was a strange subject of discussion for a man's last hour, but the man who could be true to the jots and the tittles of his faith in pain of body and in face of death was the stuff out of which heroes 542 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. and saints are made. He belonged to a nation who might sometimes be narrow and over-concerned with scruples, but which knew that a stand must be taken somewhere, and where it took a stand was prepared to die. "The visitor was a wise as well as gracious woman, and grasped the heart of the situation. ' No, no,' she said, ' we will not speak about the things wherein we dijffer, and I did not know the feeling of the Scots about the singing of hymns. But I can understand how you love the Psalms, and how dear to you is your metrical version. Do you know I have been in the Highlands of Scotland, and have heard the Psalms sung, and the tears came into my eyes at the sound of the grave, sweet melody, for it was the music of a strong and pious people.' " As she spoke the hard old Scot's face began to soften,, and one hand which was lying outside the bedclothes repeated the time of a Scot's Psalm tune. He was again in the country church of his boyhood, and saw his father and mother going into the Table seats, and heard them singing: " ' 0, thou my soul, bless God the Lord ; And all that in me is, Be stirred up His holy name To magnify and bless.' "*More than that, I know some of your Psalm tunes, and I have the v/ords in my hymn-book; perhaps I have one of the Psalms which you would like to hear.' " ' Div ye think that ye cud sing the twenty-third Psalm, "The Lord's my Shepherd, Til not want?" for I wud count it verra comfortin'.' " ' Yes,' she said; 'I can, and it will please me very much to sing it, for I think I love that Psalm more than any hymn.^ " ' It never runs dry,' murmured the Scot. TEE DOUREST AND TENDEREST OF MEN. 543 " So she sang it from beginning to end in a low, sweet voice, slowly and reverently, as she had heard it sung in Scot- land. He joined in no word, but ever he kept time with his hand and his heart, while his eyes looked into the things which were far away. " After she ceased he repeated to himself the last two lines: " ' And in God's house for evermore My dwelling-place sliall be.' " ' Thank ye, thank ye,' he said, after a little pause, and then both were silent for a few minutes, because she saw that he was in his own country, and did not wish to bring him back by her foreign accent. " ' Mem, ye've dun me the greatest kindness ony Christian cud do for anither as he stands on the banks of the Jordan,' "For a minute he was silent again, and then he said : "'Am gaein' to tell ye somethin', and a' think ye'll un- derstand. Ma wife and me wes married thirty-five years, and ilka nicht of oor married life we sang a Psalm afore we gaed to rest. She took the air and a' took the bass, and we sang the Psalms through frae beginning to end twal times. She was taken frae me ten years ago, and the nicht afore she dee'd we sang the twenty-third Psalm. A've never sang the Psalm since, and a' didna join wi' ye when ye sang it, for a'm waitin' to sing it wi' her new oor Father's hoose the mornin's mornin', whar there'll be nae nich nor partin' evermore.' "And this is how one Englishwoman found out that the Scot is at once the dourest and the tenderest of men." XLIV. THE GENEROUS HIBERNIAN. William Carleton, an Irish author of two generations ago, describes his countrymen as a " hot-headed, affectionate people, the very fittest materials in the world for either the poet or the educator ; capable of great culpability, and of great energetic goodness; sudden in their passions as the red, rapid gush of their running streams; changeable in their temper as the climate that sends them the melody of sun and shower; at times rugged and gloomy as the moorland sides of their moun- tains ; at others soft and good as the sunlit meadows of their pleasant vales." To these traits Carleton might have added loyalty to religious faith, a generous heart, and, as Dinah Craik has said, a sweet courtesy which would always rather say a kind thing than an unkind one. The trait which most widely distinguishes the Irishman is his loyalty to his religion. The Irishman has always been a religious being. From the earliest times Ireland was known among navigators as the Holy Isle. "In what that holiness may have consisted precisely," says the Kev. A. J. Thebaud, "it is impossible to say. All we know is that foreign navi- gators, who were acquainted with the world as far as it was then known, whose ships had visited the harbors of all nations, could find no more apt expression to describe the island than to say that, morally, it was 'a holy spot,' and physically ' a fair, green meadow,' or, as her children to this day call her, ' the green gem of the sea.'" (545) 546 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. As Mr. Thebaud 'says, the race was never distinguished for its fondness for trade, for its manufactures, for depth of policy, for worldly enlightenment; "its annals speak of no lustre of con- quest among its people ; the brilliant achievements of foreign invasion, the high political and social aspirations which gener- ally give lustre to the national life of many people, belong not to them. But religious feeling, firm adherence to faith, invin- cible attachment to the form of Christianity they had received from St. Patrick, formed at all times their striking character- istics." Justin McCarthy says that the Irish peasant is not made to be a materialist or a skeptic of any kind, and adds ; " I do not know what would become of him if he were to take to agnosticism. I do not know what would become of him if he were to be dispossessed of his cheerful faith that everything is ruled for the best. Very likely he would turn out a terribly bad lot then, but the event is not likely to happen." Whatever else the Irishman may be, he is always a firm believer. He believes in believing. He accepts what is told him by his church without reserve, and he is not troubled by the fact that Christianity is supernatural. He never complains that his religion requires too great a stretch of faith. He is never alarmed at the onslaughts of science. "For him," says Mr. Thebaud, "nature is never separated from its Maker. The hand of God is ever visible in all mundane affairs, and the frightful parting between the spiritual and material worlds, first originated by the Baconian philosophy, which culminates in our days in the almost open negation of the spiritual, and -thus materializes all things, is with justice viewed by the chil- dren of St. Patrick with a holy horror as leading to atheism, if it be not atheism itself.'.' '4 THE GENEROUS HIBERNIAN. 547 The amiability of the Irishman is proverbiaL Indeed, to a large part of the world the Irishman stands for a good joke. Mr. Justin McCarthy, in an article in the YotUh's Companion, says that he has never been struck with the great mirthfulness among Irish jDeople which has so much imiDressed the outside world. He admits that it may be because he lived in the gloomier Ireland at first, and has seen more lately a stronger and more earnest Ireland. Still his impression of the Irish Celt is not that of a perpetual merrymaker and buffoon. Mr. -McCarthy admits that the Irishman has native humor, and it flashes and bubbles in the oddest way on slight provocation. But he thinks that the habitual tone of his character is what we would describe as a sort of cheerful melancholy. " Melan- choly, of course, is black in hue, as its name tells, and the gravity, or whatever it is, of the Irish peasant is not blacky There is nothing of the pessimist about him. He loves to believe that everything is for the best ; but if he ever had the rollickino; fun in him which we find that he had in novels and on the stage, it iiiust have been before my time." Mr. McCarthy thinks that nothing is more characteristic of the Irish peasant than his patience. In an Irish county which he represented in Parliament for many years he knew of old men and women, broken down with years of poverty and infirmity, drawing to the close of their lives in a workhouse, perhaps, who yet, if you expressed too much commiseration for them, would be ready to say in tones of absolute conviction, "Oh, well, sir, sure God has been very good to us all our days." The amiability of the Irishman is strikingly revealed ni the fact that however rough, or uncouth, or ignorant he may be, he is never uncivil or rude, or self-asserting. I doubt if 548 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. one ever received from Irish lips a rude answer to a civil question. An English lady who visited Ireland for the first time a few years ago told Mr, McCarthy that what struck lier most was the fact that the peasants seemed to her to have the manners of gentlemen. " They took off their hats when she met them on the road ; they ran to open for her any gate she wanted to pass through ; they would go any length out of their way to show her hers ; they were absolutely courteous, but not servile." As much mio;ht be said for the manners of Irish women. "The charming gaiety and frankness of the Irish ladies," says Thack- eray, "has been noted and admired by every foreigner who has had the good fortune to mingle in their society. I hope it is not detracting from the merit of the upper classes to say that the lower are not a whit less pleasant. I never saw in any country such a general grace of manner and ladyhood. In the midst of their gaiety, too, it must be remembered that they are the chastest of women, that no country in Europe can boast of such general purity. In regard to the Munster ladies, I had the pleasure to be present at two of their evening parties at Cork, and must say that they seem to excel the English ladies not only in wit and vivacity, but in the still more important article of the toilet. They are as well dressed as French women, and incomparably handsomer." Speaking of the gentlemen of Cork, Thackeray says that every stranger must mark the ex- traordinary degree of literary taste and talent amongst them, and the wit and vivacity of their conversation. " The Cork citizens are the most book-loving men I ever met. The town lias sent to England a number of literary men, and of reputa- tion too, and is not a little proud of their fame. The young clerks and shopmen seem as much au fait as their employers, and many are the conversations I heard about the merits of THE GENEROUS HIBERNIAN. 54{> this writer or that. I think, in walking the streets and looking at the ragged urchins crowding there, every Englishman must remark that the superiority of intelligence is there and not with us." Thackeray relates that he listened to two boys almost in rags: they were lolling from the quay balustrade, " and talking about one of the Ptolemys ! Talking very well, too. One of them had been reading in Kollin, and was detail- ing his information with a great deal of eloquence and fire." Speaking of the wake, which has been generally accepted as one of the most serious reflections upon Irish character, Mr. McCarthy says that it is fast disappearing from most parts of Ireland, though it was still a great popular institution in his time. " When a man or woman died, all the friends of the family were expected to drop into the wake. It would have been thought a terrible thing if either the dead or the bereaved family had been left alone through the dreary watches of the night. So the friends and neighbors gathered in, and endeav- ored to keep uj) the spirits of the family with consoling words to begin with, and then with encouraging anecdotes intended to divert attention away from the sad conditions, and finally with jokes and comic songs. Mr. McCarthy remembers being present at one of these ceremonials, when a visitor, a woman, accosted the mother of a girl who was lying dead in the room and offered her congratu- lations, no doubt ]3erfectly sincere, on the cross that heaven had given her for her good. " The same visitor an hour or two later was asked and consented to favor the comjDany with a comic song. Not by any means incredible to me is the story of the attendant at a wake who begged to be allowed to call upon the gentleman sitting next to the coffin for a comic song. I have seen love-making, courtship, and very harmless kinds of 550 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. romping going on at some of these country wakes when I was a boy. " The feeling of grief for the loss of the dead was sincere and intense, but it seemed congenial with the Irish nature to endeavor to shake it off, to put a bold front upon it, and to show as much attention and civility to the guests as though nothing particular had happened. ' My son is dead, my daughter is dead, true, but my guest is entitled to my hospi- tality all the same.' " Mr. McCarthy insists that the widely prevailing notion that the Irish peasant is a tremendous drinker of whiskey is altogether wrong, and exclaims : " Poor fellow ! I wonder where he would get the money to pay for very frequent drinks of the national beverage, as it is called." He also declares that the neighborhood faction fights, concerning which so much has been written, have long since ceased to rage. They were going on still in various parts of the country in his earliest days, *'just as the duel was still not altogether unknown among the gentry of the time. I knew when I was a boy two or three men still not old who had fought duels, one of whom had killed his man. In the same way the faction fights were still a sort of reality. One never hears of them now." Of the patriotism of the Irish even the children are familiar. " More, perhaps, than any other people on earth," says Mr. Thebaud, " is there for the great bulk of them community of traditions and feeling, binding them together into a firm and indestructible unity ; and who shall say that they feel no love for their past, because that past has been clouded with sorrow ? Nay, this fact makes the past dearer, and tends all the more to direct their hopes and fears to the same future — a future, indeed, still dim and uncertain, and not to be named THE GENEROUS HIBERNIAN. 551 with perfect certainty, but wrapped in mists like the morn- ing ; yet the faint flush of the dawn is already there that shall pale and die away when the full orb of the sun ap- pears."* Mr. Thebaud says of the unanimity so striking in all Irish- men that " though private disputes may be taken up among them with such ardor that their quarrels have become prover- bial, when the question refers to their country or their God, in a moment they are united, suddenly transformed into steady friends, ready to shed their blood side by side for the great objects which entirely absorb their natures. " This feeling it is which forms the soul of a nation. Wherever this is to be found, there is an indestructible nationality; wherever it is ab- sent, there is only a dead body, however strong may seem its government, however vast its armies, however high its so-called culture and refinement." The same writer says that, these re- flections being kej)t in view, "judicious men will agree that,, among Europeans at least, there is scarcely any other nation- ality so strong and vigorous as the Irish. Their traditional feeling keeps their past ever present to their eyes ; their ardent, nature hopes ever against hope. Misfortunes which would utterly break down and dishearten any other people leave them still full of bright anticipations, and, as they seem to weep over the cold body of a dear mother — Erin, their country — they think only of her resurrection." In an impassioned plea for Ireland the Kev. Thomas N. Burke, the Irish orator, asks : " Has she ever in that long- record of our history — has she ever wronged or oppressed any people? Never ! Has she ever attempted to plunder from any * The Irish Race in the Past and the Present, by Rev. Aug. J. Thebaud^ S. J. New York : Peter F. Collier. 552 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. people their sacred birthright of liberty? Never! Has she ever refused, upon the invitation of the church and her own con- science, to undo the chains and to strike them off the limbs of the slave? Never! Has she ever drawn that sword, which she has been wielding for centuries, in an unjust or doubtful cause? Never! Blood has stained the sword of Ireland for ages; but never did Ireland's sword shed a drop of blood un- justly, but only in defence of the highest and holiest and best of causes." XLV. THE COURAGEOUS WELSHMAN. Ammianus describes the ancient Celts as " almost all tall of stature, very ftiir, red-haired, and horrible from the fierce- ness of their eyes, fond of strife, and haughtily insolent. A whole band of strangers would not endure one of them, aided in his brawl by his powerful and blue-eyed wife; especially when, with swollen neck and gnashing teeth, poising her huge white arms, she begins, joining kicks to blows, to put forth her fists like stones from twisted strings of a catapult. Most of their voices are terriffic and threatening, as well when they are quiet as when they are angry. All ages are thought fit for war, and an old man is led out to be armed with the same vigor of heart as the man in his prime, with limbs hardened by cold and continued labor, and a contempt of many even real dangers." After two thousand years the courage of the Celts remains almost unimpaired. Their fighting qualities have never been surpassed. Csesar declared that his heavy armed legions were no match for such an enemy. Indeed, it is believed that if, their capacity for union had been equal to their bravery they would have annihilated the Roman invaders. It was only because they attacked the common enemy singly that they were driven back, though they were never absolutely con- quered. Tacitus declares that one hundred and forty years after the Celtic invasion the Britons were reduced to obedience, (553) 554 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. but not to bondage. Caesar succeeded in controlling only tlie seashore, and while his successors and the Saxons, the Danes and the Normans gradually reduced the tribes in several parts of the island, it is only within recent times that the Celts in some sections can be said to have really submitted to the rule of any master except their own chief. Dr. Kobert Brown says that there is no ground for asserting, as Freeman and Green have done, that the Britons were exterminated by the Saxons, those who fled into Wales and other remote parts excepted. In all likelihood the conquerors and the conquered amalga- mated, and in time became one people. Those who fled into Wales lived as an independent community under their own sovereigns for more than six hundred years. These have since been known as the Welsh, though they themselves prefer to be known as Cymry, which means " with land," that is, a people having a common country. King Henry II., in answer to the inquiries of Emanuel, emperor of Constantinople, respecting Britain, replied that " in part of the island there was a people called Welsh, so bold and ferocious that when unarmed they did not fear to en- counter an armed force, being ready to shed their blood in defence of their country, and to sacrifice their lives for military renown ; for when the trumpet sounds the husbandman leaves his plough, and rushes to the onset with as much eagerness as the courtier from the palace." It has been often remarked that the qualities of mind which the Celt possesses are fitted for "sudden dashes, but not for long-sustained efforts," such as those demanded of a line of conquerors and rulers. They are to-day, as they were in the days of Tacitus, good soldiers but indifferent citizens. " When it comes to capacity for political organization, the Celt has THE COURAGEOUS WELSHMAN. 555 little chance with the Saxon." He has the courage to conquer a country and the poetic temperament to write its ballads; but when he comes to model its laws, "sink private opinion in the common sense of the meeting, and individual hobbies for the general good, the Celt is apt to prove utterly impracticable." The Welsh have a lively imagination, and much enthusi- asm, which, however, is not always controlled by discretion. They are polite by nature, though it has been claimed that their politeness is apt to diverge into insincerity. At home they are contented, amiable and brave in enduring adversity. If quick to anger they are easily pacified, and if they do not always make stable friends, they are the best of friends while the amity lasts. Few races have been more generally misunderstood than the Welsh. Our word "welsh" — to cheat in a horse-race — well expresses the repute in which they are held by the Eng- lish. They seem to have had poor success in winning the good opinion of their neighbors, but, as an old writer says, "in the mountains and secluded parts of Wales, as the interior of Caer- narvonshire, Merionethshire and Denbighshire^ that are yet scarcely known to the English tourist, they differ very essen- tially from what will be observed near any frequented road. The people seem there to have an innocence and simplicity of character unknown in the populous parts of our own country. Amongst these it is that we are to search for those original traits and that native hospitality so much the boast of the Welsh writers. Wherever the English have had uninter- rupted communication with the people they have offered an irresistible temptation for the lower classes of the inhabitants to practice impositions ; in such situation the people differ little from the like class among us." 556 THE BBIOHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. The same writer observes that rustic bashfulness and reserve seem to be general features in the character of the Welsh people, " and strangers unaccustomed to their manners have often mistaken these for indications of sullenness. It is usual to say of them that they are very irascible. This may be the case, but from what I have myself seen I am inclined to think that the natural rapidity of their expression in a lan- guage not understood has often been construed into passion without any other more certain grounds." As I have already intimated, they are remarkable for the cheerfulness and content which they display under privations which few of other races would endure. " Flummery," says a writer, "buttermilk, and coarse barley bread, form much of their food; I have often seen the laborers of respectable farmers dining out of a bowl of flummery (a sour jelly made from oat- husks), with such thankful content as made the remembered fare of an English farm kitchen seem absolutely sumjotuous by the contrast; and I have sometimes thought that a temporary residence among these cheerful hard-feeding mountaineers might be a salutary lesson to some of the croaking consumers of beef, bacon, pudding and ale in England." The weakness of the Welsh for heraldry is thus defended by an old writer: "The aristocracy of Wales have an ancestry which in antiquity and position need fear no comparison with others. A large j^^oportion can trace back much beyond the age of the Norman conquest, and there begin or finish their lineage, not with adventurer knights, but with the natural lords and princes of the land, whose gentility may be naturally sup- posed to be of immemorial age. No middle-class population, no peasant population is more free and independent in feeling, more moral, well-ordered and hence strong than that of Wales THE COURAGEOUS WELSHMAN. 657 at the present time; but neither personal liberty nor conscious- ness of power from numbers and growing intelligence has cut off the Welshman from his moorings of respect for the owner of the land, the heir of the house, the traditions and preju- dices of his forefathers." It is claimed by the Welsh — and their claim has fully as much ground as any other — that the credit for the introduction of Christianity into Britain is due to Claudia, a Welsh lady belonging to Csesar's household. The circumstances, as related by Dr. Joseph Cross, are these : " Shortly after the invasion of Britain many Welsh soldiers joined the Boman army, and several Welsh families went and resided at Borne. Amono; the latter were Claudia and her husband. Saint Paul was then a prisoner under Nero, dwelling, however, ' in his own hired house,' and receiving all who came to hear the word of God. Under his ministry Claudia was converted to Chris- tianity. She soon returned to her native country, and scat- tered 'the seed of the Kingdom' among her own people. This was in the year of our Lord sixty-three. "About a century after this, Faganus and Daminicanus went to Borne, were converted there, and became ' able min- isters of the New Testament.' In the year of our Lord 180 they were sent back to Wales to preach to their own country- men. They were zealous and successful laborers. They opposed the pagan superstitions of the Welsh with wonderful energy. They pursued Druidism to its dark retirements, and poured upon it the withering blaze of the gospel. Through .their jd reaching Lucius, king of Wales, was brought to em- brace Christianity. He was the first king that ever bowed to the Prince of Peace. The royal convert was exceedingly zeal- ous in the propagation of the truth. The Macedonian cry 558 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. issued from the throne of Wales an earnest appeal to Eleuthe- rius for help. Then 'the word of the Lord had free course/ and was glorified." i XL VI. AMERICANS THROUGH FOREIGN EYES. Two generations ago, when it was the latest European fashion to sneer at everything American, Lady Wortley wrote : *' Great injustice has been done to the Americans, and we have been accustomed too implicitly to believe the often unfair and unfounded reports of prejudiced travelers. Instead of discourteous and disobliging manners we find all that is most civil and oblio-ino- amons; the most educated. No doubt, occa- sionally, some of the faults so unsparingly attributed to them may be found, but they appear to me, as far as I have had any opportunity of judging as yet, a really hospitable, kind- hearted, and generous-minded people." Lady Wortley traveled extensively in the United States, and wrote that the more she saw of American society the more she liked it. She thought that Americans were a pecu- liarly sensitive people, yet very forbearing and not easily offended, and she was sure that the accusation of conceit usu- ally brought against them had little or no foundation. "As far as I have seen," she wrote, " their candor appears to be far more remarkable than their conceit." She was especially struck with the good temper, obligingness, and utter unselfish- ness displayed by Americans in traveling. Speaking of the sympathy, which is one of the distinguishing traits of the American character, Lady Wortley said that while the Amer- ican will confront with the utmost carelessness all kinds of (559^ 560 TEE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. hardships, clangers and privations possible under the most appalling circumstances and firmest presence of mind, his noble feelings will thrill at a tale of the sorrows of others, and his self-possession fails him when some affecting instance appeals to his unselfish and generous sympathies. " If the true hero nature lives anywhere, it is in the American ; if the age of chivalry is not dead — though Burke declared it was in the old world of Europe — if, in short, chivalry still lives on earth, it is in the great and mighty West." In her account of America Lady Wortley recalls an amus- ing story illustrative of the coolness and self-possession of the New Englander. A man sent his son for a log to put on the fire. The son brought a mere stick, and got a whij^ping for his pains, so the young gentleman went out for a large log, and never returned ; at least, not until twenty-five years afterwards, when one evening the old gentleman was calling to one of his grandsons to bring in a large log for the fire, and in walked his long-absent boy. The old gentleman looked quietly up, exam- ined the log, threw it carelessly on the fire, and said, in the most casual way: "This 'ere log will do, but you've been a darn long time a'fetchin it." Max O'Rell, who perhaps knows us better than any other French writer, declares that the well-read, well-bred American is the most delightful. of men, and that good society in America is the wittiest, most genial, and most hospitable he has met with. He thinks that the American is on the road to the possession of all that can contribute to the well-being and suc- cess of a nation, though he thinks we have missed the path that leads to real hapjDiness. Our domestic joys, he insists, are more shadowy than real, and he reminds us that to live in a whirl is not to live well. " Jonathan himself sometimes has AMERICANS THROUGH FOREIGN EYES. 561 his regrets at finding himself drawn into such a frantic race, but he dechires that it is out of his power to hang back. If it were given to men to live twice on this planet, I could under- stand his living his first term a /' Americaine, so as to be able to enjoy quietly, in his second existence, the fruits of his toil in the first. Seeing that only one sojourn here is admitted us, I. think the French are right in their study to make it a long and happy one." Speaking of the popular notion that Americans are the most zealous worshipers of the Golden Calf on earth, he says ; "If the American thirsts after money, it is not for the love of money, as a rule, but for the love of that which money can buy. In other words, avarice is a vice almost unknown in America. Jonathan does not amass gold for the pleasure of adding pile to pile and counting it. He pursues wealth to improve his position in life, and to surround those dependent upon him with advantages and luxuries. He spends his money as gaily as he pockets it, especially when it is a question of gratifying his wife or daughters, who are the objects of his most assidu- ous attention. He is the first to admit that their love for diamonds is as absurd as it is costly, but he is good-humored, and says : ' Since they like them, why should they not have them?'" Max O'Rell believes that the greater part of the Ameri- cans care but little for money. " If the millionaire inspires respect, it is as much for the activity and talent he has displayed in the winning of his fortune as for the dollars themselves. An American, who had nothing but his dollars to boast of, might easily see all English doors open to him, but his millions alone would not give him the e?itree into the best society of Boston and New York. There he would be requested to pro- 562 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. duce some other recommendation. An American girl who was rich, but plain and stupid, would always find some English duke, French marquis, or Italian count ready to marry her, but she will have great difficulty in finding an American gentle- man who would look ujDon her fortune or her dot as a sufficient indemnity." Max O'Rell notes that at a public dinner the millionaire does not find a place of honor reserved for him, as he would in England. The seats of honor are reserved for men of talent. *'Even in politics money does not lead to honor." In answer to the accusation so often made that Americans are given to bragging, the same writer asks : " May not men who have been marvelous be permitted a certain amount of self-glorification ? " and adds : " It is said, too, that their eccen- tricity constantly leads them into folly and license. Is it not better to have the liberty to err than to be compelled to run straight in leash ? If they occasionally vote like children, they will learn with age. It is by voting that people learn to vote." Summing up his estimate of America and Americans, Max O'Rell says : "Is there any country in Europe in which morals are better regulated, work better paid, or education wider spread? Is there a country in Europe where you can find such natural riches and such energy to turn them to account ; so many people with a consciousness of their own intellectual and moral force ; so many schools, where the child of the millionaire and the child of the poor man study side by side ; so many libraries, where the boy in rags may read the history of liis country, and be fired by the exploits of its heroes? Can you name a country with so many learned societies, so many newspapers, so many charitable institutions, or so much wide- spread comfort? M. Kenan, wishing to turn himself into a AMERICANS THROUGH FOREIGN EYES. 563 prophet of ill omen, one day predicted that, if France continued republican, she would become a second America. May nothing worse befall her ! " Ian Maclaren, who has been recently giving us his im- pressions of American life and character in the 23ages of The Outlook, is much taken with the magnanimity which the American displays in the affairs of practical life. He says " that if a merchant fails in England he is, as a rule, made to feel the weight of his position very severely, and it is only a man with great courage and determination who can retrieve himself" On the other hand, " in the States, if misfortune has befallen a man, and he has not played the knave, he is regarded with sympathy, as a soldier wounded in battle. Friends rall^'- round him and bring him succor, they set him on his feet and give liim another chance, and through all his trial they abate not one jot of cordiality either to him or his family. The American is not more honorable than his English confrere, but he is more generous; and this need not arise from his beino- a better man, but from his living in a larger place. The struggle for existence in an old country is severe and chills many kindly impulses ; and in a new country there is room enough and to spare for every person. Life is wild and buoy- ant and full of vicissitudes. If one have nothing to-day, he may be rich to-morrow; and if he be rich to-day, he may be poor to-morrow. The tides run in and out with immense velocity and the scene is ever changing. " On our side of the Atlantic a man fights his way up with arduous and enduring labor, grasps his possessions with fierce tenacity and safeguards himself on every hand. He stands on his narrow ledge of success, and receives grudging recognition from those beside whom he has established himself. Should ■29 564 THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. he slip and try to hang on with his hands, the others will think twice before they stoop to pull him up, both because his disap- pearance will leave more room where there is hardly foothold for themselves, and because the strain of arresting his descent might end in their going down with him. People are very cautious about involving themselves with a commercial unfor- tunate where there is so little to come and go in the way of opportunity and where social position is so painfully won. On the other side each newcomer takes his slice, as it were, of the rich virgin prairie, and if he has bad times his neighbors help him without calculation, for they have as much as they can face. Next year they may have their share of bad luck, and he will stand it manfully. One does not desire to minimize the overflowing good nature and brotherliness which are below this charity, but it is undoubtedly a virtue of a big, progressive, almost inexhaustible country." Maclaren was charmed with the manners of the best American society. He calls attention to the fact that between a cultured American and an uncultured there is as much dif- ference as between, say, Matthew Arnold and "Punch's" 'Arry. He thinks there is much about the uncultured American that is attractive, but he records his honest oj)inion that an edu- cated American is the most courteous person he has ever met on his travels. " One may have a j)ardonable j^ride in the good form of an English gentleman — an instinctive sense of what is becoming — and yet desire the cordiality which is very taking in an American ; one may admit that in what may be called the decorated style of manners a Frenchman is past- master, and still miss that note of simplicity which is found in an American. There is, indeed, as appears to a dull male j^er- son, a certain analogy between the superiority of an American AMEBICAS^S THROUGH FOBEIGX EYES. 565 man in manners and an American .v. .^^ai^ in dress (her man- ners, it goes without saying, are charming, vivacious, sympa- thetic, fascinating), for she has added to the severe good taste of an Englishwoman a certain grace, and redeemed the clever- nes of the Parisian fix)m the suspicion of trickery." Maclaren thinks that the American is entitled to this praise, that his manners **' are not spoiled by affectation, nor frozen into icy inhumanity. He does not wear a single eye- glass for ornamental purposes, nor assume an expression of countenance from which all interest in anvthinsr has been stu- diously eliminated. Xor does he lal3or to reduce the crisp, sinewy English speech to the sound of jargon, nor is he accustomed : :. regard the outside world as Philistines. An absolutely well- bred man in speech and deed, he alloT^ you to know that he has a heart ; he can shake hands like a man ; he is perfectly afl^ble, and does not speak a patois in which * ah ' separates each word from its neighbor, and * don't you know ' fills up the frequent interstices of thought." The same writer says that the peculiar charm of the American manners is their genuine and attractive simplicity. • In one way it strikes the foreigner that the States lose by not having a leisured class, with traditions of pnblic service, of incorruptible honor, of trained statemanship. In another way the States gain by counting all their citizens eligible for ublic duty, because the rulers are not a caste, do not give them- selves airs, are affiible and acc^sible. The indefinable atmo- sphere which surrounds one of our civil officials, and which he :^9ver throws off, which he breathes with evident relish, but ^hich is rather rare for ordinary lungs, cannot gather in the : erpetual motion of the American life. A citizen is summoned from his bank or office or manufactory or from the editor's 566 THE BBIOHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. chair to a seat, say, in the cabinet, not because he belongs to a certain family, or even because he has much personal influence, but because he is the best man for the post. He is not chan'ged by the sudden elevation, and is exactly the same man in Wash- ington as he was a month ago in Boston or Chicago. When his term of office is over, he withdraws to the ranks again, and has not in his talk the note of a bureaucrat. No man with common sense tries to stand apart in the States, or hedge him- self round with ceremony." The chivalry of the Americans never fails to attract the foreigner. The writer whom I have just quoted says — in con- trasting the bearing of the American toward women to Parisian civility — " that the reason one is suspicious of the French is that though a Parisian — who is a Frenchman raised to the highest degree — may lift his hat on entering a shop, he would show the shop-girl no deference on the street, while French fiction is a standinsf insult to womankind." He adds that from end to end of America a woman is respected, protected, served, honored. This statement will be regarded by Americans as a little sweeping: " If she enters an elevator, every man uncovers ; in a street-car she is never allowed to stand if a man can give her a seat ; on the railways, conductors, porters, and every other kind of official hasten to wait on her ; any man daring to annoy her would come to grief." He is altogether correct, however, when he says that the poorest woman can travel with security and comfort in America. " Perhaps the American woman," he goes on to say, " may be unconsciously exacting at times — it is the penalty of absolute monarchy; perhaps the men exceed in deference when they allow the women to read for them and think for them in everything except politics — this is the drawback of hereditary AMERICANS THROUGH FOREIGN EYES. 567 loyalty. The American queen might complete an almost per- fection by granting her subjects an occasional experience of equality, upon which they would never think of trading. Per- haps the American loyalist might do his ruler true service and safeguard her from selfishness by an occasional and quite limited assertion of the rights of the man. It remains, how- ever, that it must be good for a strong and restless people to be possessed with noble ideas of woman, and from the poorest to the highest man to be engaged and sworn to her service. The woman cult in the States is in itself a civilization, and next door to a religion." In speaking of the liberty which American women enjoy Max O'Rell says : " It is the respect that woman inspires in American men which allows the young girl to go about with such freedom and to ' queen it ' all through the States. Jona- than might give more than one lesson in this stage to the men of the * old world,' even to the Frenchman who, in the matter of politeness, lives a good deal on the reputation of his ances- tors. Jonathan's respect for women is disinterested, purely platonic. In France this respect takes the form of politeness wliich verges on gallantry, and is often not disinterested. The Frenchman will always stand back to let a lady pass, but he will profit by the occasion to take a good look at her. The American, in a similar circumstance, will respectfully lower his eyes. In trains where seats are constructed to hold two persons, you will see an American seek a place from one end of the train to the other before he will go and seat himself by the side of a girl; and he will only do so when there is no help for it. I have many times noticed men standing up in the local trains rather than run the risk of incommoding a young girl by sharing her seat with her." 568 • THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. Americans do not nowadays, as a rule, plume themselves upon their hospitality, but Max 0'E.ell says that every visitor of the States agrees with his neighbor — however he may differ about other things — that the American has revived the ancient Eastern idea of hospitality and acclimatized it in the West. ''After a journey in the New World, one returns home con- vinced that we do not know how hospitality spells in Europe, and smitten to the heart with repentance. When a stranger comes to us with a letter, we receive him with calm civility, hope tliat he has had a good voyage, inquire what he wishes to see in our country, map out his route for him, ask him to a meal, and let him go with a modest disclaimer that he has given us any trouble. If one of us goes over to America, not knowing half a dozen people in the whole continent, letters of hospitality arrive before you start, they are brought on board your steamer with the pilot, they are delivered on the landing- stage, they are lying on the table at your rooms, and they all come to the same thing — that you will stay in a hotel at your peril, and that you and your belongings — it is hoped two boys may be with you as well as your wife — must at once come to the writer's house. If you have an iron will and a profound conviction that your arrangements prevent your being a proper guest — for a guest has his duties as well as a host — you may deny yourself tlie pleasure of private hospitality, but you will have to fight your way, so to sa}^, to the hotel. And if you are a guest, you will be received at the station— we allow visitors to make their own way to our houses — and welcomed by the whole family, as if you were of the same blood, or at least friends of twenty years' standing ; and you will be driven over the whole district or city, and your host wall be at your dis- posal as if he had nothing to do — yet judges, university men, AMERICANS THROUGH FOREIGN EYES. 569 merchants, editors, have some engagements — and you will depart laden with roses and good will. " One is not quite sure whether to admire most of all tlie grace or tact or spontaneity or completeness of hospitality among our kinsfolk ; but that for which one is most grateful, and which counts dearest, is the genuine kindness. The Americans are kind people, and they are not ashamed to allow it to be seen." Travelers agree that if the American is anything he is a patriot. They do not always like the quality of his patriotism, but they never deny that he is patriotic. " The Englishmen," says Maclaren, " with their dislike of disjDlay and their insular reserve, may make merry over Americans carrying tiny flags about their person, and jDroducing them on moving occasions, such as entering New York harbor, and may sneer at the custom, to my mind most useful and becoming, of hoisting the stars and stripes on the public schools every morning when the scholars assemble. Many Americans would themselves con- sider that the star-spangled banner is perhaps too much in evidence in speeches and in the national feeling, and might even envy those ancient j^eople who are so sure of themselves that tliey do not need to protest in public, but Avho carry their flag in their heart, and cannot imagine that it would be for- gotten. Be it remembered, however, that it is a gigantic and critical effort to receive so many foreigners with old tradi- tions into a nation's midst, and that it is of vital imjDortance to create and even inflame the spirit of patriotism, that in its heat — with some blaze and smoke, if you please, you superfine people on both sides — the various elements may be welded into a national unity. With vast distances, different interests, dis- cordant elements, without a court, without pageantry, without 570 TEE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. long traditions, a nation needs some symbol which may be everywhere displayed, and round which these scattered, diverse, often antipathetic masses can rally, and it has been found in the flag, where every State has its star and all form one con- stellation. One also is reminded very forcibly in the country of what he has before learned, that American patriotism is something more than the waving of a flag and eloquent words." It has grown to be the fashion in late years for Eurojoeans to praise the heroism of Americans. All the world to-day watches the American soldier with admiration ; but heroism in America is not confined to those who bear arms : it is as widely distributed as the life of the American people. Our firemen lead the world in deeds of bravery, and the record of our life- saving stations is almost without a parallel. In battle the heroism of the men occupied at the rear or below deck is as great as that of the men at the front. The editor of the Toledo Blade has told a story of the late Spanish- American war which strikingly illustrates this point : " The duty of the boilermakers on warships is one of the most dangerous nature. In action, between actions, and out of action the repairs that they are called upon at a moment's notice to effect are sufficient to send a chill of fear through the hearts of most men. They will creep right inside a boiler or furnace which has but a few moments before been full of boiling liquid or red-hot coals. They will screw up nuts and fasten bolts or repair leaking pipes or joints in places that other men would consider impossible to approach. While the ship's big guns" are making the vessel tremble and the enemy's shells are burst- ing in every direction these men, with positively reckless fear- lessness, will venture down in the bowels of the fighting ship, amid roaring machinery, hissing steam and flaming fires, to AMERICANS THROUGH FOREIGN EYES. 571 rectify an accident which, unrepaired, might send the shi23 and all her human freight to the bottom more surely and more quickly than shell or shot from the best gun of the enemy. These men are heroes. Most people in the United States will remember that when the Bancroft went to work to batter the walls of San Juan for some reason she had to slip out of action, and her place was taken by the little gunboat Castine, which without delay opened her batteries upon the fort. " Very few people, even on the vessel herself, knew what a close shave she and her crew had of paying a jiermanent visit to the dreaded haven of Davy Jones. " The Castine carried on board three of these boilermakers already referred to — Fish, another, and one Huntley, of Nor- folk, Va. The Castine went iuto action under full steam, her triple screws revolving at the fullest speed her 2,199 horse- power could make them spin, and her battery of eight guns started her quivering with excitement and the fierce delight of battle. The furnaces were heated almost to white heat, and the forced draught was urging the flames to greater heat, the boiling water to the higher production of steam, the engines to increasing revolutions. Suddenly, without expectation, with- out warning, far down in the furnace hole, unheard by officer or man amid the din of battle, the thundering reverberations of exploding gunpowder, there arose a fierce hissing noise right inside one of the furnaces, and those who heard it trembled as no guns or shot or shell had power to make them tremble. " A socket bolt in the back connection at the very farthest interior extremity of the furnace had become loose. A leak had been sprung ! The steam was pouring in upon the fire, threatening in a few moments to put it out and stop the progress 572 THE BEIQHT SIDE OF HUMANITY. of the vessel, if it did not have the more awful effect of causing a terrible explosion and annihilation ! "The faces of the men below, at that moment of terrible suspense, blanched beneath the grime that covered them. None knew what to do save to wait the awful coming of the shock they knew must come. "None ! Nay, but there was one ! The first to pull him- self together, the first to whom returned the fear-driven senses, was Boilermaker Huntley. His name does not appear on 'the navy list. Even his first name was unknown to his confrere, Fish — only Boilermaker Huntley, of Norfolk, Va. But that is enough, and his deed should be sufficient to find for him a niche in the annals of fame whenever and wherever the story of the United States and her navy is told. "One instant of startled horror; then, without hesitation, without trepidation, with stern-set jaws, and fierce, devoted determination on every line of face and form — " ' Turn off the forced draught ! ' he cried. " ' Goodness, Huntley, what are you going to do ? ' " ' Bank the fire. Quick ! ' " ' It's certain death ! ' "'For one — unless for all! Turn off the draught; bank the fire!' " The orders were carried out feverishly. "'Now, a plank!' " And before they could stop him this hero nad flung the plank into the furnace, right on top of the black coal with which it was banked, and himself climbed and crawled over the raging mass, far back to where the steam was rushing like some hissing devil from the loosened socket. " For three minutes he remained inside that fearful place, AMERICANS THROUGH FOREIGN EYES. 573 and then the work was done — the ship was saved — and his friends drew him out of the door. The force draught went to ist work again, and in an instant the furnace was once more raging. " But what of Huntley ! Scorched, scalded, insensible, well-nigh dead, he lay upon the iron floor of the furnace-room, while around him stood his mates dousing him with water and using every known means for his resuscitation. He did not die. And when once more he opened his eyes, and was able to be carefully lifted into daylight, there arose such cheers from the throats of those dirty, grimy mates as never greeted taking of city or sinking of fleet. "The story is briefly chronicled in the log of the Castine, and Huntley simply claims that he 'did his duty.' But while the United States remains a nation, so long as the banner bearing the silver stars on the field of blue above alternate strij^es of red and white remains the symbol of purity, bravery, and patriotism to American hearts the world over, so long when her heroes are spoken of one name should never be omitted — that of Boilermaker Huntley, of Norfolk, Va," APPENDIX. Appendix. THE BRIGHT SIDE OF HUMANITY IN LITERATURE. While the design of this volume is probably new, the sentiments which inspired it, and which have been in some fashion woven into its pages, are as old and as widespread as our literature, as the following quotations will show : Men's evil manners live in brass ; their virtues we write in water. — Shake- speare. A physician is not angry at the intemperance of a mad patient, nor does he take it ill to be railed at by a man in fever. Just so should a wise man treat all mankind, as a physician does his patient, and look upon them only as sick and extravagant. — Seneca. If thou wouldst be borne with, bear with others. — Fuller. Every thing hath two handles : the one soft and manageable, the other such as will not endure to be touched. If then your brother do you an injury, do not take it l)y the hot and hard handle, by representing to yourself all the aggravat- ing circumstances of the fact ; but look rather on the soft side, and extenuate it as much as is possible by considering the nearness of the relation, and the long friendship and familiarity between you — obligations to kindness which a single provocation ought not to dissolve. And thus you will take the accident by its manageable handle. — Ejnctetus. I have known persons without a friend — never anyone without some virtue. — Hazlltt. T'se every man after his dessert, and who shall scape whipping ? — Shake- speare. The world will operate differently according to our temper. Almost every- body, in the sanguine season of youth, looks in the world for more perfection than 30 ("^70) 580 APPENDIX. lie is likely to find. But ■ a good-tempered man — that is to say, a man of a wise constitution — will be pleased in the midst of his disappointment to find that, if the virtues of men are below his wish and calculation, their faults have beneficial eifects ; whereas the ill-tempered man, grows peevish at finding, what he will as certainly find, the ill consequence attending the most undoubted virtues. I be- lieve we shall do everything something the better for putting ourselves in as good humor as possible when we set about it. — Burke. There was never any heart truly great and generous that was not also tender and compassionate : it is this noble quality that makes all men to be of one kind ; for every man would be a distinct species to himself were there no sympathy among individuals. — South. Every human soul has the germ of some flowers within ; and they would open if they could only find sunshine and free air to expand in. I always told you that not having enough of sunshine was what ailed the world. Make people happy, and there will not be half the quarrelling, or a tenth of the wickedness there \&.—Mrs. L. 31. Child. Ye men of gloom and austerity, who paint the face of Infinite Benevolence with an eternal frown, read in the everlasting Book, wide open to your view, the lesson it would teach. Its pictures are not in black and sombre hues, but bright" and glowing tints ; its music — save when ye drown it — is not in sighs and groans, but songs and cheerful sounds. Listen to the millic«n voices in the summer air, and find one dismal as your own. Remember, if ye can, the sense of hope and pleasure which every glad return of day awakens in the breast of all your kind who have not changed their nature ; and learn some wisdom even from the witless, when their hearts are filled up, they know not why, by all the mirth and happiness it brings. — Dickens. Human nature (as I have observed in a former work) is always and every- Avhere, in the most important points, substantially the same ; circumstantially and externally, men's manners and conduct are infinitely various in various times and regions. If the former were not true — if it were not for this fundamental agree- ment — history could furnish no instruction ; if the latter were not true — if there were not these apparent and circumstantial differences — hardly any one could fail to profit by that instruction. For few are so dull as not to learn something from the records of past experience in cases precisely similar to their own. — Whately. Be deaf unto the suggestions of tale-bearers, calumniators, pick-thank or malevolent delators, who, while quiet men sleep, sowing the tares of discord and division, distract the tranquillity of charity and all friendly society. These are the tongues that set the world on fire, cankers of reputation, anr" like that of Jonah's gourd, wither a good name in a night. — Sir T. Browne. APPENDIX 581 Gently to hear, kindly to judge. — Sluikespeare. ^lore helpful than all wisdom is one draught of simple human pity that will not forsake others. — George Eliot. A cruel story runs on wheels, and eveiy hand oils the wheels as they run. — On Ida. The best self- forgetfuln ess is to look at the things of the world with atten- tion and love ; for, really, attention is fraught with love, and perhaps that which is most unselfish. — Auerhach. Of all the centuries this is the best century, and of all the decades of the century this is the best decade, and of all the years of the decade this is the best year, and of all the months of the year this is the best month, and of all the days of the month this is the best day. — IVdmage. . Humility is the true proof of Christian virtues ; without it we retain all our faults, and they are only covered by pride to hide them from others, and often from ourselves. — La Rochefoucauld. Sweet mercy is nobility's true badge. — Shakes^peare. It is a certain sign of an ill heart to be inclined to defamation. They who are harmless and innocent can have no gratification that way ; but it ever rises from a neglect of what is laudable in a man's self, and an impatience of seeing it in another. — Sir R. Steele. We should not arrogantly pride ourselves upon our virtues and knowledge, nor condemn the errors and weakness of others, since they may depend upon causes which we can neither produce nor easily counteract. No one, judging from his own feelings and powers, can be aware of the kind or degree of tempta- tion or terror, or the seeming incapacity to resist them, which may induce others to deviate. — Dr. J. Ahernethy. One may be right, another mistaken ; but if I have more strength than my brother, it shall be employed to support, not to oppress, his weakness ; if I have more light, it shall be used to guide, not to dazzle him. — Burhe. Grod, who is the Father of spirits, is the most tolerant man. Man, wh(j is the first of animals, is the most oppressive — yet he calls himself the shadow of the Almighty. — W. Jerdan. Did universal charity prevail, earth would be a heaven and hell a fable. — • Colt on. 582 APPENDIX. Some readily find out that where there is distress there is vice, and easily discover the crime of feeding the lazy or encouraging the dissolute. — Johnson. The right Christian mind will find his own image wherever it exists ; it will seek for what it loves, and draw it out of all dens and caves, and it will believe in its being often when it cannot see it, and always turn away its eyes from behold- ing vanity ; and so it will lie lovingly over all the faults and rough places of the human heart, as the snow from heaven does over the hard and black and broken mountain rocks, following their forms truly, and yet catching light for them to make them fair, and that must be a steep and unkindly crag indeed which it cannot cover. — Ruskin. Charity, in whatever guise she appears, is the best-natured and the best- complexioned thing in the world. — Frederick Sminders. Let the greatest part of the news thou hearest be the least part of what thou believest, lest the greater part of what thou believest be the least part of what is true. Where lies are easily admitted the father of lies will not easily be excluded. — Quarles. The great duty of Grod's children is to love one another. This duty on earth takes the name and the form of the law of humanity. We are to recog- nize all men as brethren, no matter where born, or under what sky, or institution or religion they may live. Every man belongs to the race and owes a duty to mankind. Every nation belongs to the family of nations and is to desire the good of all. Nations are to love one another. . . . Men cannot vote this out of the universal acclamation. . . . Men cannot, by combining them- selves into narrower or larger societies, sever the sacred, blessed bond which joins them to their kind. . . . The law of humanity must reign over the assertion of all human rights. — William Ellery Channing. We should miss a great deal that is valuable in human nature if we confined our attention exclusively to important personages. — Ilamerton. True humility is contentment. — Mrs. Humphrey Ward. The charity that thinketh no evil trusts in God and trusts in men. — J. G. Holland. The heart is always hungry. No man lives happily alone. The wisest and the best is wiser and better for the friends he has. — Rosioell D. Hitchcock. A critic should be a pair of snuflPers. He is oftener an extinguisher, and not seldom a thief. — Hare. APPENDIX. 583 Compassion will cure more sins than condemnation. — Henry Ward BeecJier. The quality of mercy is not strain'd : It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath : it is twice bless'd — It blesseth him that gives and him that takes : 'Tis mightiest in the mightiest : it becomes The throned monarch better than his crown ; His sceptre shows the force of temporal power, The attribute to awe and majesty, Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings ; But mercy is above this scepter'd sway, It is. an attribute to God himself; And earthly power doth then show likest God's When mercy seasons Justice. Consider this — That, in the course of justice, none of us Should see salvation : we do pray for mercy ; And that same prayer doth teach us all to render The deeds of mercy. — Shakespeare . The cynic is one who never sees a good quaUty in a man, and never fails to see a bad one. He is the human owl, vigilant in darkness and Wind to light, mousing for vermin and never seeing noble game. — -Henri/ Ward Beecher. And therein were a thousand Tongs empight Of sundry kindes and sundry quality ; Some where of Dogs, that barked day and night, And some of Cats, that wrawling still did cry, And some of Beares, that groynd continually. And some of Tygres, that did .seem to gcen. And snar at all that ever passed by : But most of them were tongues of Mortall Men, Which spake reprochfully, not caring where nor when. — Spenser. It is well that there is no one without a fault, for he would not have a friend in the world. He would seem to belong to a different species. — Hazlitt. When will talkers refrain from evil-speaking ? When listeners refrain from evU-hearing. — Hare. 584 APPENDIX. To love the piiblic, to study universal good, and to promote the interest of the whole w^orld, as far as lies within our power, is the height of goodness, and makes that temper which we call divine. — Shafteshury. The man that dares traduce because he can With safety to himself is not a man. — Cowper. I will chide no breather in the world but myself, against whom I know most faults. — ^Shakespeare. The happiness of mankind is the end of virtue, and truth is the knowledge of the means, which he will never seriously attempt to discover who has not habitually interested himself in the welfare of others. — Coleridge. How would you be If He, which is the top of judgment, should But judge you as you are ? Oh, think on that, And mercy then will breathe within your lips, Like man new made. — ShaJcespeare. The world is very much what we make it. Show me the color of a man's spectacles, and I will tell you what kind of a world it is. Blue spectacles, a blue world. Green spectacles, a green world. Yellow spectacles, a jaundiced world. Transparent spectacles, the beautiful world that God made it. The first thing is to have the heart right, the second is to have the liver right. My friend has for many years been troubled with indigestion. Desirous of cheering him up, I looked out of the window and said: "That snow is beautiful." He answered: " It will turn to slush and sleet." I said : " The human body is a fine piece of mechanism." He answered : " Warts, croup, marasmus, corns, bunions, gout and indigestion." I hoisted a window and caught one of the flying snowflakes and put it under a microscope, and said : "I see God walking in this palace, the jewels of heaven are in these vases ; I see the couriers of celestial dominion pawing those crystal pavements." He turned up his coat collar and said : " I am in a perfect chill ; please to put down that window." I grew vehement and said : " You must have noticed that this is a splendid world ; all the looms of heaven must have been at work on the wins; of a kino-fisher. What morning; was it that a warble slipped heaven and this oriole plucked it ? What grotesque rock of the mountain hath set the streams into roystering laughter ? What harp of heaven gives the pitch to the music of the south wind ? There is enough wisdom to confound the earth and the heavens in the structure of one cricket. Even the weeds of the field are dressed like the daughters of God, and men may APPENDIX. 585 sneer at their commonness, but have no capacity to fathom, or climb, or compass the infinity of beauty in a dandelion or the blossom of a potato top. At the foot of this tuberose angelic equipage must halt, and its cohort, climbing the winding stair of leaf, look oif upon the kingdoms of floral wonder and the glory of them. On a summer night I have seen the stars of heaven and the dews of earth married, the grass-blades holding up their fingers for the setting of the weddino" signet, while voices from above said : ' With this ring I thee endow with all my light and love, and splendor celestial.' At sunset I have seen the flaming chariots of God drive down into Lake Winipiseogee, the panting nostrils stirring the water and the spray-like dust tossed from the gHttering wheels." " Bosh ! " cried my invalid friend, '■ I never saw anything like that in all my life." So that, handing him over a bottle of Hoofland's Dyspeptic Bitters, I retired to my room to consider the value of a cheerful spirit. — Tahnage. True love is the parent of a noble humility. — William Ellery Channing. In Faith and Hope the world will disagree, But all mankind's concern is Charity ; All must be false that thwart this one great end, And all of God, that bless mankind, or mend. — Pope. I earn that I eat, get that I wear ; owe no man hate, envy no man's happi- ness; glad of other men's good, content with my harm. — Shakespeare. The drying up a single tear has more Of honest fame than shedding seas of gore. — Byron. It is only necessary to grow old to become more indulgent. I see no fault committed that I have not committed myself — Goethe. A good man is kinder to his enemy than bad men are to their friends. — Bishoj) Hall. Some bad people would be less dangerous if they had not some goodness. — La Rochefoucauld. There is some soul of goodness in things evil, Would men observingly distil it out. — ShaliCfipeare. The malcontent is neither well, full nor fasting ; and though he abound with complaints, yet nothing dislikes him but the ]n-esent ; for what he condemns while it was, once passed, he magnifies and strives to recall it out of the jaws of 586 APPENDIX. time. What he hath he seeth not, his eyes are so taken up with what he wants • and what he sees he careth not for, because he cares so much for that which is not. — Bishop Hall. I pity the man who can travel from Dan to Beersheba and cry, 'Tis all barren. — Laurence Sterne. Wilt thou draw near the nature of the gods ? Draw near them then in being merciful : Sweet mercy is nobility's true badge. — Shakespeare. Thou know'st but little If thou dost think true Virtue is confin'd To climes or systems ; no, it flows spontaneous, Like life's warm stream throughout the whole creation, And beats the pulse of ev'ry healthful heart. — Miller. Who does the best his circumstance allows Does well, acts nobly ; angels could no more. — Young. Thou must content thyself to see the world so imperfect as it is. Thou wilt never have any quiet if thou vexest thyself, because thou canst not bring mankind to that exact notion of things and rule of life which thou hast formed in thy own mind. — Fuller. Heigh-ho ! daisies and buttercups, Fair young daffodils, stately and tall — A sunshiny world, full of laughter and leisure, And fresh hearts unconscious of sorrow and thrall ! Send down on their pleasure smiles passing its measure, God that is over us all ! — -Jean Ingelow. There is no nation, though plunged into never such gross idolatry, but has some awful sense of a Deity, and a persuasion of a state of retribution after this life. — South. The whole world calls for new work and nobleness. Subdue mutiny, dis- coi'd, widespread despair, by manfulness, justice, mercy and wisdom. Chaos is dark, deep as hell : let light be, and there is indeed a green, flowery world. Oh, it is great, and there is no other greatness ! To make some nook of God's crea- APPENDIX. 587 tion a little fruitfuUer, better, more worthy of God ; to make some human hearts a little wiser, manfuUer, happier, more blessed, less accursed ! It is work for a God ! Sooty hell of mutiny, and savagery, and despair, can, by man's energy, be made a kind of heaven ; cleared of its soot, of its mutiny, of its need to mutiny ; the everlasting arch of heaven's azure overspanning it too, and its cunning mech- anisms and tall chimney-steeples as a birth of heaven ; God and all men looking on it well pleased. — Carlyle. Men sunk into the greatest darkness imaginable retain some sense and awe of a Deity. — Tillotson. It would be well if, not only in looking at our own condition, but at other people, we set out the sparkle instead of the gloom. With five hundred faults of our own, we ought to let somebody else at least have one. When there is such excellent hunting on our own ground, let us not with rifle and greyhound- pack spend all our time in scouring our neighbors' lowlands. I am afraid the im- perfections of other people will kill us yet. All the vessels on the sea seem to be in bad trim except our schooner. A person full of faults is most merciless in his criticisms of the faults of others. How much better, like the sun, to find light wherever we look, letting people have their idiosyncrasies and every one work in his own way. — Tahnage. In this world, with its wild, whirling eddies and mad foam oceans, where men and nations perish as if without law, and judgment for an unjust thing is sternly delayed, dost thou think that there is therefore no justice? It is what the fool hath said in his heart. It is what the wise in all times were wise because they denied and knew forever not to be. I tell thee again, there is nothing else but justice. One strong thing I find here below: the just thing, the true thing. — Thomas Carlyle. yet we trust that somehow good Will be the final goal of ill. — Tennyson. Speaking generally, it seems to me to be an aphorism that the best form of culture must always be the broadest form of culture, the culture which does not confine itself to this or that narrow groove or clique, but leads to a wide knowl- edge of and sympathy with all aspects of life. The ideal state of culture would be one in which the mind would embrace the whole universe, as far as we are capable of understanding it, and would respond to every change, be it in science, in art, in politics, or any other depart- ment of human knowledge or experience. Life is too short, no doubt, to enable a man to get in contact at all points with the facts of existence ; but there lies the ideal, and the greater the catho- licity of sympathy the higher the culture. — A Conan Doyle. 588 APPENDIX. Get into the sunshine. Take on brightness. Consider what is good and oeautiful, and ask God to help ' you to assimilate these qualities into your own unhappy nature. — Anon. The little I have seen in the world teaches me to look upon the errors of others in sorrow, not in anger. When I take the history of one poor heart that has sinned and suffered, and represent to myself the struggles. and temptations it has passed through, the brief pulsation of joy, the feverish inquietude of friends, I would fain leave the erring soul of my fellow-man with Him from whose hand it came. — Anon. The perfect man will be : 1. A perfect animal. 2. A trained, clear-seeing, unbiased intellect, whose one thirst is for truth. 3. A taste that sees and appreciates all beauty. 4. A heart that loves all lovely things. 5. A sympathetic beneficence that would have all men lifted to the highest. 6. A soul or spirit that recognizes kinship with the Eternal Spirit and ever aspires toward a fuller spiritual life. These all blended in one being, not that he has these things, but is these. — Rev. M. T. Savage. Consider your blessings more than your troubles ; look on the bright side of life rather than on the dark side ; see your neighbor's virtues rather than his failings ; speak cheerfully, not despondingly : give thanks instead of grumbling. — Anon. Sweetness is the condition of preservation. Whatever is naturally sweet must be kept sweet or become worthless. Fruit is good for nothing after it sours. A man loses his attractions when he sours on the world, and his best friends included. — Anon. What is the best ideal of culture? Freedom from all prejudices and all dogmas. What qualities of mind, heart, energy, or character should be cultivated for the higher development of man ? Catholicity — the quality of judging character at the root, not by the branches. — Robert Buchanan. Thinking well of a person is one of the best aids that can be given to lead him on toward well-doing. — Anon. Narrow-minded men and women, and the world is full of them, will only give you distorted ideas of life — ideas that will change the sunniest and most healthful disposition into one morose, churlish and ill-natured. — Anon. APPENDIX. 589 When we come to see how deeply God loves men, all men, we cannot help loving them also, though they dwell at the other end of the earth, or in the lowest depths of degradation, — Amos R. Welk. We must not spend all our lives in cleaning our windows, but in sunning ourselves in God's blessed light. That light will soon show us what still needs to be cleansed, and will enable us to cleanse it with unerring accuracy. — F. B. Meyer. We look at our neighbor's errors with a microscope, and at our own through the wrong end of a telescope. We have two sets of weights and measures — one for home use and the other for foreign. Every vice has two names, and we call it by the flattering and minimizing one when we commit it, and by the ugly one when our neighbor does it. Everybody can see the hump on his friend's shoulders, but it takes some effort to see our own. — Dr. Maclaren. Some murmur when their sky is clear And wholly bright to view If one small speck of dark appear In their great heaven of blue; And some with thankful love are filled If but one streak of light. One ray of God's mercy, gild The darkness of their night. In palaces are hearts that ask. In discontent and pride, Why life is such a dreary task, And all good things denied ; And hearts in poorest huts admire How love has in their aid (Love that not ever seems to tire) Such rich provision made. — Ricliard Chenevix Trench. Great is the religion of power, but greater is the religion of love ; great is the religion of implacable justice, but greater is the religion of pardoning mercy. — Castelar. Remember that it is indeed the wisest and the happiest man who, by constant attention of thought, discovers the greatest opportunity of doing good, and with ardent and animated resolution breaks through every opposition that he may im- prove these opportunities. — Doddridge. 590 APPENDIX. Get into the habit of looking for the silver lining of the cloud, and, when you have found it, continue to look at it, rather than at the leaden gray in the middle. It will help you over many hard places.—^. A. WUlitts. He who diffuses the most happiness and mitigates the most distress within his own circle is undoubtedly the best friend to his country and the world, since nothing more is necessary than for all men to imitate his conduct, to make the greatest part of the misery of the world cease in a moment. While the passion, then, of some is to shine, of some to govern, and of others to accumulate, let one great passion alone influence our breasts — the passion which reason ratifies, which conscience approves, which Heaven inspires — that of being and doing good. — Robert Hall. There's no dearth of kindness In this world of ours ; Only in our blindness We gather thorns for flowers ! Outward, we are spurning — Trampling one another ! While we are inly yearning At the name of " brother ! " There's no dearth of kindness Or love among mankind, But in darkling loneness Hooded hearts grow blind ! Full of kindness tingling. Soul is shut from soul, When they might be mingling In one kindred whole ! There's no dearth of kindness, Though it be unspoken, From the heart it buildeth Rainbow-smiles in token — That there be none so lowly But have some angel-touch : Yet, nursing loves unholy, We live for self too much ! As the wild-rose bloweth, As runs the happy river, Kindness freely floweth In the heart forever. APPENDIX. 691 But if men will hanker Ever for golden dust, Kingliest hearts will canker, Brightest spirits rust. There's no dearth of kindness In this world of ours ; Only in our blindness We gather thorns for flowers ! Oh, cherish God's best giving, Falling from above ! Life were not worth living Were it not for love. — Gerald Massey. Cynicism is intellectual dandyism without the coxcomb's feathers ; and 'it seems to me that cynics are only happy in making the world as barren to othei'S as they have made it for themselves. — Meredith. It is a part of my religion to look well after the cheerfulness of life and let the dismals shift for themselves. — Louisa 31. Alcott. He that overvalues himself will undervalue others, and he that under- values others will oppress them. — Johnson. Men of culture are the true apostles of equality. — Mathew Arnold. That is true cultivation which gives us sympathy with every form of human life, and enables us to work most successfully for its advancement. — Henry Ward Beecher. The only worthy end of all learning, of all science, of all life, in fact, is that human beings should love one another better. Culture merely for culture's sake can never be anything but a sapless root, capable of producing at best a shrivelled branch. — John Walter Cross. Mankind are so ready to bestow their admiration on the. dead, because the latter do not hear it, or because it gives no pleasure to the objects of it. Even fame is the offspring of envy. — Hazlitt. Human nature is the same the world over. There is a fellowship of kin- dred minds among all men, and because of this kinship tie we can get very close to each other. " Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." There is an astonishing unity of experience among all hearts. Not a 692 APPENDIX. single trial or temptation comes to us but has come to others. If we are weak, otheis have been weak before us ; if we are poor, others have tasted of poverty ; if our path is filled with sorrow, the paths of others before us were filled with sorrows more bitter ; if we are alone in the world, others have been alone amid greater difficulties ; if we are oppressed, others have been oppressed with even sadder oppressions. Then, when my brother comes to me and tells me that troubles dark, sad, and heartrending have befallen him, can I not enter into his troubles? Have I not had troubles in my own experience ? Can I not tendeily shed a tear of sympathy and bestow some kind word upon him ? Can I not firmly press his hand, if my heart is too full for utterance, and thus show that there is a tender spot in my nature for him ? — J. E. Alexander. To forgive a fault in another is more sublime than to be faultless one's self, — George Eliot. Humanity is about the same the world over ; and while the earth has its uniformity, with slight differences in mountain and plain, so its products are very nearly alike. — Dorin Piatt. If we cannot love the unlovely there is no God, and all our Christian faith is a cruel. Knocking delusion. We are not made for law, but for love. No man who is indifferent to his neighbor has the love of Grod in his heart. — B. F. Mills. 0, rich and various man ! thou palace of sight and sound, carrying in thy senses the morning and the night and the unfathomable galaxy ; in thy brain the geometry of the city of Grod ; in thy heart the power of love and the realms of right and wrong. An individual man is a fruit which it cost all the forego- ing ages to form and ripen. He is strong not to do, but to live ; not in his arms,, but in his heart; not as an agent, but as a fact. — Er)ierson. What tho' on hamely fare we dine. Wear hoddin-grey, and a' that ? Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine — A man's a man for a' that. For a' that, and a' that. Their tinsel show, and a' that ; The honest man, tho' e'er sae poor, Is king o' men for a' that. Ye see yon birkie, ca'd a lord, Wha struts and stares and a' that ; Tho' hundreds worship at his word, He's but a coof for a' that ; APPENDIX. 593 For a' that, and a' that, His ribband, star, and a' that ; The man of independent mind. He looks and laughs at a' that. A prince can mak' a belted knight, A marquis, duke, and a' that ; But an honest man's aboou his might, Gude faith, he mauna fa' that! For a' that, and a' that, Their dignities and a' that; The pith o' sense and pride o' worth Are higher rank than a' that. Then let us pray that come it may, As come it will for a' that. That sense and worth, o'er a' the earth, May bear the gree and a' that ; For a' that, and a' that. That man to man, the world o er, ' Shall brothers be for a' that ! — Robert Burns. Look upon the bright side of your condition ; then your discontents 'will disperse. Pore not upon your losses, but recount your mercies. — Watson. Not all the saints are canonized ; There's lots of them close by ; There's some of them in my own ward, Some in my family ; They're thick here in my neighborhood, They throng here in my street ; My sidewalk has been badly worn By their promiscuous feet. Not all the heroes of the world Are apothesized : Their names make our directories Of very ample size. And almost every family Whose number is complete. Has one or more about the board When they sit down to eat. 594 APPENDIX. Cultivate the habit of always seeing the best in people, and, more than that, of drawing forth whatever is the best in them. — Cuyler. Not all the martyrs of the world Are in the Martyrology ; Not all their tribe became extinct In some remote chronology. Why weep for saints long dead and gone ? There's plenty still to meet ; Put on your wraps and f*"ll upon The saints upon your street. And Fox's martyrs were strong souls, But still their likes remain ; There's good old Mother Haggerty, And there is sweet Aunt Jane. You know them just as well as I, Since they're a numerous brood, For they are with you all, and live, In every neighborhood. — Anon. We should esteem a person according to his actions, not his nationality. — Varenes. The happiest heart that ever beat Was in some quiet breast That found the common daylight sweet, And left to Heaven the rest. — J. V. Cheney. Cultivate forbearance till your heart yields a fine crop of it. Pray for a short memory as to all unkindnesses. — Spurgeon. I once met a little fellow on the road carrying a basket of blackberries, and said to him : " Sammy, where did you get such berries? " " Over there, sir, in the briers." " Won't your mother be glad to see you come home with a basketful of such nice, ripe fruit ? " " Yes, sir," said Sammy, " she always seems glad when I show her the ber- ries, and I don't tell her anything about the briars in my feet." I rode on. But Sammy's remarks had given me a lesson ; and I resolved that henceforth in my daily life T would try to think of the berries, and say nothins: about the briers. — Anon. APPENDIX. 595 There are nettles everywhere, But smooth, green grasses are more common still : The blue heaven is larger than the cloud. — Mrs. Broivning. There is a tender spot in the hardest heart. A widow, one bitter, cold night, was nursing her three-year-old girl, who had been seriously ill for several days. The mother's heart was sad, and brain and body were weary with the long vigil. The clock had . struck the hour of midnight, the wind was shaking every window and howling round the street corners, and the snow was being driven pitilessly hither and thither. The Httle child had dropped into a fitful sleep, and the wearied mother rested, looking into the fire with a sense of loneliness. The other members of the household had long since been asleep, leaving the patient mother alone on her night watch. With a lull in the wind and a cessation of the little sufferer's groans, the mother heard a suspicious noise in another room. She listened intently, and the sounds grew more pronounced. Some one was forcing an entrance into a bureau. Trembhng, yet brave at heart, thinking more of her sleeping ' child than she did. of her personal danger, she stepped into the hall and walked noiselessly to a room in a distant part of the house. The door was partly open and the gas was turned up. Her heart stood still, for there before her were two burly men, engaged in prying open a bureau drawer. One of the burglars, with an oath, presented his pistol, and said : " Don't speak or move a step, woman ; you received some money a few days ago, and we are going to have it.'" The woman faltered and then said in a low tone of voice : " Don't make any noise, please. The money is in my room, where my child is lying sick. Come with me, and you shall have it. But don't frighten my child ; it will kill her ! She is very sick ; " and the trembling voice and tear- laden eyes were ample proof of her truthfulness. " We'll try her, Bill. Go on ahead, woman," said the ruffian with a threat- ening gesture. Down the hall the three figures walked noiselessly, until the mother's cham- ber door was reached. Pushing the door wide open, the mother held up an en- treating hand, which gesture said plainer than words, " Don't come into the light." Just at this moment a plaintive voice cried out : " Mamma ! Where is my mamma ? I want a drink ! " " I'm coming, darling. Mamma is here," said the mother, in a cheerful voice. Then she handed the little child a drink ; bending over her she lulled her to rest with a little plaintive song, and the child dropped to sleep. 596 APPENDIX. Then the mother went to the bureau, unlocked it, and drew out a roll of money. It was not much, but sufficient for the wants of a month. Again bend- ing over the child, to see that she was not disturbed, the mother went out into the hall, closing the door behind her. The burglary were not there. She stepped hastily down to the hall door. No one was there, but the door was ajar. Opening the door, she heard a voice at the gate saying : " It's the last time I'm going to do a job of this kind, Bill. It isn't to my stomach." The mother spoke in a low tone, holding out the money : " Here is my money. Thank you for not disturbing my child." " Keep it, ma'am. I hope the little kid will get well. Good night, ma'am." And the two ruffians, who but a few moments before had robbery and murder in their hearts, went away into the night. For a moment, as the mother listened to their departing steps, it seemed as if the fierce wind was stilled, and the black night lighted up with a strange light. — Anon. Charity draws down a blessing on the charitable. — Le Sage. Cheerfulness, the character of common hope, is, in strong hope, like glimpses ■of sunshine on a cloudy day. — Joanna Baillie. The most certain sign of wisdom is a continual cheerfulness. Her state is like that of things in the regions above the moon, always clear and serene. — Montaigne. Cheerfulness, or joyousness, is the heaven under which everything but poison thrives. — Richter. What, indeed, does not that word cheerfulness imply ? It means a con- tented spirit, it means a pure heart, it means a kind and loving disposition, it means humility and charity, it means a generous appreciation of others, and a Jnodest opinion of self. — Thackeray. The fact of our deriving constant pleasure from whatever is a type or sem- "blance of divine attributes, and from nothing but that which is so, is the most glorious of all that can be demonstrated of human nature ; it not only sets a great gulf of specific separation between us and the lower animals, but it seems a promise of a communion ultimately deep, close and conscious with the Being whose darkened manifestations we here feebly and unthinkingly delight in. — Rushin. True generosity is a duty as indispensably necessary as those imposed upon us by law. It is a rule imposed upon us by reason, which should be the sover- •ei2;n law of a rational beino; — Goldsmith. APPENDIX. 597 I must confess that there is nothing that more pleases me, in all that I read in books, or see among mankind, than such passages as re])resent human nature in its proper dignity. As man is a creature made up of different extremes, he has something in him very great and very mean. A skillful artist may draw an excellent picture of him in either of these views. The finest authors of an- tiquity have taken him on the more advantageous side. They cultivate the natural grandeur of the soul, raise in her a generous ambition, feed her with hopes of immortality and perfection, and do all they can to widen the partition between the virtuous and the vicious by making the difference betwixt them as great as between gods and brutes. In short, it is impossible to read a page in Plato, Tully, and a thousand other ancient moralists, without being a greater and a better man for it. On the contrary, I could never read any of our modish French authors, or those of our own country who are the imitators and admirers of that trifling nation, without being for some time out of humor with myself and at everything about me. Their business is to depreciate human nature, and consider it under its worst appearances. They give mean interpretations. and base motives to the worthiest actions ; they resolve virtue and vice into con- stitution. In short, they endeavor to make no distinction between man and man,, or between the species of men and that of brutes. As an instance of this kind of authors, among masy others, let any one examine the celebrated Rochefou- cault, who is the great philosopher for administering of consolation to the idle,, the envious and worthless part of mankind. — Addison. Human nature appears a very deformed, or a very beautiful, object, accord- ing to the different lights in which it is viewed. When we see men of inflamed passions, or of wicked designs, tearing one another to pieces by open violence, or undermining each other by secret treachery ; when we observe base and narrow ends pursued by ignominious and dishonest means ; when we observe men mixed in society as if it were for the destruction of it, we are even ashamed of our species, and out of humor with our own being. But in another light, when we behold them mild, good, and benevolent, full of a generous regard for the public prosperity, compassionating each other's distresses, and relieving each other's wants, we can hardly beheve they are creatures of the same kind. In this view they appear gods to each other, in the exercise of the noblest power, that of doing good ; and the greatest compliment we have ever been able to make to our own being has been by calling this disposition of mind humanity. We cannot but observe a pleasure arising in our own breast upon the seeing or hearing of a generous action, even when we are wholly disinterested in it. — Hughes. There is nothing which I contemplate with greater pleasure than the dignity of human nature, which often shows itself in all conditions of life. For. not- withstanding the degeneracy and meanness that is crept into it, there are a thou- 598 APPENDIX. sand occasions in whicli it breaks tliroiigli its original corruption, and shows what it once was, and what it will be hereafter. I consider the soul of man as the ruin of a glorious pile of buildings ; where, amidst great heaps of rubbish, you meet with noble fragments of sculpture, broken pillars and obelisks, and a mag- nificence in confusion. Virtue and wisdom are continually employed in clearing the ruins, removing these disorderly heaps, recovering the noble pieces that lie buried under them, and adjusting them as well as possible according to their ancient symmetry and beauty. A happy education, conversation with the finest spirits, looking abroad into the works of nature, and observations upon mankind, are the great assistances to this necessary and glorious work. But even among those who have never had the happiness of any of these advantages there are sometimes such exertions of the greatness that is natural to the mind of man as show capacities and abilities which only want these accidental helps to fetch them out, and show them in a proper light. — Sir R. Steele. One can love any man that is generous. — Hawthorne. You can take almost anything in life and read it until it is bright, or read it until it is dark. Listen for sweet notes rather than for discord, picking up mari- golds and harebells in preference to thistles and coloquintida, culturing thyme and anemones rather than nightshade, hanging our window-blinds so we can hoist them to let the Hght in ; and in a world where God hath put exquisite tinge upon the shell washed in the surf, and planted a paradise of bloom in a little child's cheek, and adorned the pillars of the rock by hanging tapestry of morning mist, the lark saying, " I will sing soprano," and the cascade replying, ^'I will carry the bass," let us leave the owl to hoot, and the frog to croak, and the bear to growl, and the fault-finder to complain. — Talmage. Laughing cheerfulness throws sunlight on all the paths of life. — Richter. Our judgments are yet sick, and obey the humor of our depraved manners. I observe most of the wits of these times pretend to ingenuity by endeavoring to hlemish and to darken the glory of the bravest and most generous actions of former ages, putting one vile interpretation or another upon them, and forging and supposing vain causes and motives for those noble things they did. A mighty subtility indeed ! Give me the greatest and most unblemished action that ever the day beheld, and I will contrive a hundred plausible drifts and ends to obscure it. — Montaigne. Let's oftener talk of noble deeds, And rarer of the bad ones, And sing about our happy days, And not about the sad ones. APPENDIX. 699 We are not made to fret and sigh, And when grief sleeps to wake it : Bright happiness is standing by — Tliis hfe is what we make it. Let's find the sunny side of men, Or be behevers in it ; A Ught there is in every soul That takes the pains to win it. Oh ! there's a slumbering good in all, And we perchance may wake it ; Our hands contain the magic wand — This life is what we make it. Then here's to those whose loving hearts Shed light and joy about them ! Thanks be to them for countless gems We ne'er had known without them. Oh ! this should be a happy woi'ld To all who may partake it : The fault's our own if it is not — This life is what we make it. — Anon. Index. Afghans, 427. Africa, 50. Albanians, 502. Americans, 559. Arabs, 25. Araucanians, 443, Armenians, 428. Australians, 131. Baluchi, 427. Basque Provinces, 48. Bechuanas, 58. Bedween, 2G. Bengalees, 250. Berbers, 459. Brazilians, 297. Bretons, 74. Bulgarians, 492. Calcutta, 261. Caucasians, 467. Central American Indians, 440. €haco Indians, 441. Chilians, 443. Chinese, 357. Circassians, 446. Cubans, 475. Dutch, 135. Druses, 31. Dyaks, 123. Egyptians, 451. English, 514. Eskimos, 241. Fijians, 125. Filipinos, 231. J'rance, 70. Friendly Islands, 125. . Fuegians, 447. Georgians, 468. Germans, 503. Greeks, 499. Guianian Indians, 442. Gypsies, 78. Hawaiians, 195. Hindus, 245. Holland, 135. Hottentots, 59. Hungary, 469. Iceland, 109. Indians, 209. India, 273. Lish, 545. Italy, 82. Japanese, 161. Jews, 393. Kabyles, 460. Kaffirs, 56. Koreans, 430. Kurds, 427. Lacotahs, 216. Laplanders, 100. Luzon, 232, 237. Madagascar, 149. Magyars, 469. Makalolos, 57. Malagasy, 149. Malay Archipelago, 120. Malays, 125. Manganjo Tribe, 55. Maoris, 114. (601) 602 iNr^x. Mexicans, 187. Montenegrins, 493. Moors, 456. Morocco, 45G. Negro, 303. New Zealanders, 114. Norway, 99. Oceanic Group, 114. Ovambos, 59. Papuans, 129. Par sees, 253. Patagonians, 444. Persians, 425. Peruvians, 441. Philippines, 281. Polynesians, 113. Portuguese, 449. Red Indians of British America, 213. Russians, 141. Samoyedes, 144. Samoans, 126. Sardinia, 95. Scotch, 525. Serbs, 491. Servia, 491. Siamese, 433. Siberia, 143. Sicily, 95. Sioux, 218. Slavs, 491. Society Islands, 124. South America, 439. Spain, 41. Spanish America, 439. Sumatra, 144. Sweden, 99. Swiss, 485. Syria, 36. Tagalagos, 232. Tahitians, 1 14, 124. Tibetans, 347. Tongans, 125. Turks, 417. Turkomans, 420, Tuscans, 85. Venetians, 86. Wales, 553. Welsh, 553. Winnebagoes, 211. Yakuts, 419. Youba People, 67. Zulus, 57. BB-i81 .tJa'22 < .^ v^ V n^ \j' -3