《中國人的性格》第二十二章 社會風波

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

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

第二十二章 社會風波

在人口異常稠密的中國，一個大家庭擁擠地住在一起，難免會發(fā)生口角。你問鄰居：“你家有多少人？”他會回答：“十好幾口吧。”你問：“所有的東西都是公有嗎？”最普通的回答是：“是的?！笔寤蚨谌说拇蠹彝?，大概有三、四代，全靠一個商號或一塊土地生活，收入都歸家庭公有，所有家庭成員的消費也由公共財產(chǎn)滿足。兄弟們?yōu)榇蠹彝^力勞作，而作為家庭重要成員的妯娌們，卻很難團結(jié)在一起。她們年長的欺壓年幼的，年幼的嫉恨年長的。每一個都竭力想使自己的丈夫覺得，他在大家庭里是最吃虧的。

家庭不和睦總是由年輕一代引起的。哪個社會能承受得起這種生活條件的壓力呢？西方秩序良好的家庭也不足完全沒有這種矛盾，更何況復雜嚴密的中國家庭呢？人與人之間存在著大量的分歧，就像人們的動機與興趣一樣。金錢、食物、衣服、孩子，以及他們往日的口角、雞零狗碎的小事，都可能導致糾纏不清的爭吵。

漢語中有個極不可思議的詞，通常表示發(fā)火的意思。英語中委婉地譯為“憤怒的物質(zhì)”，這個詞就是“氣”。在中國的哲學與現(xiàn)實生活中，它是最重要的概念之一。一個人憤怒了，氣就產(chǎn)生了。中國人認為，“憤怒的物質(zhì)”和人體系統(tǒng)之間有著十分緊密的聯(lián)系，強烈的憤怒會導致各種疾病與不適，如失明、心臟功能衰退等等。中國大夫問病人的第一個問題通常是：“什么事又惹你生氣了？”在中國，富有經(jīng)驗的西方醫(yī)生也樂于相信，氣的確會導致中國人所說的那些疾病，下面的例子非常能說明問題：山東中部山區(qū)里的一個人，他有個老婆和幾個孩子，其中兩個還很小，１８８９年１０月，他的老婆死了。這使他感到非常生氣，他自己解釋說，這并非因為他特別依附老婆，而是因為不知道如何照管孩子。一氣之下，他抓起一把剃頭刀，在自己的肚子上狠戳了三個大口子。他的朋友用棉線把傷口縫了起來。六大后，他再次生氣，又把口子撕開了。不過，他那可怕的傷口居然愈合了。六個月之后，他已能夠步行幾百里到一家外國醫(yī)院去接受治療。傷口大部分已經(jīng)長好，只剩下一個小瘺管，然而腸子的功能已經(jīng)紊亂。前面我們說過，中國人富有生命力，這也是個典型的例證。

中國人喜歡大聲喊叫地命令或批評別人，這一習慣已經(jīng)根深蒂固，似乎難以徹底改變。對中國人來說，用正常的語調(diào)規(guī)勸別人，不時停下來，聽一聽對方的回答，從心理上幾乎不可能接受，他不能不喊叫，不能不插嘴，毫不客氣，如同一條興奮的狗，非叫不可。

在東方，中國人的辱罵藝術(shù)已發(fā)展到登峰造極的境界。爭吵一開始，罵人的話就像污水一樣噴涌而出，在這方面，英語望塵莫及，其刻毒與持久，令人不由想起倫敦畢令奇街的賣魚婦。哪怕最細微的摩擦，都會引來滔滔不絕的辱罵，就像兩根電線一碰，馬上就會產(chǎn)生電火花。無論何時何地，無論男人女人，無論哪一社會階層，情況都一樣。人們普遍抱怨女人罵人比男人更惡毒，更持久。俗話說：女人不裹腳，舌頭利如刀。父母常在孩子呀呀學語時，教他們用土話罵人，并把自己被孩子罵當成最大的樂趣。罵人己成為中國人的第二天性，廣泛地存在于社會各階層中。文人及各級政府官員，甚至最高層官員被激怒時，都會像他們自己手下的苦力一樣隨意罵人。普通百姓在街上相遇，甚至以罵人的活來打招呼，這可以表明他們之間關(guān)系的親密。

西方人的咒罵，聲音不高，但能令對方痛人肺腑。中國人的咒罵若聲音不高就毫無意義。英語中的詛咒是帶翅的飛彈，中國人的詛咒是骯臟的皮球。他們罵人的話大部分被視為一種咒語。一個人發(fā)現(xiàn)自家田里的谷穗被人掐了，就會在村子里高聲喊罵那未知的賊——盡管經(jīng)常有懷疑對象。人們認為，這樣做有兩種作用：第一，可以告訴眾人，他已惱怒了。罵人能讓他發(fā)泄一下。第二，罵人還可以防止再次被偷。偷東西的人在暗處，（理論上）聽著對他的可怕的詛咒，雖然一般不會被發(fā)覺，可他畢竟不能保證。被偷的人可能很清楚是誰干的，但他更樂意在大庭廣眾之中謾罵，作為對偷東西人的正式警告：他已被發(fā)覺或被懷疑，以后最好不要再做。假如被偷的人過于被激怒，這顯然就是在聲明：他要報復。這就是中國的罵街論。不過，他們坦率承認，這樣做不僅不能防止被偷，而且也不能防止再次被偷。因為在眾多的人當中，小偷不一定知道自己被罵了。

女人比男人喜歡罵人，她們經(jīng)常爬到平房頂上，扯著嗓子叫罵，一連幾個小時，有時直到嗓子嘶啞，方才罷休。在一個有社會地位的家庭中，倘能制止，是不會出現(xiàn)這種行為的。但是中國與其他地方一樣，婦女一旦被激怒，是最難約束的。一般情況下，罵街很少有人注意，或者沒人理睬。有時會在巷口遇到一個男人，或在屋頂上發(fā)現(xiàn)一個女人，已罵得面紅耳赤，周圍卻一個人影也沒有。如果天氣較熱，他（她）拼命叫罵一陣之后，會揮著扇子休息一下，再繼續(xù)叫罵。

中國人吵架吵到一定程度，不動手就不能收場。在歐洲南部旅行的英國人發(fā)現(xiàn)，他們打架時將拳頭從肩膀處擊出的習慣，令拉丁民族十分驚奇。中國人和他們一樣，從未受過拳擊訓練，即便學過，也是不倫不類。他們怒不可遏時，首先是抓住對手的辮子，盡力扯他的頭發(fā)，這也是他們最主要的手段。倘沒有第三者加入，雙方又都沒有其他武器，這樣的“戰(zhàn)斗”十之八九，僅僅是一場扯辮子比賽而已。

中國人的爭吵，也是對罵比賽。比賽聲音的高低，結(jié)果除了嗓子喊破之外，沒什么嚴重傷害。中國極少有人對交戰(zhàn)雙方火上澆油。我們只見過“戰(zhàn)斗”發(fā)生時，很快有人挺身而出，充當和事佬——這也是我們一直期望的，他們通常有兩、三個。他們將叫罵的人拉開，好言相勸。但叫罵的人一旦發(fā)現(xiàn)自己處在和事佬的安全保護之下，就會罵得更兇，可他心里卻很謹慎，對方有人準備僵旗息鼓時，他也明智地逐漸收斂，這無疑對雙方都沒有壞處。中國人即使在最憤怒時，仍非常理智，不管在理論上，還是在實踐中，都不會忘記這一點。誰見過吵架的人轉(zhuǎn)而扭住勸架的人，責怪他多管閑事呢？那可是緊要關(guān)頭。中國人憤怒時，仍渴望和平——在抽象的意義上——只不過在自己的具體事情上，難以實現(xiàn)罷了。和事佬勸解他們，幾乎總是扯走好斗的一方，后者則邊撤邊罵，表示對對方惡毒的蔑視。

中國人罵人，非常令人難以理解，他們并不揭露對手實際的過錯，而勿寧污辱他的祖先，嘲笑他卑賤的出身。被罵的人則認為這是對自己尊嚴的嚴重傷害，其原因不在于是當著別人的面，甚至不在于自己被罵，而在于罵他的那些話令他太丟）“面子”了。罵人者感到自己做得不對，也不是認為自己的行為不光彩，有失身份，而是認為自己不該在那個時候、用那種話罵對方。

幸虧中國人沒有隨身攜帶武器的習慣，假如他們隨身帶著手槍，或像從前日本的武士，佩著劍，真不知他們發(fā)起火來，會釀制多少慘劇。

中國人一旦覺得自己受了莫大委屈，會馬上氣得暴跳如雷，失去控制，據(jù)說有個人，請求一位有經(jīng)驗的老傳教士為他施洗，遭到了委婉的拒絕。于是，他就拿著刀子，逼迫老傳教士為他舉行儀式。幸好大多數(shù)初做修士的人對這種憑暴力進入天國的方式不感興趣，可是這條原則普遍地存在于中國的社會生活中。一位乞討的老太婆，遭到了拒絕，會躺倒在你的馬車前。要是被你的車軋了，她就要謝天謝地了，因為現(xiàn)在她有理由要你永遠贍養(yǎng)她，為她養(yǎng)老送終。筆者住的那個村子里，有個老潑婦，盡管鄰居們樂于幫助她，可她總不滿足，經(jīng)常以自殺相威脅。有一次，她終于跳進了池塘里，想淹死自己，卻發(fā)現(xiàn)水只能沒到她的脖子，她怎么也不能一直把頭沒在水里，結(jié)果惱羞成怒，對全村人破口大罵。不過，她第二次跳的時候，村民們答應給她更大的幫助。

中國人有冤無處訴時，常常私了。比如婆婆過分虐待兒媳婦，法律管不著，社會習俗又認可，就要靠兒媳婦的娘家去討公道。這時，若遭拒絕，肯定會發(fā)生一場戰(zhàn)斗。如果沒遭拒絕，但施虐者逃之夭夭，娘家的人就把她屋子里一切能打碎的東西，全部打碎，像鏡子、水罐之類的。出完氣之后，揚長而去。假如婆家人事先知道了風聲，就會先把那些東西搬到鄰居家里。據(jù)中國的一家報紙說，北京曾發(fā)生過這么一件事：一個小伙子和一個漂亮的姑娘訂了婚，結(jié)婚時，卻發(fā)現(xiàn)娶來的是個又老又丑的姑娘，而且還是個禿子。失望的新郎勃然大怒，狠狠地打了媒人一頓，大罵那些騙于，并砸毀了新娘的所有嫁妝。在這種情況下，任何一個中國人，只要有膽量，都會這樣做?！芭瓪獗l(fā)，總會平息，這就要看“和事佬”的了——他們在中國社會生活中的作用可非同小可。這些重要的人物都熱衷于和平，即使事不關(guān)己，也會主動出面，兩邊勸慰，促使雙方互相謙讓，協(xié)調(diào)一致。

社會糾紛不能用普通的方式解決時，或者說當事人怒氣太盛，無法發(fā)泄時，就要打官司了。在中國，打官司是件大事。極度的憤怒會使人失去控制，大吵大鬧，最終決定將冒犯者告官，以求“法辦”，在西方，這是魯莽的做法，在中國，完全是發(fā)瘋。中國有些格言，明確表明，寧死也不愿打官司。狗被別人打死，乃小事一樁，我們會笑置之?？梢晃恢袊泼竦墓繁淮蛩乐?，卻聲明要告到法院。他的朋友問他：“一條狗能值幾個錢？”他說：“狗系（是）不及（值）錢，可那家伙太狠了，他要賠我全價?！蔽鞣降姆ㄍ幵敢愿邇r拒絕受理，可在中國，它會導致兩敗俱傷，并結(jié)下世仇。不過，雙方通常都會找些說情的人。這種人無處不在，價值也無可估量。他們的參與使成千上萬的案子在審判前就了結(jié)了。我知道一個小村子，住著上千戶人家，已經(jīng)幾十年沒人打過官司了，究其原因，原來是當?shù)匮瞄T中一位有地位的人物一直在制約著他們。

＊據(jù)來自北京的報告，現(xiàn)在的皇帝并不喜歡為他選擇的妻子。太后作出的選擇常常與皇帝的意愿相違背，令他很不滿意據(jù)人們私下里說，宮庭中的婚禮情況與民間相似，“上行下效”嘛。

一個復雜如中國的社會機器一定會經(jīng)常咯咯作響，在巨大的壓力下扭曲變形，可中國社會卻一直安然無恙。這些壓力并沒有使中國社會破產(chǎn)、毀滅。中國的政治機體也像人的身體一樣，存在著大量的潤滑液囊，在最需要時。最需要處，往往會及時滲出一滴來，加以潤滑。愛好和平的品質(zhì)使每個中國人都成為有價值的社會分子。他們熱愛秩序，尊重法律，甚至在不值得如此時仍惜守不渝。所有支那民族中，中國人是最容易統(tǒng)治的，只要統(tǒng)治方式符合他們的習慣。當然，其他文明，在很多方面或大多數(shù)方面，都優(yōu)于中國。不過，能像中國社會這樣承受如此之巨大壓力者，大概寥寥無幾，其中，最為功不可沒者，當數(shù)那些和事佬。

英文原版：

XXII. sOCI AL TYPHOONS

In China,where families often of great size are crowded together in narrow quarters,it is impossible that occasions for quarrels should not be all-pervasive.“How many are there in your family?"you inquire of your neighbour.“Between ten and twenty mouths,"he replies. “And do you have everything in common?"you ask."Yes,"is the most common reply.Here,then,are fifteen or twenty human beings, probably representing three,if not four,generations,who live from the income of the same business or farm,an income which is all put into a common stock;and the wants of all the members of the family are to be met solely from this common property.The brothers each contribute their time and strength to the common fund,but the sisters-in-law are an element of capital importance,and very difficult it is to harmonise them.The elder sister-in-law enjoys tyrannising somewhat over the younger,and the younger ones are naturally jealous of the prerogatives of the elder. Each strives to make her husband feel that in this community of property he is the one who is worsted.

The younger generation of children furnish a prolific source of domestic unpleasantness. Where is the society capable of withstanding the strain to which it must be subjected under conditions such as these?Troubles of this nature are far from being uncommon in well-ordered homes in Western lands;how much more in the complex and compact life of the Chinese! The occasions for differences are as numerous as the objects and interests with which human beings have to do.Money, food,clothes,children and their squabbles,a dog,a chicken, anything or nothing,will serve as the first loop on which will be knit a complicated tangle of quarrel.

One of the most enigmatical characters in the Chinese lan- guage is that which is used to denote the rise of passion,and which has been euphemistically translated“wrath-matter.” The word“chi”is a most important one in all kinds of Chinese philosophy and in practical life. Ch‘i is generated when a man becomes very angry,and the Chinese believe that there is some deadly connection between this developed “wrath-matter”and the human system generally,so that a violent passion is constantly named as the exciting cause of all varieties of diseases and ailments,such as blindness,failure of the heart,etc.O ne of the first questions which a Chinese doctor asks his patient is,"What was it that threw you into a passion?”Foreign physicians in China of wide experience are ready to believe that Chinese ch‘i is capable of producing all that is claimed for it by the Chinese themselves.Of this the following case is a striking illustration:A man living in the mountains in central Shantung had a wife and several children,two of them of tender age.In October,I88g,the wife died. This made the husband very angry,not,as he explained,in answer to a question,because he was specially attached to his wife,but because he could not see how he was to manage the small children. In a paroxysm of fury he seized a Chinese razor,and made three deep cuts in his abdo- men. Some of his friends afterwards sewed up the wound with cotton thread.Six days later the man had another acces- sion of ch'i, and ripped open the wound. On each occasion he was afterwards unable to remember what he had done. From these fearful injuries he nevertheless recovered,to such an extent that six months later he was able to walk several hundred miles to a foreign hospital for treatment.The ab- dominal wound had partly closed,leaving only a small fistula, but the normal action of the bowels was interrupted.He is a striking exemplification of that plhysical vitality to which atten- tion has been already directed.

The habit of yelling to enforce command or criticism is in- grained in the Chinese,and appears to be ineradicable.To expostulate with another in an ordinary tone of voice,paus- ing at times to listen to his opponent's reply,is to a Chinese almost a psychological impossibility.He must shout,he must interrupt,by a necessity as inexorable as that which leads a dog labouring under great excitement to bark.

The Chinese have carried to a degree of perfection known only among Orientals the art of reviling.The moment that a quarrel begins abusive words of this sort are poured forth in a filthy stream to which nothing in the English language offers any parallel,and with a virulence and pertinacity suggestive of the fish-women of Billingsgate. The merest contact is often sufficient to elicit a torrent of this invective,as a touch induces the electric spark,and it is in constant and almost universal use by all classes and both sexes,always and every- where.It is a common complaint that women use even viler language than men,and that they continue it longer,justify- ing the aphorism that what Chinese women have lost in the compression of their feet seems to have been made up in the volubility of their tongues.Children just beginning to talk learn this abusive dialect from their parents and often em- ploy it towards them,which is regarded as extremely amusing. The use of this language has become to the Chinese a kind of second nature.It is confined to no class of society.Literary graduates and officials of all ranks up to the very highest, when provoked,employ it as freely as their coolies.It is even used by common people on the street as a kind of ban- tering salutation,and as such is returned in kind.

Occidental curses are sometimes not loud but deep,but Chinese maledictions are nothing if not loud.An English oath is a winged bullet;Chinese abuse is a ball of filth. Much of this abusive language is regarded as a sort of spell or curse. A man who has had the heads removed from his field of millet stands at the entrance of the alley which leads to his dwelling,and pours forth volleys of abuse upon the unknown (though often not unsuspected)offender. This proceeding is regarded as having a double value:first,as a means of notifying the public of his loss and of his consequent fury,thus freeing his mind;and second,as a prophylactic, tending to secure him against the repetition of the offence. The culprit is (theoretically)in ambush,listening with some- thing like awe to the frightful imprecations levelled at him. He cannot,of course,be sure that he is not detected,which is often the case. Perhaps the loser knows perfectly well who it was who stole his goods,but contents himself with a public reviling,as a formal notice that the culprit is either known or suspected,and will do well to avoid the repetition of his act. If provoked too far the loser will,it is thus tacitly proclaimed, retaliate.This is the Chinese theory of public reviling.They frankly admit that it not only does not stop theft,but that it has no necessary tendency to prevent its repetition,since among a large population the thief or other offender is by no means certain to know that he has been reviled.

The practice of“reviling the street”is often indulged in by women,who mount the flat roof of the house and shriek away for hours at a time,or until their voices fail.A re- spectable family would not allow such a performance if they could prevent it,but in China,as elsewhere,an enraged woman is a being difficult to restrain.Abuse delivered in this way,on general principles,attracts little or no attention,and one some- times comes upon a man at the head of an alley,or a woman on the roof,screeching themselves red in the face,with not a single auditor in sight.If the day is a hot one the reviler bawls as long as he (or she)has breath,then proceeds to re- fresh himself by a season of fanning,and afterwards returns to the attack with renewed fury.

If a Chinese quarrel be at all violent,it is next to impossi- ble that it should be concluded without more or less personal vilification.English travellers in the south of Europe have noted the astonishment of the Latin races at the invariable habit of the inhabitant of the British Isles to strike out from the shoulder if he gets into a fight.The Chinese,like the Italians,have seldom learned to box,or if they have learned it is not scientific boxing.The first and chief resource of Chinese when matters come to extremities is to seize the cue of their opponent,endeavouring to pull out as much hair as possible. In nine fights out of ten,where only two parties are concerned,and where neither party can lay hold of any weapon,the“fight”resolves itself simply into a hair-pulling match.

A Chinese quarrel is also a reviling match,low language and high words.But an infinitesinal fraction of the partici- pants in Chinese fights is seriously disabled in other respects than that by incessant bawling they have become hoarse. We should be surprised to hear that any one ever saw a Chinese crowd egg on combatants. What we have seen,what we al- ways expect to see.is the instant and spontaneous appearance on the scene of the peace-maker.He is double,perhaps quadruple. Each of the peace-makers seizes a roaring bellig- erent,and tranquillises him with good advice.As soon as he finds himself safely in charge of the peace-maker,the principal in the fight becomes doubly furious.He has judiciously post- poned losing control of himself until there is some one else ready to take that control,and then he gives way to spasms of apparent fury,unquestionably innocuous both to himself and to others. In his most furious moments a Chinese is ame- nable to"reason,"for which he has not only a theoretical,but a very practical,respect.Who ever saw a belligerent turn and rend the officious peace-maker,who is holding him from flying at his foe ?This is the crucial point in the struggle. Even in his fury the Chinese recognises the desirableness of peace—in the abstract—only he thinks that in his concrete case peace is inapplicable.The peace-maker judges differ- ently,and nearly always drags away the bellicose reviler,who yells back to his opponent malignant defiance as he goes.

It is a curious feature of the universal Chinese practice of reviling that it is not considered“good form”in hurling this abuse at another to touch upon his actual faults,but rather to impute to him the most ignoble origin,and to heap contempt upon his ancestors.The employment of this language towards another is justly regarded as a great indignity and a grave offence,but the point of the insult consists not in the use of such language in the presence of another,nor even principally in its application to him,but in the loss of"face"which this application of such terms implies.The proper apology for the commission of this offence is not that the person who has been guilty of it has demeaned himself,and has done a dis- graceful act,but that he was wrong in applying those terms to that person at that time.

It is fortunate for the Chinese that they have not the habit of carrying weapons about them,for if they had revolvers or swords,like the former samurai class of Japan,it would not be possible to predict the amount of mischief which the daily evolution of ch'i would produce.

When any Chinese is once seized of the idea that he has been deeply wronged,there is no power on earth which can prevent the sudden and often utterly ungovernable de- velopment of a certain amount of ch‘i,or rather of a very un- certain amount of it.We have heard of a man who applied for baptism to an old and experienced missionary and was very properly refused,whereupon he got a knife and threatened to attack the missionary to prove by ordeal of battle the claim to the rite of initiation. Happily this method of taking the kingdom of heaven by violence does not commend itself to most novitiates,but the underlying principle is one that is constantly acted upon in all varieties of Chinese social life. An old woman who will not take“no”for an answer asks for fnancial assistance,and throws herself on the ground in front of your carter's mules. If she is run over so much the better for her,for she is thus reasonably sure of a support for an in- definite period.An old vixen living in the same village as the writer was constantly threatening to commit suicide,but though .all her neighbours were willing to lend their aid,she never seemed to accomplish her purpose.At last she threw herself into one of the village mudholes with intent to drown,but found to her disgust that the water was only up to her neck. She lacked that versatility of invention which would have en- abled her to put her head under water and hold it there,but contented herself with reviling the whole village at the top of her voice for her contretemps.The next time she was more successful.

If a wrong has been committed for which there is no legal redress,such as abuse of a married daughter beyond the point which custom warrants,a party of the injured friends will visit the house of the mother-in-law,and if they are resisted,will engage in a pitched battle. If they are not resisted,and the offending persons have fled,the assailants will proceed to smash all the crockery in the house,the mirrors,the water-jars, and whatever else is frangible,and having thus allowed their ch'i to escape,they depart.If their coming is known in ad- vance,the very first step is to remove all these articles to the house of some neighbour.One of the Chinese newspapers mentioned a case which occurred in Peking,where a man had arranged for a wedding with a beautiful woman,who turned out to be ugly,bald-headed,and elderly.The disappointed bridegroom became greatly enraged,struck the go-betweens, reviled the whole company,and smashed the bride's wedding- outfit.Any Chinese would have acted in the same way,if he was in such relations to his environment that he dared to do so.It is after the preliminary paroxysms of ch‘i have had opportunity to subside,that the work of the“peace-talker” —that useful factor in Chinese social life—is accomplished. Sometimes these most essential individuals are so deeply im- pressed with the necessity of peace,that even when the matter is not one which concerns them personally,they are willing to go from one to the other making prostrations now to this side and now to that,in the interests of harmony.

Whenever social storms prove incapable of adjustment by the ordinary processes—in other words,when there is such a preponderance of ch'i that it cannot be dispersed without an explosion—there is the beginning of the lawsuit,a term in China of fateful significance. The same blind rage which leads a person to lose all control of himself in a quarrel leads him,after the first stages of the outbreak have passed,to de- termine to take the offender before a magistrate,in order"to have the law on him."This proceeding in Western lands is generally injudicious,but in China it is sheer madness.There is sound sense in the proverb which praises the man who will suffer himself to be imposed upon to the death before he will go to the law,which will often be worse than death.We smile at the fury of the immigrant whose dog had been shot by a neighbour,and who was remonstrated with by a friend when the resolution to go to law was declared.“What was the value of the dog?”“Ze dog vas vort nottings,but since he vas so mean as to kill him,he shall pay ze full value of him.”In an Occidental land such a suit would be dismissed with costs,and there it would end.In China it might go on to the ruin of both parties,and be a cause of feud for gen- erations yet to come.But generally speaking,every Chinese lawsuit calls out upon each side the omnipresent peace-talker, whose services are invaluable. Millions of lawsuits are thus strangled before they reach the fatal stage.In a village num- bering a thousand families,the writer was informed that forcries more than a generation there had not been a single lawsuit, owing to the restraining influence of a leading man who had a position in the yamen of the District Magistrate.

A social machinery so complicated as that of China must often creak,and sometimes under extreme pressure bend,yet it seldom actually breaks beneath the strain,for,like the human body,the Chinese body politic is provided,as we see,with little sacs of lubricating fluid,distilled,a drop at a time,exactly when and where they are most needed.It is the peaceable quality of the Chinese which makes him a valuable social unit. He loves order and respects law,even when it is not in itself respectable.Of all Asiatic peoples,the Chinese are probably most easily governed,when governed on lines to which they are accustomed. Doubtless there are other forms of civil- isation which are in many or in most respects superior to that of China,but perhaps there are few which would sustain the tension to which Chinese society has for ages been sub- ject,and it may be that there is none better entitled to claim the benediction once pronounced upon the peace-makers.

It was reported in Peking that the present Emperor was not pleased with the choice of a wife which was made for him.He had been so often crossed in his wishes by the Empress Dowager that any selection which was made by her would have been distasteful.It was also whispered that scenes occurred in the palace not remotely unlike those mentioned as taking place at the wedding of one of his subjects."When those above act, those below will imitate."