hough
in good circumstances, do their own household work. In some towns, not
far from Canton, wealthy farmers and country gentlemen hire out their
sons as menials, so that these youngsters, when they have grown up,
shall know the value of money and not squander the family wealth. I
cite a typical case of a millionaire who had only one son. In order to
make him appreciate the worth of money he took his boy to Canton, and
allowed him to be hired out as an ordinary servant. The boy was
ordered by his master to look after a certain part of the house, and
also to take care of a little garden. One day he carelessly broke a
valuable gold-fish jar much prized by the family. His master naturally
became enraged and reproached him for his negligence. The young man
coolly told him that if he would come to his father's house he could
replace the broken vessel by making his own selection from his father's
collection of gold-fish jars. This irritated the master, who thought
that the lad was adding insult to injury. However, ultimately, his
master was persuaded to go with him to his father's house, and to his
great astonishment he found there many gold-fish jars which were more
precious than that which the lad had broken. Household work, however
mean it may be, is not considered degrading in China, but the
difference between China and America is that in America the people are
compelled to do it from necessity, while in China it is resorted to as
a matter of policy to make the young men realize the value of money,
and not spend it wastefully.

The curriculum prescribed in the schools covers a wide range of
subjects, and the graduates are well equipped to face the battle of
life. Not only are drawing, sketching and other fine arts taught, but
also carpentry and other trades. I was once shown a fairly made box
which was the product of a very small boy. I did not at first perceive
the use of teaching a boy to do such work in school, but I learned that
its object was to instruct the pupil how to think and arrange his
materials systematically.

With the exception of those schools established by Christian societies,
or endowed by religious sects, all educational institutions, especially
those established by the state authorities, are secular. Religion is
not taught. Neither the Bible nor any other religious work is used in
the schoolroom. The presidents, professors, and tutors may be strict
churchmen, or very religious peopl