Among the Celestials : vol.1 / Page 54 (Color Image)

0054	Among the Celestials : vol.1

30 AMONG THE CELESTIALS. [CHAP. I.

There were, for instance, little suet dumplings,

so light that they almost melted in the mouth

like jelly. Some of the dishes of vegetables

were also extremely good, and I especially recall

a plate of stewed young celery. I cannot say,

however, that I can bestow much praise on his

liquor department. Warmed spirit distilled

from rice is not good, and taken as incessantly

as a Chinese host expects his guest to take it,

is apt to make one decidedly heavy, if not

more.

But the point in which the Chinese most

excel in these social gatherings is in their

duty as hosts. They are perfect hosts, full

of attention to their guests, of cheery bonhomie,

and of lively conversation. There is elaborate

politeness, and a strict etiquette is observed,

but no stiffness is apparent ; every one is

cheery, and everyone talks with animation.

It was a revelation, indeed, to us to find what

good fellows these Chinamen could be amongst

themselves. Seeing only the lower classes, the

mule-men, the loafers of the streets, and the

frequenters of the inns, one is apt to form a most

unfavourable impression of the Chinese, and to

regard them as a rude, coarse, unmannerly

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