Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 August 1899 — Chinese Compliments. [ARTICLE]

Chinese Compliments.

There is one point in which Chinese etiquette, so often absurd,, is much more sensible than ours. That is in its failure to regard the imputation of mature age as a discredtt to either man of woman, or, on the other hand, the imputation of youthfulness as a compliment to persons of either sex. An example of Chinese politeness, connected with the visit of the Prince and Princess Henry of Prussia to Shanghai, is amusing, as It reflects on our own false notion of the complimentary in such matters. The German prince and princess were visiting a notable mandarin, one of whose first questions to the prince—this being an invariable matter of Chinese politeness—was: “How old are you?” “A little more than thirty-six,” answered the prince, smiling. “Indeed!” said the mandarin. “Your highness appears fifty.” The mandarin then turned to the interpreter—Herr Voight, a German—and inquired the princess' age. She answered, “Thirty-two.” The interpreter Interpreted, and the mandarin made a remark tn Chinese evidently Intended to be complimentary. The Interpreter blushed uneasily, and hesitated to translate the remark. The prince saw the difficulty, and laughingly commanded: “Out with it Voight!” “He says,” the Interpreter then translated to the princess, “that your highness looks like sixty!” He had meant it well, and of course the princess bad sense enough not to take It HL The sweetest type of heaven is borne.