CUSTOMS 243 



condition of the inmate of the house. 

 Sometimes the screen wall is erected close 

 to the opposite side of the street in front of 

 the door, or it may extend several feet from 

 the street and is made somewhat in the shape 

 of an amphitheatre ; the space enclosed is 

 usually paved and shaded by trees or 

 shrubs. A careful inquiry as to the cause 

 for erecting the screen wall elicits the 

 information that it is built to protect the 

 house from evil spirits. 



The shooter will not be long in observing 

 that to the Chinese mind the whole 

 atmosphere is filled with evil spirits seek- 

 ing to harm the people, but as a defense to 

 the evil intents these spirits can only travel 

 in a straight line and have no power to 

 turn a corner, and by building a wall in 

 front of the door entrance into the house is 

 made impossible. 



Another peculiarity with reference to the 

 front doors of Chinese houses, facing the 

 streets, is that no two doors are placed 

 opposite each other across a street. To 

 place the door of one house opposite the 

 door of another across a street is consider- 

 ed bad luck, because if an evil spirit 

 should happen to get into one house it 



