Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1843-05-16
FEE NJ ALES IN CHINA.

to be in company with any Of them, except
their husband after marriage. If, notwith-
standing this precaution, a girl should devil
ate from purity, she is by her father sold
as a slave. Without books, without refn-
ed or liberal amusements, confined TO a
small, in-elegant and i'll furnished apart
menf, they are allowed to begue their te-
dious hours by solace which must seem
singular 10 the delicacy Of our ladies'; they
all smoke tobacco; every girl from the age
Of eight or nine wears a small silken purse
to hold tobacco, and a pipe, and even at
that tender age, has frequent recourse to
that sort of sensuality to enable her to while
away her time; they are allowed to go to a
considerable expense in this article of lux
ury, and their pip pes are in general very
elegant, being tastefully carved and adorn-
cd with gems and mouth pieces of amber
Though generally pretty, and of fair COM
plexion, their mode Of dress is very disfg-
uring. The (orepart Of the head is shaved
and the hair on the sides is allowed to hang
down in long strings, whilst that on the
back part is plated into a long tail hanging
down behind, and they wear a loose dress
of silk or Grape, with large sleeves and
loose trousers: these sleeves are sometimes
swollen out to such enormous dimensions,
that a whole piece Of silk is required to
make one Of them. The hair Of girls, when
they are married, is collected upon the top
Of their heads, confined by gold or silver
pins. a few Of these unhappy captives are
employed in embrodering silk, in painting
birds, insects, and flowers, or thin gauze,
and the beauty and elegance Of these works
bear strong evidence Of the great natura'
taste Of the artists; but such labors are con-
sidered degrading TO the higher ranks, and
confined to the female relations Of trades
men artfcers. Marriage, the most impor-
tantepoch Of the human life; is the only sub
stitution Of one species Of slavery for an
other. Girls are married very early, as
fathers are anxious to be relieved Of the
burden Of thei: maintenance; and also to
obtain the price paid for them by the bride
groom; for their helpless and interesting
victims are literally sold to the highest bid
der, and competition is invited by the father
publicly Announcing that husband is re-
CURED for his daughter.
In this case, the sutton employs female
ambassador who visits the girl, and if ia
vorabe to the match; sets forth the charms
OF her pale complexion. slender waist, and
dminutive feet. A price is then demanded
for her, varying from to 5000 dollars,
according to her rank and alleged charms.
for the bride and bridegroom never meet
till the ceremony has been performed AS
soon as the bargain has been concluded, the
stipulated sum, with various presents is de-
livered, and lucky day appointed for the
wedding, after which the bride, like Jep-
tha's daughter, wceps ten days with her sis
ter. The only portion which the bride re-
ceives from her father is set Of clothing
sent by him with great pomp to the house
Of her future husband. She is then con-
veyed thither in palanquin or cedar-chair
in which she is securely locked, the key
being kept by her mother, or in case she
be not living, or unable 10 attend) by some
other near female relative, and the process
sion is attended by band of music. On
arrival at the bridegroom's house, the chair
is unlocked and opened, and then for the
first time the bride and bridegroom are al
lowed to see each other; if she does not
please him, he may send her back, but then
he forfeits the money which he has paid;
if allowed once to alight at his threshold,
she becomes rrevocably his wife. He
introduces her with abundance Of bows,
ceremonies and gallantries, into the great
hall, where they PROSTATE themselves be-
fore the tutelary idol of the family; and both
as we'll as the relatives on each side, and
guests, sit down to an abundant repast, at
which the marriage ceremony is performed
by both man and woman, drinking a cup
of wine which they exchange with each
other TO intimate their union. After a
month has elapsed, the bride revisits her
parents TO perform once more for several
weeks the duties Of a daughter, and then to
bid lasting farewell TO the parental home,
being no longer considered their property.
It is not surprising that such shocking dis
regard Of refinement, and of some OF the
best and strongest affections Of our nature,
should often lead to similar results. Girls
forced to marry strangers whom they a0-
hor, uot untrequently in an excess OF rage
and despair, tear or cut away their hair,
and thus they become nuns before they
partake of the matrimonial cup, or destroy
themselves by taking poison. Yet sighted
and ill treated as they are, the conduct of
the married ladies of China is not only ex-
emplary but is generally highly audable.
One of them has been known thus meekly
to instruct her daughter in her future du-
ties:-" The duties ola wife consist in pre-
pairing food and clothing, and in superin-
tending domestic concerns. She has out
of doors no business. When we are girls
it is our duty to be subject to our parents.
When we are married, we depend on our
husbands, and we ought to follow them
whither-soever they lead us. When we
become widows, and our sons are arrived
at the years of discretion, we ought to yield
to them as we'll as to our husband" Such