The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1867-05-30

IN CHINA have no waists; they are
actually formless. Their style OF
dress utterly conceals every line of the
figure. Their dress is system OF
sacks and bngs--saclSs for the body
bags for the limbs.
They dress very richly; but mover
IN variegated colors; hence calico is
unknown in China as material for
dress. The trowsers, vOluminous as
you know, may be of a color different
from the coat, which they call shirt,
but the same garment has never but
ono color. The hair is dressed in the
most exaggerated manner conceivable.
! have soen it stuck out from the head
! full ten inches from the scalp. They
spend hours in its arrangement; they
have wonderfully luxurant suits OF
hair. l have seen them, when the hair
was down, stand erect with their heels
upon the hair. In order to made it
keep its place when fully dressed, IN
stead of resorting TO Gratis" "mice,"
and "such small deer" they use kind
of gum, obtained by boiling the chips
of certain wood used by carpenters.
They are oxtravagantly fond of para.
ding their umbrellas often sec Chi
nese women walking together in beau
tiful starlight evenings with their
umbrellas ut full spread The are
blessed with entire exemption from
the wearing of bonnets. They only
head covering is a gay Madras hand.
kcrchieS which they frequently en-
broider very olaborately for this pur-
pose. They are, in common with
their sex every where, very fond of
jewelry, but it must be none of your
gold "nonsense," nothing meaner than
pure porcelain or yade stone will
suffice for celestial taste. Glass is adj
mlssible if it be a particularly. bright
green.
The Chinese arc exceedingly modest
in their manners, and perfectly so in
dress. In the heat of summer labor
ing men frequently go almost entirely
naked, but never saw China wo-
man, even oft laborlng classes, make
the slightest exposure Of person even
under tho most oppressive heat. The
women are generally very ignorant;
1t is not considered necdful for them
to learn to read or write; hence but
few can write their names or read at
all.
There is one "peculiar institution"
here that ladies delight in, and which
am sure you would be pleased with;
/. o. the palanquin, pronounced, as l
now learn, the 'palankcen'-accent on
last sylable). Ladies are uniformly
delighted with this mode eoflocomoton,
for in their palanquins the dear crea-
lures are literally transported. The
idea Of boing carried about on the
shoulders Of men seems to have, with
them, peculiar fascination that horse
flesh can by no means produce. La
dies palanquins are handsomely COW
cred with broadcloth richly embroid-
cred, and on the inside are elegantly
drapod with damask and lace, and fit
ted with movable blinds and shades,
that the fair occupants may ride out
en- ma&gue, if so desiring, and their
characteristic curiosity shll bo graft
fed by seeing all without, themselves
remaining unseen. If two ladies ride
out together, their coolies bring
palanquns side by side, and thus
move along IN conversation as easily rs
if sitting in the same carriage scat, and
more so, as the moving carriage is
noisy, the palanquin noiseloss.
Do you wish to go shopping or call.
ling, your coolies will bring your pal
anquin up stairs to your dressing
room door, if so directed; will take you
up and carry you sup stars, down
stairs, or in my lady's chamber" bear
you from shop to shop, or into the hall
or drawing-room of yOurfricnd's S house,
or to tho house-top, if 50 ordered, a
thing somewhat difficult for carriage
to achieve, You make your call long
or short, as you please, one-half an hour
or one-halt day-no difference; your
driver never becomes impatient, your
team never grows restive. On your
summons or approach, they come
without calling, take you upon their
stalwart shoulders, shielded from the
sun by their enorm GUS hats Qour feet
across the brim), and ifyou are in haste
you have only to say "ficht-ee," and
away they lope at five miles an hour.
Is theroad clean, quiet and cool, shad-
ed by overarching trees and inviting
to a walk, you have only to say "man-
man, land your coolies will set You
gently down, and you incontinently
walk offupon the level ground; no
slIppery carriage steps to muddy nor
moving wheels to climb over or to fall
from. .
Your coolies follow your footsteps
till, having exercised on foot Ion
enough, you halt, and Immediately
your pnlanquln Is at your side; you
quietly step in, and ON you 60, with
nothing to do but simply to enjoy
moving through the air like a bird,