Smyrna times., 1870-03-16

and then sat down on a stool near him. She
couldn't use our tongue, but the man seemed
from time to time to give her an idea of the
desutOry talk, and she appeared to find pleas
ure in what he said Immediately after we spoke
of the children. The Oldest had wonderfully
wise look in his large brown eyes, and didn't
seem quite sure that it would be the proper
thing to allow the strangers any familliarties OF
talk or touch.
| wanted to see one of our real Chinese la
dies, married woman Of the upper class
This was not possible. Home is the wOmans
province, in the opinion of WO Lee and his
kinsmen her business is to stay there, and
these ladies' of the higher rank never appear
on the street. Mr.. Lee is courtesy itself in his
store and at his business, but he invites no
white man to meet his wife and family. a lit
tie inquiry convinced me that there was no
way in which | could satisfy my curio,ity-no
way, unless L used the eyes Of "a female friend.
And did that. This was the way, and this
| the report.
| There were three of the ladies, all friends of
mine and they were permitted to call on the
wife OF "a Chinese gentleman. 1t took two or
three days and a great deal Of diplomacy to ar
range for the visit. He didn't mean they
should 60, but they conquered him at last. as
| they have conquered, and will continue to CON
qucr, white men. Eleven clock in the morn
ing, sharp eleven, was the hour fixed, and the
| husband was to be at the store to conduct them
to his residence. They were on hand to the
moment, and waited half an hour in the store,
chatting with each other and the merchant.
Then he led the way, and they followed. At
the house it was upstairs, and through the
hall, and up another stairway, and into a third
story back room. The man had been in Cali
fornla seven or eight years when he returned
from his visit to China two years ago he
brought his bride-of high estate, rich in
dover, with the smallest OF small feet. She
hasn't been out Of the house since the day
he took her there. From the back room the
three curious women, one OF whom was using
her eyes Tor me, were taken into the front room
Both were plainly furnished; there were
chairs aud shelves and mats and a table, anC
scrolls on the walls, aud plants in the window
but nothing else for beauty or ornament The
waited half an hour more for this lady of higl
birth and bleeding. Then she appeared, com
ing III from a side door, with her head dowl
and tan before her face, scarcely able t.
walk because OF her tiny feet, half supporte,
; by the peasant maid carrying the baby. Sh
t was dressed as for a grand occasion. He
t hair was braided and plated and rolled an,
: put up with combs and pins and arrows of g0l
and silver. The body Of her dress was of plai
: c0l0red silk, loose, high in the neck, elegar
" VI lcAluIC3 Will long ana large sleeves turne
e back from the hands and richly embroidered O
It the cuffs. The underskirt was also of silk. iu.
J touching the floor, narrowly embroidered i
! bright cOlUrs at the bottom and plain above
the upper skirt was Of satin, reaching Just /,
IS low the knees, covered with fine and elabora
embroidery around her waist was silk saS
e or girdle, with the ends trailing on the foo
/. She stood through the brief call, hardly raj
d ing her eyes for an instant, not speaking a s
il gle wOrd and holding her open fan in such
< way that my friends caught but glance or tv
e OF her talr and painted face-enOugh to 81
t. that her eyes were winning and her featur
: regular and delicate. The baby was twelve
I'd fourteen months old, a bright and handsou
o. boy, III whom the father showed delicious prid
j. 1t was richly and somewhat Enthusiastically dres
&C ed, with many costly and burdensome orn
eS ments OF gold and silver given by friends
San Francisco and sent by friends in China
es rings on its chubby hands, tinkling bells on
ne ankles and pendent from ribbons of its quai
ce cap. The father chatted with the ladies, a
d. was pleased when they petted his boy, shru
as ged his shoulders when they suggested that
IN take his wife and baby out riding, and at
" end OF ten minutes tremendously conduct
et them down the stairways and out into t
e. street; they wondered how the young W
he found life endurabe in the confinement, VI
er on year, Of her three or four barren rooms
L wOnderlng-and then, when they thought
Dr. baby and motherhood, not wondering -1tic
7s, tic MOnthu