The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-06-02
CHINESE WOMEN.

The BOund-Footeu ana the Lhrse-roo'e"'
Mrs. ). l.. Baldwin. the missionary to
China. lectured in Philadelphia re.
Gently. OF the women in China she
said:
"The women of China are divided
into two classes-the bound footed, who
are the ladies, and the large-footed, who
are the common class. The latter carry
the burdens, do all the drudgery and
outdoor work, while their husbands do
nothing. When little girl is born the
parents think the gods are angry with
them, and they hold consultation
whether she shall be allowed to live or
not. If she is, when she arrives at the
age of four years, they hold another
consultation whether she shall be a
bound footed or a large-footed woman.
If she is chosen to be bound-footed, she
is not permitted to do anything, but if
otherwise she has 10 be family slave. |
have seen woman with four children
strapped to her back and rowing a boat,
while her husband laid in the cabin
smoking his pipe. Girls have no choice
of their husbands ; the young girl is
sold by her parents at the highest price
they can obtain for her. She never sees
her husband, nor he her, until after
they are married. If he chooses he can
obtain a divorce from her for talking
too much if he becomes poor, or gets
tired of her, he sells her again. In the
coolest weather the large-footed women
are not allowed to wear stockings, and
cannot dress in any other color than
black or blue. The manner in which
they make their feet small is by binding
the four toes under the foot, which they
keep bound up for about eleven years,
when the foot becomes dead. | have
walked through the streets when the
women would brush against my dress so
as TO see my feet, so they could tell to
what class | belonged. would say TO
them: II will show you my feet, but
do not pull my clothes, as it is rude
When they would examine my feet
they would exclaim Why, have you
no real ladies in America p And the
only way | could make them believe
that we had was by telling them that
women read books like the men. which
utterly astounded them, as the real
Chinese lady is brought up in the ut
most ignorance, and they only marry in
the Iltll ldulllleS DeCduSe lHcl KNOW anu
do so little, and need so much waiting
upon that is takes a rich husband TO
support If you ask a Chinese woman
how many children she has, she will
give you only the number of boys. She
has to be asked the second time how
many girls she has, as they are though
so little of that in many cases they are
killed as soon as born. A large-footed
woman told me once that her first child
was u little girl, and she described TO
me how she loved the little one My
husband went out she said, and
brought in tub OF water. | begged
him to spare its life, but he took the
little one and put its head in the water
and held it there till it was dead HeI
second babe was a daughter, and it was
served the same as the first; the third
child was boy he lived until he was
about four years old, then the gods rot
angry and killed him then my hus
band died; and now if eat anything
that is nice. and if | wear good clothes
my relatives become angry and treat me
harShly.' Even in our Christian
churches in China. the women are not
allowed i'm the same room with the men
but are partitioned of in lattice work
room