National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-10-18
Selling Boys and Girls.

correspondent at Hong Kong, emma
which reveal. 10 you how boys and girl
arc used there. II will interest you, ant
perhaps make yen more thankful an'
contentcd than you are. The correspon
dent says;
saw the sale OF n family, last week
for debt. where the husband and father
was in California, and perhaps ! canno
do better than tell you about IL. There
were five children-three girls and two
boys. We had passed them three times
in our chairs during the day, rs they
stood beside the road, dressed in THEN
holiday attire Of black, The silence
they observed whenever any person
passed, and their downcast looks, created
curiosity on our par to know their bust
ness there. Arr Hung tour water) was
called up and asked the cause of this
little parade. "Why," said he, I" the
girls, aud perhaps the whole family, are
for sale" We stopped our chairs and
stepped out TO have talk with them.
using Arr Hung as an interpreter. The
mother was wrinked and gray, and hung
her head, MS if she were afraid to look us
in the face. But the children, with the
exception Of the oldest girl, looked cheer
full, and were quite pleased with their
holiday attire. The Oldest girl was six
teen, and the oldest boy fifteen. So said
the gruil old broker who had the party
in charge, who seemed quite anxious to
dispose of his wares.
After a good deal OF quizzing and
evasive answers the broker told us that
the husband and father was in California,
and had neglected to pay his note given
for his passage, and that his family were
now offered for sale to pay the debt. He
hoped to be able TO pay the debt with
the sale Of the two Oldest girls, but as
vet he had received no offers. He SAID
hat the family became security, volun-
tarily, and he never knew of case where
they did not voluntarily offer themselves
for sale if the note they secured was not
paid. In reply to our questions he said
hat when customer bought child or
person, the person was made at once the
owner Of the child, body and soul. No
Chnaman would dispute the purchasers
right to do whatever he pleases with the
human being he had paid for. Thc boys
would make good servants, he tai and
IN the course of few years be worth a
fortune to the owner. The girls would
make good ''armers' Tor nurses, rs they
are called in America). He would show
us their physical beauty-would make
them sing and play tricks if we thought
Of buying. How much would we give
The Oldest girl he would sell for four
hundred dollars the next one for two
the little six-year- for fifty.
The boys he could not sell until the girls
were disposed Of. We thought the price
90 high. The market was glutted with
3alable girls, and he must not think of
getting over one hundred for the oldest
and handsomest, while for the little one
he must not expect ten dollars He
sneered at that, and said that Englishmen
always talked that way when they want
ed to buy.
While we were conversing a party OF
blue-robed Chinese aristocrats came up
md began to inspect the family. They
opened the mouth of the Oldest girl,
raped on her white teeth to see if
they were sound, pulled open her dress,
thumped her ribs, laughed at her little
feet, told her to show the whites of her
eyes, ordered her to sing and to show
them the trinkets which the fond mother
had given her rs IL parting gift. All the
while the salesman kept up constant
jabber, in which we took no interest.
Time pressing, we passed on, leaving
the parties disputing about the price
and discussing probabilities of their
away if taken to Hong Kong.
After making our call we returned the
same way, to ascertain the result of the
sale. Only the mother and the boys
were left. The dobt was only $500,
and $50 of it still remained unpaid. |
have been often told by residents in
China that the parents would as soon
sell their children as COW or pig.
And | had begun TO believe that such
was the case upon passing the group
the first time. But the scene had chang
ed. The girls were gone, and now
boy must go also. The mother sat in
the dirt with her arms around the young.
est, wailing in the most piteous manner,
and as Arr Hung said, cursing the men
that sold her husband ticket to America
at 5000 which cost them but $40.
The broker sat listlessly by, smoking
his pipe, and twirling his cane, looking
as if it was the smallest matter of bust
ncss with him. The boys were crying,
and seemed very much afraid of us
now it was certain that one of them
must 90. But we passed on and left
them in their misery. We never knew
whether the boy was sold to childless
man to be treated as son, to Fortu
guese to be carried to the West Indies
under a nominal contract, or to native
land owner to be his slave. But that
one of them was sold into servitude
for the sum OF $50, there can be no
doubt. The girls were doubtless pur-
chased for the vilest of purposes, unless
they had the rare luck to fall into the
hands of some native in search OF
legitimate wife. l am told that the
price of girls has gone up within few
owing, perhaps, to the fact
that less number of emiB ants have
forfeited their bonds in California than
was the case six months ago. | was
shown four bright, plump, rose appear
ing girls, yesterday, who were purchas-
ed less than a year ago (the whole lot
Tor $50. Now they will sell readily for
$500 each.
How TO CHOOSE A WIFE.-We ven
ture to give the following recipe for the
of n wife: "A place for every
thing and everything in its place." said
m old man to his daughter. Select
not n wife. my son. who will ever step