The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1876-03-10

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One New Year / was invited I'd anS, II
the day with a Chinese tea merehs.s.
and his family; and as I was anr;c... q
TO learn exactly how they observed q.
festal season, | begged them to -
no change either in their festiyitiea I.
the bill OF fare, but to let me be. treats :
Just as one of themselves. Ihad kno,ss
the old merchant and his sons for ~.
time, but had never met the lailies 8
his household. There were thre = !.
them. e., the old gentleman's riis 4
an unmarried daughter and the 49,
welded wife of the eldest son. Ti \
last, ] had heard, was beautiful, IA 1 s
was not prepared for such vision s
loneliness as met my view, when ~
tiny-footed, gentle-spoken twelve-ye,s.
old bride was introduced by her moeA1s
in-law. She was very fair, with e.
bright as diamonds, and her long. Sx
black hair, in one heavy braid. -. ~
twined with wreath of natural fIovs,.
about the beautifully formed head. a.
held in place by jeweled pins. IT,,
wore EARRINGS. Of co.'s
with necklaces, chains, braOele1s
and rings enough to have constit1f1l
quite respectable fortune in then.;s
selves. Her dress was Of pale bhesiR y
very richly embroidered-al her -
work, she told me. The skirt hung Is
full plaits about her slender figure, ~ Z
the tight-fitting jacket showed I'd porlsa
lection the exquisitely rounded iern. (.
while the loose sleeve, open to the elbor1. sg
displayed an arm that might have serye5
as model for the sculptor. But e ]
this loneliness was only for female eye1.
for before entering the sitting-room.
where her husband, father and brother.
in-law were assembled, she put on IL
long, loose, outer garment that Chine i
ladies always wear when in ssfull drees. AZ
This came below the knee, its slsevas 4
reaching to the tips of her fingers, MIR
its loose, flowing style effectually vai1el
the fairy form, hiding all its symhsllyy
She had the tiny, pressed feet that ~
Chinese consider not only beantiil,
but necessary to high breeding; al
they were encased in the daintie6t
Of satin slippers, embroidered ~
seed pearls. But fnery could NJ
hide the deformity produced by 10 m
natural process, nor the awkWasa
limp of the poor little lady as she leauk
ed on the shoulders Of her maidens II {
hobbling from room to room. sSkSa
her if the feet were still painful, II
she replied that for the last two 81 krso
years sort of numbness had succeeded
the pain, but that formerly, and fron
her earliest recollection, her sun 6tifirt
had been so intense that she WodId
gladly have died; and that she lid u
ten, in frantic agony, torn of the band I
ages, and when, they were replaced
shrieked and screamed till delirium. ~
Q time, relieved the consciousness u
suffering. But after the fifth year ~
pain gradually became less intolerabla,
she said, and now she did not think yegy
much about it, exceptwhen the bandagss
were changed. Then the return q fhe
blood to the foot was such tortaTe -
language could not describe. Yet NJ
reply to my question ON thesubject 49,
gentle girl-wife said it would be cruel
| in parent not to press the feet Of ~
daughter, as he thereby shut her o.
from good society, and n1ad6 b plttei6A
OF her for lie. t'A1afs
The bandages are always aappiled ~
early infancy, and before Putting 49,
on, all the toes except the 1rst xla
second are doubled in beneath TIE solee
Of the feet. The length of the fcet
after undergoing this painful Operations
never exceeds five inches and olin
| rily is scarcely four.
The young daughter OF myhose Sasa
petite maiden OF ten. attired 2 o.
robes OF rose-cOlored SAITH, embfoltie
in silver, and her glossy raven hair ~
disposed int massive braids, ha1
down almost to her tiny feet, twinkIia
| in silver hued slippers. Chimes NJ