The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-01-09
CHINESE FAMILY LIFE.
A Chinese Father states tits Condition
and Ambltinpn In Life.


and Ambitions In Life.
A Chinaman writes as follows to the
Shanghae (China) Celestial Empire !:
1 am the third son Of my father, and
am ffty-one years of age. Ge was q
native OF the province of Cheh Kiang,
and was at the time of his death an ex.
pectant magistrate in attendance ~
the court OF the provincial government
OF Y. He died at tho age of fifty.
four, just twenty years ago. My pa
ternal grandfather was full magistrate
OF the district Of q, in this province,
and we consider him the progenitur OK
our family. All connection with our
Oheh Kiang ancestors has long since
been cut of and forgotten. have also
one uncle living, the younger brother
of my father. Ny mother was small
footed Oheh Kieng woman, and came
from her native province with nv
father, She could speak the mandarin
dialect as we'll as her native tongue :
and it is to her that I am indebted for
the Kwan-hwa which I now use. NV
mother bore my father two sons beside
myself one, younger than myself, died
the age OF three or four years. / am
married to small-fuoted native of
Y, who is now forty eight years of
age. By her have had nine children,
four boys and five girls. OF these
there are five now living. Nv eldest
SOD died at the age of twenty-five. The
eldest child living ia q daughter, aged
twenty-seven, who is married to local
trader, and belongs, of course, to my
Family no longer. My eldest living
son, aged twenty-five, is employed as o
tutor to boys in the neighborhood of
cur dwelling, and his total earnings
from this source would amount to about
eight dollars month. He Is married
TO the daughter of clerk in the provin.
cial treasurer's Office.
My second daughter was married this
year to the teacher of boys school,
Nhese marriages are the great expense
20 us respectable families. 1t cost me
$500, nearly one years salary, to defray
the cost of our last little affair. OF this
had saved $l20. In the delicate guise ol
cake money, many of the neighbors con.
trlbuted from 81 to Il. one apiece, an6
the rest L had to borrow, and am still
paying off. The chief expense is fol
Che threo days open house kept during
Che festivities. Pork, cakes, wines, etc.
nave to be liberally distributed around
and it would never do for gentleman
OF my position to be shabby. Then thu
wlfes outfit must always be supplied b,
her own family. Tables, chairs, clothes
trunks, pots and pans, and goodness
knows what not. All you have little
idea how we Chinese fathers must scrape
and starve to do our duty respectfully
,o -
ne is twenty-one years of age, but al
yet not betrothed. Ny youngest daugb
ter is thirteen, and she learns hel
household duties at home. OF course
all the females of our family are small
footed. My uncle's son, aged forty
five, is still alive and has four daugh
ters.. My wife and children, and m,
cousin and his four daughters, thu
form the whole of our family.
My house consists of six apartments
and stands me $5 month for rent tw,
of the apartments are reception rooms
Before was employed by my foreign
friend served as clerk in the custom
house but never having any inclination
to squeeze did not get on we'll. know
am stupid, but really cannot squeeze
although my friends make sport of m,
for it. I like to be quiet and independ
ent, and as long as I get my salary regu
larly paid hope to remain of the sam,
mind. Were to die my wife woult
take one share of what little property ]
have one share would be reserved TO,
the expense of my youngest daughter
wedding, and share apiece would gt
to each of my two sons. Besides tht
members of our family we keep on,
coolie and one old woman to DO th,
rough work of the household. Ever,
day 1 walk four English miles to my
duties, and four miles back again in the
afternoon. This I have done for nearl,
twenty years. Certainly, might NOV,
to nearer place, but I enjoy a yer,
high position in my neighborhood, be
ing one OF the spokesmen of the ward
The wards are of different sizes. Our
is small one, consisting of not NOR
than two hundred houses. All small
matters are referred to the four spokes
men, who either settle the matter indi
vidually or meet in the temple to dis
cuss it. Grave matters go before th,
district mac iS Gra IA in tho y,c,, ol r,o,,