Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-06
The Helpless Chinese Ladies.

lnrs. Grey's fourteen Months In Canton."l
was quietly watching all the movements
around me, ana lsaw an amah take a little
sponge cup pudding into her hand, break 1t
same thing also happened with the fruit. A
ChlneSe Lady Is most dependent upon her amah,
she does nothing for herself and they say that
night. and that she is lifted up and put into
bed like an infant
Chinese ladies' cannot understand us Euro
Rea n1 ladies' they say 'You an same as men ar
manners, nor our dress, nor our independence.
They ask me why do not dress like them,
why do not rouge, etc. The ladies were very
sherry. The tea was evidently great comfort
to them as It was served in their own fashion:
When our dinner was over, the ladies proposed
that should take them to the Shameen gar.
the..chapla1ncy. You would have been diverted
II you could have seen our party start from the
house. The ladies wore beautiful embroidered
robes; the underSk1rt was in dark blue silk,
with raised embroidery Of shaded light blue
flowers. The skirt sets extremely close, and Is,
In fact, very narrow; the front piece Of 1t is
sides and back it is folded into tiny plaits, and
the embroidery is worked on the outside of
each plait. There was a border Of pale blue
shaded 1Wes round the edge Of the des
blue silk, and the tunic, in the same color and
material, made with wide flowing sleeves. The
throat and sleeves were edged With the shaded
pale blue embroidery.
The ladies, on arriving, apologized that they
had not on their best red costumes, saying that
they could not wear them on account Of their
were palmer IL style than the dresses of the
elder ladies. Their shining long hair was worn
In long plaits, tied at the end with blue rib
bon. All my visitors q mean the ladies', were
smallfoot excepting Mrs Howqua-
On leaving our house gave my hand to the
latter In true Chinese style, and we started on
our walk. felt little shy Of stepping on to
the public promenade with my Chinese friends.
they soon became tired and mounted the backs
OF their amahs. The young married lady was
carried In this manner all the way. must
say 1t Is most inelegant style of being carried
The lady passes her hand around the amah's
neck, and places her knees in the hands of the
servant, which are held out behind her. Our
progress was very slow, and believe the dis
lance seemed immense to the ladies, who are
wholly unaccustOmed to walk outside their
gardens Mrs. Howqua rested on each bench
by the way, and we took half an hour or more
to walk the short distance.
We returned home in the same style; and
when we reached the chaplaincy the amahs
handed the ladies long pipes, from which they
took Whit or two. The attendant stands be-
she puts the end Of the long tube t. tie Lads
lips, who takes one or two whiffs only. The
ladies now enjoyed quiet gossip with each
other. have not yet told you that the three
yOuuS SL1lulCu UClouSluS w tut WluUWcI Wclo
dressed in strict mourning. The little girls
wore plain cotton tunics and trousers, and had
no flowers in their hair. Their shoes were
plain white, bound with blue. The little boy
wore plain blue silk trousers tied round the
ankle with blue ribbon; he wore also white
shoes, and his tail was tied with blue. The
gentlemen expressed much satisfaction with
the dinner, and also with the wines to which I
heard they had done ample justice. Mr.
Howqua came up to me and said, "Thank you,
No. ! good dinner"
All were now in the veranda, and tea was
again handed. The ladies sat apart from the
gentlemen, not addressing them, only speaking
to each other. They at last rose to take leave,
and we ordered their chairs to be brought into
the hall: With many bendings, mods and chin
chins, they now entered their chairs, taking
the children with them, and were carried off.
The gentlemen left soon after, about O'Clock.
They sent their visiting cards (which are made
of broad strips of red paper, having the names
written on the right-hand side, to us imme-
diately on reaching their house. This is an
have arrived home In safety.