The Arizona champion., 1883-11-17
THE CHINESE BRIDE.
How She is Delivered to the Groom,
 and How He Makes Her His Wife.

dhu AhoN Ais NIdkcs 1er HIS WIG. On the wedding day the guests as- semble in the bridegroom's house. Then a procession is formed, consisting of friends, bands of music, and sedan chairs decorated in red and gold, with bearers in red coats and dressed in sort Of livery, sometimes wearing red caps. The procession starts from the house with courier at the head. He bears large piece of pork on tray, to keep off malicious demons who may be lurking on the street corners and in the alleys. These demons are supposed to tackle the pork, and while they are thus busied the procession passes on without being affected by their evil influence. All this time the bride is in her own house, arraying herself in her best dress and richest jewels. Her hair is bound up and arranged in due form and style by skilled matron. After this her headdress is donned. It usual ly consists of some rich material sprinkled with ornaments. A large mantle is then thrown over her. It completely covers her. Last of all an enormous hat, as large as an umbrella, is placed on her head. It comes down to her shoulders, completely hiding her face. Thus rigged, she takes her seat in the red gilt marriage chair, called kwa kiau. When concealed in this ,chair she is carried to her husband by four men.
 When the bride is seated in the chair her mother or some other relative locks the door and the key is given to the best man. l suppose he turns it over to the bridegroom on reaching his house. The procession returns with more care and more style. l saw one during a ramble in a Chinese town. As the bride was born past us we gave her three cheers. 1 dare say that all her children will be either knock-kneed or bow-legged, because of the cheers of the barians. Good luck to the poor bottled-up one. She had the best wishes of all our party, as we followed the procession for some squares, to the great astonishment of all the Chinamen on the street.
 As the procession approached the bride-groom's door band stationed there struck up tune and firecrackers were let off by the box until the bride
 uoc ao o.rfn1 ,rithit, tho tn frhA
 between then got the key from the
 bridegroom and opened the door of the sedan-chair. As the bride alighted she was saluted by a small child at the side of the old man. The groom was closeted within the house, and she went in to seek him. She still wore the enormous
 hat and mantle. When she found the
 groom he greeted her with great gravity
 They both approached the ancestral
 tablet and bowed their heads three
 times. They next took seats at small table bearing two goblets, tied together with thread and containing vine. The go-between severed the thread, but the
 bride failed to quench her thirst owing
 to the enormous hat and mantle.
 The two were now man and wife. The husband took the hat and mantle
 from the bride, and for the first time in
 his life had look at her. After he
 had looked at her for some minutes he called in his friends and guests. They scrutinized her and made no bones of
 expressing thcir opinions concerning
 her charms. The females gave their
 tongues full scope, and had no mercy upon the poor bride. She took it all without making any disagreeable answer,
 for fear that the match would be con sidered an unlucky one. These cruel criticisms ended, she was introduced to her husbands parents, after which she saluted her own father and mother The wedding feast was then served, the sexes eating in different apartments. The males were served by the bride groom and his male relatives, and the
 females by the bride and her mother-in- law, assisted by servants. The two sexes rarely sit down at the same table.
 Marriage is very common among the
 Chinese. You hardly ever come across a girl of l6 or IS who is not tied down to some man. If woman commits
 adultry after marriage she is decapitated under the law The man, however, is allowed to keep as many concubines as he can support, their children being legitimated, but coming after the children of the wife. If the concubines live under the same roof they are mere
 servants of the wife. Some rich married men keep concubines in separate apart ments. Such positions are eagely sought by damsels of very fair par entage.