Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-07-21
Marriages IN CHINA.
HOW the Bride IL Delivered 60 tho
Groom and How He Makes Her His
Wife.

From the New York Sun.
On the wedding day the guests assemble I'm
the bridegroom's house. Then procession is
formed, consisting of friends, bands of music
and sedan chairs. decorated with red, and gold.
with bearers in red coats, and dressed In a sort
OF livery, sometimes wearing red caps. The pro-
cessOn starts from the house with a courier at
the head: He bears large piece of pork on a
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 busted the procession
passes on without beng affected by their evil
influence n All this time the bride is at her own
mousse. arraying herself in her best dress and
richest jewels. Her hair is bound up and
arranged In due form and style by a skilled
matrOn. After this her headdress is donned
lt usually consists of some rich material
sprinkled with ornaments. large mantle is
thrown over her. 1t 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 rugged she takes her seat in the marriage
chair, called k,rd kidu. 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. | sup
pose he turns 1t over to the bridegroom on reach
ing his house. The procession returns with
more care and more STYLE 1 saw one during a
ralnble In Chinese town. As the bride was
borne past us we gave her three cheers [
dare say that oil her children will be either
knock-kneed or bOw-legged. because Of the
cheers OF the barbarians 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 establishment of
all the Cinnamon on the street.
AS the procession approached the BRIDE
grOOmS door band stationed there struck mn
tune, and fire crackers were let off by the box
until the bride was carried within the gate
Inc go-between then got the key from the BRIDE
groom and opened the door of the sedan chair
AS the bride alighted she was Ealuted by a small
enid at the side of an 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 table and bowed their heads three
times. They next took seats at a small table
bearing two gOblets tied together with thread
and containing wine. 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 hus-
Oand took the hat and mantle from the bride
and for the first time in hfs life had look at her.
After he had looked at her for some minutes he
called In his friends and guests. They scru-
tinized her and made no bones Of expressing
their opinions concerning her charms. The
females gave their tongue full scope, and had
no mercy upon the poor bride. She took it all
without making q disagreeable answer, for fear
that the match would be considered an unlucky
one. These cruel criticisms ended, she was in
troduced 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 bridegrOOm.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 girl Of sixteen
or eighteen who is not tied down to some man.
III woman commits adultery after marriage she
Is decapitated under the law. The man how
ever is allowed to keep as many concubnes as
he can support, their children being legitimate.
but coming after the children of the wife, II
the concubines live under the same roof, they
are mere servants of the wife, Some rich mar
rled men keep concubines In separate apart
ments: Such positions are eagerly sought by
damsels of very fair parentage.