Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-04-24
A BRIDE IN RED.
Description of a NToham-
Tnedan Chinese Wedding.
Worcester (1Iass. Spy.

worcester (h6isS.) Spy.
The following description of q Mo-
hammedan Chinese wedding IS taken
from a family letter reeently received
by Mr.. Charles NJ. Howe, of this city,
from his daughter, Mrs. Grace L.
Roberts, missionary at Kalgan, North
China,
KALGAN, Dec. 10, 1855 Last
week we attended a Mohammedan
Chinese wedding, the first ever at
tended by foreigners, think. Miss
Garretson and Miss DR.. Murdock were
also there. The wedding was on We'd
nesday. On Monday our teacher (the
bridegroom to be- came over and
brought the invitations to us, and
promised to send a cart for us Wed
nesday noon. Then the question
arose, what should we send for pres
ents? We thought and talked the
matter over, and finally decided to
send two handkerchiefs, some stereo-
scopic views, one or two of my large
views of the Profile House, and Uni
versal History in Chinese by Mr. Shef-
field. We sent them over early We'd
nesday morning, and prepared our
selves for the wedding. At about
10:30 the cart came, and we went;
they live only a short distance from
here We found DR.. Murdock and
Miss Garretson already there. We
seated ourselves, and they Immediate
Iy brought on some food; this the
children enjoyed immensely, much
more than we did. We were at
this time in the roona of the bridal
party, but were told that in a few uin-
utes we would be invited to another
room. This was soon done. We were
informed that the next thing would
be the arrival of the bride. We had
to wait long time, but were very
pleasantly entertained by the wife Of
Miss Garretson's teacher, a brother of
our teacher. At last the bride came,
and we were hurried into a retired
corner where we could see her enter.
She was dressed throughout 10 red,
with guilt figures, the clothes being
bound quite tightly about her. She
had brass (O hat, from which was
suspended a little red veil, covering
her face. She was supported by two
women, one on each side, and taken
directly to their room. She no sooner
reached the inner door than men and
children jumped forward and smashed
IL me paper window to see her. They
said that was a kalgan custom, not
! Mohammedan. Then the women
shut the inner wooden shutters, while
they should reattire the bride. The
veil was removed, her wedding clothes
were put on and her hair covered with
ornaments. Then the shutters were
opened and we were taken in to see
her. She is supposed not to under
stand any ything that is said to her on
| her wedding day, but must stand or
sit with cast-down eyes all day long
to be gazed at. We then came home
to return in the evening. At o'clock
we went over again. We were present
| ly taken to a retired room, where we
could see everything that went on
After little, our teacher, beautifully
dressed. came in and paid his respect
to the Mohammedan priests, six in
number, to each one separately. Then
he knelt with bowed head on a rug
before them, and the priests began
| chanting, one after another, in Arabic.
Just as the last one finished chanting,
| they grabbed some walnuts from
the table, and pelted him with them !;
and one of the family pulled and tug
The nuts were thrown at him to drive
Satan away. The boys sprang for the
walnuts. Then he, with the priests
in unison, murmured a silent prayer
| (O rubbed the hands down the body,
beginning at the head. He paid his
respects again and disappeared. We
saw very little of him during the day.
Before this we had seen the marriage
certificate written out in Arabic on
red paper. We were again seated on
the k'ang, and our feast was brought
III, consisting of twenty-five kinds of
courses. 1t is almost impossible for
me to eat Chinese food, but most of
this was really very nice. You know
the Mohammedans do not eat swine
flesh, so we had only beef and chicken
for meats, but they we're prepared in
various ways, by one course, [ mean
one bowl, from which all were help
ed. We ate and talked, went to look
at the bride once more, and started for
home at about $50 o'clock, escorted
by two servants, carrying two large
red lanterns After this the teacher
(bridegroom) was allowed for the first
time to see his bride She had come
distant of over 800 miles to marry
him; she was very pretty, and only
about 16 years old, while he is over
30. She had been in the city several
days, only few doors from his house,
bat none of his family were allowed
to see her. The Mohammedans are
very neat, especially those who are
well-to do. We are going to try to get
up little feast for them as soon as
convenient.