Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1884-03-27
MARRIAGE IN CHINA.
The Curious COurtship of the Cclcs
tialS-Their Wedding Ceremonies.
Young Men Engaged for Years to Girls
Whom they Have Never Secn-llow
Matches Are Made.

: GRASSY bank. with cunids b6yrrin,
: around him. would ho nm inrnnSruit'
which no scrious artist would dare /,
= put ON canvas. Hard. stolid min
prcssiblc. unromantir. he kcrps onl,
business before him in all his militia
rian works and woys A nature rnm
pounded of such cross. sensuous rlc
mrnts as his would be inconnhlr a
forminr ANYTHING but thc mas unnlo
tonic attachment No fender pnssio,
ever thrilled his ROUGH breast. II,
maidrn's : Glance ever onencd his si0h
valves or drew forth ono imnossinnn,
utlrranrr of love. A novelist who nir
turrd a brokcn-bcartrd Cbin,mo,
pouring clooucnt nyownls Of undvin,
affection into tbc ears Of a Chimes,
maiden whom he had loved in y,i,
would be lnurhcd to scorn lie wnml,
Ihoyr to search in vain onidst thn do
siccatcd refuse OF Chinese dctionar,
ior any Word-h9lh Tor the iccblrSl emo
uoh "i lo'', II Is 100 rldlcnlouS Il
'hlnk oI any iaIr damSrl ever inspiring
S"ch II n''ua'-nar'u map OF OBESITY ~
but base desires. Incapablr of nm
a6;tirc IN cmgr. none is permitted him
His bctrOthal Is the proSicSt of all hu
man ilIalrS' ana ne passes on To IN,
%oaI oi WrulocR ny toriuouS courses OF
his cnunrcmrnt n drrary waste. whore
the sunshine and llowrrS and porIry of
love are never found. The desire foI
offspring is with him the only motive
for matrimony, No pcopIc ryrcpt thc
ancient Jews ever sci such value ON
the birth of sons rs thr Chinese. They
are the objects Of ycncralion in pro-
portion to the number of thcir drsrrud.
ants. DrpIorablr indeed would br
the condition Of a Chinaman who de-
parted this life without Irayin~ a son
10 pcrprtuatc hi, name. walsh hi,
corpsc. burn incense nt his tablet. and
worship ut his crave
ne lau Is carry reminded that his
parents want grandchildren rs soon
anu rs many rs possible. Ills hclr0thal
generally takes place when he is from
I to II years OF age, though eases have
occurred where preliminary arrange
mrntS have been made between par
rntS before their children had seen the
light OF day y professional class
called gO-bctwrcnS, who make their
living by matchmaking, are employed
to carry ON the negotiations between
the two families, the initiative being
taken by the parents of the boy. For
the convenience of their clients these
gO-bctwccns usually carry in their
pockets list of candidates for mat
rimony. On being solicited the list is
consulted, and Il bride i, selected ac-
cOrding tu the are or social position de-
sired, subject, of course. to her parents
consent. The go-bctwrcn, in whose
vcracity and good Judgment implicit
confidence is placed, is required to
guarantee the rcspcctability of the
girls family, and above all her free
dom from lunacy. lcprOsy, or other he
rcditary taint. lie mnst give his word
Of honor that neither She nor her par
cnrS belong to that pariah elias, called
pial-aciorS' Doat-pcopIc ana slaves
ne slri parents also institute 'llnl-
lar inquiries Il inc proposal Is enter
tanned f"r''nr.tcIIrrN are consulted,
aNtroIH1Srr' cast the horoscope OF the
Palr' deceased ancestors are consulted
ana appeals are made to the patron
dclty oi malIrnN. should any unlucky