The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-03-13
A Marriage In China.

had not been to the hotel here in
Hong Kong five minutes before nv at.
tention was distracted by n terrific noise
flushing to the front balcony, I was lust
in time to see quite remarkable wed.
ding procession. At first, from the noise
and general style of the affair, ! thought
! 1t was funeral, but I soon discovered
the difference. A funeral procession Is a
more cheerful instruction than a wedding
procession-with the possible execution
perhaps, Of the hired mourners. Besides
this there is one other difference-the
corpse al wedding is live one instead
OF dead one. think if had nv
choice would rather be the dead than
the live corpse.
The inferiority Of the female sex is one
OF the fundamental principles TO which
the Chinese hold. Even CONTIGUOUS
does not seem to have had very broad
aud elevated sentiment in this regard
Tor he is quoted as having said: "Ofali
people, women are the most difficult to
manage. II you are familiar with them.
they become forward, and if you keen
them at distance, they become discon.
tented" Many women here are In the
hablt OF praying that they may be born
men IN the next world.
But this wedding procession. First
came dozen musicians, who were beat.
ing gongs and blowing fish. h.horns, each
apparently without any reference 70 .he
rest. ahen followed company of men
and boys, bearing flags and lanterna, after
which came series of gilded tables with
elsboraie:y carved and painted eanopies
over them. The dlsr'av of fruito was
quite tempting, anG L ION, ed for slice
OF the roast pig and the roast sheep.
But there were also native dishes which
iby experiment l had previously found to
De far from appetiziDg. Thus far every
thing was arranged just MS funeral
procession would be, and was composed
of the same features.
But now there was slight departure
from tho funeral order of this society.
There came a magnificent sedan chair.
the windows of which were thoroughly
curtained, but which was told contain.
the happy ~ bride. This gorgeous SO.
dan chair WAS followed by others, and
also by gayly decorated jinrikishas, in
which Wefo seated the relatives of both
parties. More. so.called mu.
slcians followed, and the procession wound
up with load of boxes, which I inferred
contained the marriage offerings, and
perhaps the trousseau of the bride.
In the north of Mongolia it is custo.
mary for the native to capture his wife
after chase, aud in any BART of the En-.
pire the latter becomes his propertv
when the twain have formerly been made
one flesh. Marriage usually takes place
Mt an immature age. In the great ma.
lority of cases the bridegroom never sees
his intended wife until the weddinr
night, all negotiations being conducted
tE Ma 60. betwecns. This intercessor laws
;ects sos6eSe or eaeSSe the girls father, who re.
In case of a favora6itei eipss lss, as no pleasee.
are exchanged, and, cfter consuR{9s1sssse cons uR{9sssen's
auguries, an engagement is entered into
In case piece OF chinaware shourf~ La.
broken in either home, or an article be
lost within three days of the engagement,
this is considered good ground for the
immediate dissolution of the engagement
.Astrologers determine the wedding day.
which is entirely beyond the control of
the pair. Tho ceremony takes place at
the home Of the bridegroom, to which
the bride is escorted by the groom's "best
man." being lifted from her sadzAl, CHAIR
oyer = pot OF burning charcoals ut the
threshold.
The bridegroom meanwhile is waiting
for his unseen Dulcina in reception
room, being seated on raised dais. Ap-
this dais, the fair one prostrates
herself humbly before her future lord.
While she Is in this attitude Of humility
he descends benignantly to her level, re.
moves her veil and gazes for the first
time upon her face. Then, without ex.
changing a word, they seat themselves
side by side, and each try to sit on part
of the others gown, in order to deter
mine who is destined to hold sway in
the household. There is no real occasion
70: this, since there Is tacit understand.
ing that it will be the man.
The trial OF skill over, the pair proceed
to the ancestral hall, and there worship
heaven, earth and their ancestors, after
which dinner is served. The most sin.
gular feature of the wedding repast is
enforced ststiuence from all the iainties
on the part OF the bride.
Later in the evening the bride will
answer conundrums as they are propoun-
ded to her by The guests. The wedding
day is the last occasion upon which the
wife can enjoy the society Of her husband
in public-.one Of the hardest and most
barbarous features of social life in China.
After the labor of the day no citizen of
the flowery kingdom can take his wife
and family for pleasant walk at dusk
nett. .r can he accompany her to picnic
or public entertainment without violat-
ing the prophecies.