The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-07-16
The Chinese Rulers Bride
now THE GREAT CELESTIAL SELECTED
HIS LITTLE MoNGoLIAN uELPMEET.


1t looks very much as if the year OF
our Lord 1856 will be noted in history
as remarkable for kind of epii, mic
OF matrimony in high places. Frs5 of
all we have the Duke of Braganzss
marriage at Lisbon, followed by that
of President Cleveland at Washington
and now the ponderous festivities of
Celestial wedding are about TO unite
Kwang Iu, the young Emperor of
China to the damsel of his choice. The
latter is said to be the daughter o.
mandakin named Tao-Tai, of the pro-
vince of Tchen Kiang, and it is assert
ed by competent authorities that she
is exceedingly lovely and clever. At
any rate the young monarch of 400,-
900, 900 subjects will be alone to blame
if she is not, for he personally selected
her from among about l20 girls who
had been gathered together from all
parts of China for his inspection.
The latter took place at the end of
April last, and, as it was somewhat
curious, short description thereof may
prove of interest to all those who are
in any way matrimonially inclined.
Since the beginning of the Mandehu
dynasty in China it has always been
customary that the Emperors should
select their wives from among the
daughters of those families who belong
to the Pa-Chi Cbi-Jen. These are the
descendants of the warriors who took
part in the Tartar invasion of China
200 years ago, and who subsequently,
settled in the country. A list of these
families, carefully written up to date,
as far as births, marriages and deaths
are concerned, is kept at each provinci.
al capital, and in March last all the
members thereof who had daughters
between the ages of twelve and sixteen
were ordered to bring them to Pekin
for inspection. On the night before
the day fixed for the inspection the
long procession of covered carts, in
which the girls were seated with their
fathers, was set in motion, and at day
break reached the northern gate of the
Imperial Palace. Shortly afterwards
the young Emperor, accompanied by
his mother and attended by a large
body of eunuchs, entered the court yard
and took up his position near a table
on which were placed a number of
wooden slips, each marked with the
name, age and clan of the candidate.
The Emperor, taking one of the slips,
reads out the name written thereon,
whereupon the girl in question was led
up TO him by the eunuchs, while her
father, with the Governor and Deputy
Governor of the province to which she
belonged, threw themselves on the
ground and remained PROSTATE until
dismissed by their imperial master.
The girl stood upright, divested of her
garments, while the Emperor inspected
her closely, talked to her and question.
ed her father and the Governor of the
Province about her. If she did not
please him he merely threw the little
tablet into waste basket and notion
ed her away with wave of the hand.
In the cases, however, where the young
damsel obtained his approval he placed
the slip with her name carefully on one
side, having previously marked it in
red with one two or three according
to the measure in which she had pleas
ed him. After having all been duly
inspected in this manner the girls re-
entered their conveyances and retired
to their residences in the city. Four
days later those who had not been
favored with the Imperial approval
were notified of the fact and permitted
to return to their domestic hearth,
while those named on the selected tab
lets were submitted few days later to
another and closer examination. 1t
was on this occasion that the definite
choice of the Empress was made.
None of these Pa Chi-Chi-Jen fami-
lies are permitted to malform their feet
as the women frequently do in China
with view of rendering them abnor-
mally small
As rule the parents appear desirous
of evading the honor of -surrendering
their daughters to the sovereign, for
family affection is strongly developed
in China, and when once the girl has
crossed the threshold of the palace, she
is cut off forever from any intercourse
with her family. However, every head
of the families in question is obliged
to obey the imperial summons, and only
incurable disease or malformation duly
certified after personal inspection by
the Governor of the Province can ex-
cuse a father from giving up his
daughter to the Emperor. 1t may be
stated in conclusion that the latter is
between l5 and 16 years of age.