Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1886-08-12
A CHINESE HOUSE.
The PatrisrchaI Encampnent of TIA, En-
tire Family Clan.


tire Family ar Clan.
In her new book on China. Miss Cor
don-Cumming gives this description OF
a Chinese house of the better class: Ii
covers SO much ground. and there arc
- many open halls. consisting chiefly
of pillars and ornamental roofs scat
tered promi>cuously about, among
paved court-yard,. decorated with
flowers i'm pots. and then there are walls
pierced 10y oddly->haped portals. formed
like octagonS, or circles. or even tea
pots, and all placed a, irregular inter
walls. never oppo> L. one another; and
then shady morSel> of garden. with all
manner of surprises i'm the way of little
ponds, and angular bridges and quaint
trees. Then somehow. quite uneNpect-
edly. YOU find yourself in brightly Orna-
mental suites of small rooms. which
seem To have been originally one great
room. sublivided bv partitions of the
most elaborate wood carving. and fur
nishcd with beautiful polished black
wood and hangings of rich materials
Such houses are. in fact. the patti
archal cncImpment of a whole clan. 10
which all the sons and brothers of the
house bring their wives. and there take
up their quarters. living together APP
parently in very remarkable peace.
We We're received by our host and
half dozen gentlemen of the family,
and for some time we sat i'm fine. open
reception hall, drinking pale Straw-col-
ored tea in it, simple form. and PLAYING
with a nice little son. the hope OF the
house. Presently our host (who is very
friendly To foreigners. and. from int
course with them, j. less punct;liDus
tlan most Cinnamon on the matter OF
ing seen speaking to his women folk
led us aside and presented us To mis-
most kindly and courteous old mother,
who conducted u To her apartments.
her son accompanying IL. He then in
troduced H. to his little bride. aged
thirteen. His matrimonial ventures
have 20 far been unlucky. two previous
wives having died very early This one
seems a nice bright little lady. She
was very highly rouged. a. was also
her sistcr-in-law. Another sister. be-
Ing indispO>ed. was not rouged, nor
was the mother. and therefore pleas
antcr to our EYES: but the Canton ladies
love To lay ON the color thick There is
no deception about il, Ii j. good. hon
est red. laid thick upon the cheek. and
carried right round the eyebrow The
latter are shaved TO refine their form.
They can not understand why English
ladies should refrain from such embcl-
li>hment. Only when in mourning do
they refrain from it, use, and one nota-
BILE exception Is that OF bride. who. ON
her wedding day, may wear no rouge.
20 that when her red silk veil is remove (
and the fringe Of pearls raised. her nus
band, looking on her face for the first
time. may know for certain what share
of beauty unadorned has fallen to hi,
lot
But OF all ecccntr.citie, OF personal
decoration the oldest, think i that oi
gliding the hair, which. am told. young
Canton girl, do on every full-dress oc-
casiOn. Certainly | do remember a
time when some English ladies powdered
their hair with gold dust but then they
owned golden lock- TO start with. where
a. these are all black aud glossy a. the
raven swing. - ChicagO Times.