The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1886-09-02

vince of Tchen Kiang, and it. is assert.
ed by competent authorities that she is
exceedingly lovely and clever. At any
rate tho young monarch OF 400, 900, 900
subjects will be alone to blame if she is
not, for he personally selected her from
among about hundred and twenty
| girls who had been gathered together
from all parts Of China for his inspec-
| tion. ~
The latter took place at the end Of
April last, and, as it was somewhat
curious, q short description thereof may
prove Of interest to all those who are
in any way matrimonially inclined.
Since the beginning Of the Mandchus
dynasty in China 1t has always been
customary that the emperors should Sc
lect their wives and concubines from
among the daughters of those families
who belong to the 4 Pa Chi Chi-Jen.,
These are the descendants OF the war
riors who took part in the Tartar inva-.
sion 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 provincial 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 q large body
of eunuchs, entered the courtyard and
took up his position near table on
| which were placed number Of wooden
slips, each marked with the name, age
and clan Of the fair candidate. The
Emperor, taking one of the slips, reads
out the name written thereon, where
upon the girl in question was led up to
him by the eunuchs, while her father,
with the Governor and Deputy Cover
nor Of the province to which she belong
ed, threw themselves on the ground and
remained PROSTATE until dismissed by
their Imperial master. The girl stood
upright, divested Of her garments, while
tho Emperor inspected her closely, talk.
ed to her, and questioned her father and
the Governor Of the province about her.
If she did not please him he merely
fet and dhs bet}S etaP4Rst Ret %a, int Mastebas
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 pre-
viously marked 1t in red ink with a one,
two or three, according to tho measure
in which she had pleased him. After
having all been duly inspected in this
manner the girls re-entered their con-
yeyances 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 selec-
ted tablets were submitted few days
later to another and closer examination.
1t was on this occasion that the definite
choice of the Empress was made, while
two principal concubines, named re-
spectively Pin and Fe, which mean
Deputy Empresses for the East and for
the West, and number Of ordinary
concubines, making total of thirty-two
representatives of the youth and beauty
Of China, were likewise selected. The
position Of these concubines is most
honorable, and should the Empress eth
er die or have no issue they stand fair
chance of becoming Empress.
None OF the girls belonging to these
Pa Chi -Chi-Jen families are permitted
to malform their feet, as the women fire.
quently do in China with view Of rem
dering them abnormally small. Il
AS a rule the parents appear desirous
of eYading the honor Of surrendering
their daughter to the sovereign, for
family affection is strongly developed in
China, and when once the girl has eros
sed the threshold or the Palace, either
as Empress or Concubino, 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 incura-
BILE disease or malformation duly certi-
fed after personal inspection by the
Governor Of the province can excuse a
father from giving up his daughter to
the Emperor. 1t may be stated in con.
clusion that the latter is between fifteen
and sixteen years of age. 1.Fflt