St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-12
LITTLE MISS FONG SEN.
Story of a Chinese Maiden Born,
Reared and Wed i'm America

Story of a Chinese Maiden Born,
Reared and We'd in America
Says Seattle CIV. To- correspondent
in st. Louis Globe-Democrat: Two
square chests neatly covered with
bright new canvas which was fastened
at regular intervals with little brass,
| oblOng buttons, were noticed week
ago, one on the other, all stamped and
sealed ready for shipment to San Fran
cisco, in the Office of the Northe III Pa
cific Express company away up here in
Seattle. w. Il.
Those trunks belong to Gee Hee's
daughter" volunteered the obi iging
Francisco to be married."
Indeed! And who and where is Gee
IIee?'' .-a
20, he is a wealthy merchant. You
can find him over on Third street, in
Chinatown
After the lapse of few days, when
| Gee lice had about time to hear of his
daughters safe arrival in San Fran
| cisco, | called upon him and enjoyed
very pleasant talk, which was ended
with the courtesy that the Chinaman,
fOrgetS-the presentation of fine
cigar. This merchant from China has.
been i'll Seattle for more than twenty
years. His firm, Wa Chong IL Co.,
built the first, or at least the second
brick structure in the city. He talks
very fair English and is shrewd finan-
cier. He talked without reserve about
his family relations, and always an
swered7 questions about his daughter
| with a happy ana beaming face. r
Little Fong Sen was born here iii
in f.,hn 81,
little over one yearof age her parents
went back to China. The mother was
going to join wife NO. ~ because
when Gee Hee returned he brought
wife mo. 81 with him, and she still
| preSideS over his home in this city. The:
other two wives stiff live in China, with
| two or more children each, all of whom
are being carefully provided for by the
| husband and father, who tries to visit
| them at least once in every two years.
Baby Fong Seng did not go to China
as Victoria, British Columbia, and there
she was placed in the keeping of trusted
friends, who continued to care for her
for ten years. Then the father, on re-
turning from one of his voyages to his
old home, called for her and brought
her to his own home. He brought with
her a little servant girl who was only
two years Older, and the two little China
girls became inseparable.
The daughter was now eleven years
of age, and had come to that period in
her life when, in the belief of her peo-
pie, every virtuOuS girl must shut her
self away from the gaze of all human
beings except those of the immediate
household. So for five years she did not
leave the few rooms over the merchants
store which constituted her fathers
home. Pale and delicate Fong Seng
| grew, and was contented with her life.
She knew no other. But one morning
there came sudden change. Her little
Servant-cOmpaniOn announced that she
was going to be, married to the mer-
| chants trusted agent: but she would
not leave FOng Sen; she would stay
right along as though nothing had hap
pened, only she was to be married
Fong Sen went to her father and told
him she wanted to be married too. Her
father, nothing loath, consented, and
immediately began seeking husband
for her. He soon found one who met
his approval, and the daughter was in
formed that the husband was found,
and preparations for the great occasion
began without delay. Costly garments,
made of the best OF silk. were carefully
and richly embroidered, valuable pres
ents of gold and precious stones were
selected, and it seemed that the idea of
expense did not enter the fathers mind,
| The only white persons allowed into
the presence of Fong Sen during the
five years of her maidenhood were two
Sunday school missionary iadies-Mrs.
! Thomas and Mrs. Parkhurst. These
ladies had spent much time and pa
tience in teaching Gee Hee and other
| Cinnamon the mysteries of the English
1 md vi I, Ii Il
| forget. When all was arranged for his
| daughters departure he procured
| closed carriage and drove with his
| daughter out to the homes of these la
| dies that she might pay them the cour-
| teSy of farewell visit, The father thenE
| managed in some way to: smuggie his
daughter into her stateroom on the,
| steamer. No one is known to have
caught glimpse of her. (
| FOng Sens husband is ice Chongl
Tun. He is wealthy, and talks and
agent of the Ding Yung company, one,
Of those influential, famous and ex-'
| tremely wealthy concerns grouped
under the name of 1.-The Six Conn.,
panies."
Fong Sen, while she was reared in.
about the same way that all good andi
virtuous Chinese girls are reared, was.
| fortunate In TWO Things. She was not
| born in China and she had an elder sis.
| ter. These prevented her from being,
manned by having her feet wrapped
tightly i'll fine cloth while in infancy
and kept so confined in order that shes
might be the fashionable daughter of
rich parents, and all the world would
| know it by her small feet.
Gee Hee's eldest daughter is in China
| with one of his wives. She is eighteen
| years of age, and has waited two years
tor her father to come home to her SO
| that she could be married. Next spring,
| if his business cares will not allow him
to go back to China on visit, he will
write his daughter letter and she will
| be married, because when a Chinese
maiden has passed the age of eighteen
| she is not wanted as bride. or, in the
| language of Gee Hee himself, ''Girl no
nailed eighteen, she no good" This
| eldest daughter is typical Chinese
| belle. She has very small and almost
useless feet and very wealthy father.
Followed Advice.
SD like you to help me a little"
said a tramp, poking his head into
country shop.
"Why don't you help yourselfP" asked
| the proprietor, 'angrily.
"Thank you, WILL" said the tramp.