The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1889-09-06
ROYAL MARRIAGE IN CHINA.

rosAS WeaAlng Eeseavatssa. /
From the Asaaaic Quarterly Review.
Pekin oflcialdom was mot altogcthcr
by surprise when Il was
ON the lssh OF January, is76, that sby 3
viii OF the late emperor" Tsattien, tho
2year-old son of Prince Chun, had suc-
ceeded 20 the great Inheritance. TIKI
child was carried i'm the night from his
he has since remained. I'm a scclusion un-
broken except by a guarded journey To the
eastern tombs or q brief visit to the ruined
Wan-shou Shan.
His accession was received without
much dcmur. One member of that re-
markable institutions, the censorate-
which has cultivated a licensed, and i'm its
essence honest. criticism of the throne till
II has become a vice-chose to take his
own life rather than see the names of his
master left without an heir; for the child
Tsai-tien had been adopted, not as heir to
his cousin and predecessor. Tsai-chun,
hut To his uncle Yi-chu tHsien-fengl. An
attempt was made to constrain the en-
presses dowager into an agreement that
the eldest son Of the new emperor Tsai-
item should succeed to the throne as heir
to Tsai-chun; hut their strong willed maj
esties bluntly declined to submit to dicta-
ton on this point. The empire at large
accepted their choice with perfect indif-
ference for personal loyalty can hardly he
expected in n country where for decades
the sovereign has not shown his face to
his people. And so the baby emperor he
gan his reign, kVang Hsu or ''Glorious
Continuity i'm the lcnding-strings of his
aunt and her sister empress.
Now, il has been decided that Tsai-tien
has attained his majority-he is II or
fourteen years-and tina the, at any rate
nominal, direction of affairs must he
placed i'm the Emperor's own hands. Be
sovereign must mark his manhood, as
every one of his subjects does, from noble
to P r1S1S; ~ ss.', fgT % tSis impor,aut even,
have long been making. In 1875 each of.
fetal of the eight banners (Manchus of
a list of his daughters between u and IL
years of aRe to-surely of all departments
the most wh~imsical-the Board of Reye-
nue.. The maidens would attend at the
palace in the following year, and there
await inspection and selection by the Em-
Ponsu Ion Scryicc in aG!hh ima ,ssaid on eS "ar
then, though IL was twenty years ago. was
under orders tn proceed from Canton to
anainsnncc IF ~ an %'" Officer ~ the thas Ma%cSn
garrison of Canton, and en- calling to take
leave was surprised, and not a little EN-.
his daughter To Tientsin. on her way to
the inspection that was to furnish "a ZEN
choice but to comply. and exerted himself
at Hong Kong and Shanghai i'm pointing
out tn his young charge. and her duenna
vinced that her father, i'm his desire To
retain his daughter. had resolved ON this
Issr caro- Of p n fe.,.ir n' banbarian. tho ef iea 80
contact with whom should surely make
her ineligible. for In companionship of
was among those chosen, and perhaps in
some corner of the palace still relieves
the monotono,is life of her less Travelled!
fellows by stories of the bravery Of
The selection over the maidens chosen
remained to the discretion of the Empress
tInWAOQr. who wAS SunDOeG(I to decide
after some weeks or months OF careful de
liberation, which of them was mos.
Heaven. In the meanwhile the Board OF
(which would he Tar better
on to maine two or more fortunate days IN
riase. VIII their aid the Empress dow
marriage day, and the 4th of Decembel
for the day OF hetrothal. On the sth o
Noyember the fntefni election took place
through the pages OF the Pekin Gaxeft
tina their Empress had been chosen. Tn.
'Since the Emperor re~verently enterce
upon the succession to his great patri
mony he has been growing day by day t.
high character should he selected to b
his consort, and to assist him i'm TIN
high position OF Empress may be fttingi
filled, and the Emperor supported in tin
pursuit of virtue. The choice having
LAAAtA lkBOu shS "
Deputy Lieut.. Gen. Kuel-hsianR. n maidel
of %virtuons character and becoming an
diRnified character, we command that sh
he appointed Empress"
The bride-elect immediately left tlie pa
ace for her fathers home. That father
Kuei-hsiang, is, il would appear, a younge
brother of the empress d~owaRcr, and tller
can be little question:, one would think
that her astute majesty has determine
that, IL she must resign the scepter sh
has welded for close on II years, she wi
still have il i'm her power to control til
young emperor and to benefit her famil.
The first step i'm the wedding ceremon
consists i'm the sending of the bridal pre-
ents. This is done OH the day befoT
what may he taken to he the actual ma
riage. the bringing home of h brid'
The wedding presents, besides gifts il
Vulnerable from the empress dowaRer an
emperor, comprise of necessity the Golde
tablet on which is inscribed the conseI
of her majesty to the marriage of In
adopted step-son to Y~ehhonala. the brid'
gown with veil of pendent pearls, and Il
silken wedding In embroidered .ov'
with the PhRnix-emblem OF the bride,
the dragon is of her imperial bridegroom
A scepter and a seal of state form part
the Indispensable p~araphernalia. Whe
all il ready these are laid out On thrs
richly decorated tables i'm one of the pa
ace courts. On the center able il place
the scepter, OH the right the seal, and &
the left, i'm a casket OF gold and jewels.t
tablet. Surrounding the court is an ARR
OF princes and mobiles with guards. horse
L arl o.