The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-04-19
Marriage in China.

After the usual preparations for her
wedding garments. Chinese girl is
closeted for the period of thirty days
with the immediate female members
of her own family. The mother, or
the next eldest of kin, begins 8
a series of instructions as to the duties
of bride, and how she must from now
on transfer affections and care to the
members of her husbands family in the
same manner that they showed in the
family of her birth That is the love
aud obedience of the parents and elders
of the husband. And that after her
marriage, for the period of thirty days,
she must be careful to know how to hold
her tongue, especially before strangers
and neighbors. And she is especially
warned to be neat and clearly, as this
would prevent the husband from getting
divorce from her.
These long and tedious instructions
are usually accompanied with much
weeping on the part of the women, Gs
they are the final parting instructions of
the mother to her daughter.
When u girl is once married she has
forever renowned her allegiance to the
relatives of her infancy. Legally, she is
no more to her family than an utter
stranger. But as a rule they return,
upon festivities, to visit the old folks;
even these visits any member Of her
husbands family could forbid her from
making.
One Of the reasons the Chinese bellies
weep instead of laughing, as bellies do in
this country upon the eve OF their mar
rage, is probably because they know
their times of freedom and ease are at an
end, or, at least, until they become
middle-aged or old women. The moment
the bride has thrown down her veil of
thirty days, she is, as a rule, put to the
most mental of domestic duties, by the
mother or elder sister-in-law. Chinese
husbands are not supposed to own their
wives until after the death OF their
parents. 1t is considered untilial for .
man TO take wife and leave his parents.
There is no redress on the part of such
young married women for in Justice done
to them BY their cruel mothers in law,
except to drown them in silent tears.
Three days before the actual marriage
takes place, the Chinese belle, for the
first time in her life, has her face shaved
of any possible hair. This is done by
the skiIlful blending of two stout silken
threads made into an oblong moose, and
twisted in such a manner that when this
moose or loop is opened with the fingers
of the operator the opening would spring
together so quickly that it would cut off
the finest hair on the skin without the
least pain The parts to be shaved are
first well rubbed with warm pine ashes.
This process is called "Cho Men" or
the ''female shave" Her next shave
would be after her thirty days silence in
her new home.
The girlhood bang Is now combed up
and tied with the rest OF her hair, as this
bang distinguishes the unmarried from
the married women in China.
The bride does not put on her best
apparel uuon this memorial day, but the
poorest clothes she has, and over them
all IS an immense red bag or curtain
This is thrown over her head and thus
shuts her entire person from view, so
that ct a distance she resembles a red
bag moving. But just before she is car
ried to the sedan chair marriage hearse)
she is given a bowl of rice soup. This
she takes into her mouth and squirts
three times toward the south, which
means that after her marriage she would
have rice more than enough TO eat for
three generations Daughters Of Ame1-ica