St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-07
Still the Fiction Is Kept Up
That the Sacrifices Are
Voluntary.
Encouraged as Virtuous
Deeds--Self- WiIled Deaths
Are Rare.
Extraordinary Devotion Of
the Young Wife Of a
Poor Leper.

9
deceased brothers wife. The resultant
of these two forces is all over China the
suicide of widows, and in the province
of Fuhkien at any rate. do not ME g
to say that all Chinese widows commit
suicide willingly or of necessity; in
deed, the proceeding is regarded excep-
tional-but for that reason all the more
praiseworthy. A widow with children
would have few Or no motives for the
act; one with powerful or wealthy
father could not be driven into it with
out danger to her brOther-ln-laW; poor
widow in an humble family would prob
ably prefer the other alternative--to be
sold in remarriagt to new husband.
But the popular sentiment is dis
tinctly in favor of suicide. The reason
for this is, fear, not the romantic one
given by Prof. Douglas ('China," p. 80),
who speaks of wives refusing to sur
vive their husbands" and putting a
voluntary end to their own existence
rather than live to mourn their loss"
The Chinese are not romantic people,
but on the contrary, eminently prac-
teal. They encourage the suicide OF
widows simply because a widow is an
incumbrance. She has done her work
in bearing children, or (and in this case
she can expect no consideration what
ever has not done it: the husband
whose domestic slave she was is dead,
and probably her mistress, the mother
in-laW, too; there is no further need of
her, she brings nothing into the family
Golfers, she costs quite threepence a
day to keep, and she is better out of the
way.
Ge oo,.....> H. C,;,oco do NOT SOW, tL;c
They are OF all nations the most hypo-
words everything they do is done from
the highest and noblest motives. Con-
sequently, when by various acts of
petty tyranny a woman's brother-in-law
have driven her to follow her husband
TO the "yellow fountains" the deed is
represented as a voluntary one on her
part, and is much belauded as another
proof of coniugal love. Ii the family
has influence enough, or the local mag
iStrate desires to draw attention to the
prevalence OF chastity" and kindred
virtues under his fostering care Che gets
or claims the credit of them all, Just as
he has to suffer for the crimeS), a report
is sent to the provincial authorities,
who, in their turn, memorabilia the en-
peror eztolling the chaste conduct OF
the widow. whose virtuOuS determine
ton, persisted in despite the tears and
eutreaties of her affectlonate brothers
in-law, has shed luStre on the mar
riage tie-that foundation Of the family
and the state--and has won for her the
admiration of her own and the envy OF
the neighboring districts.
Will hisdnajesty be greatly pleased to
allow the family (the brothers-in-law
of n
pai-low. or ornamental archWay, to com
memorate such distinguished fidelity?
His majesty is invariably so pleased,
and the whole case, being minutely re-
ported (from the brOther-in-laW point OF
view in the Pekin Gazette, remains,
like the pai-low, standing inducement
to other widows to hang or poison them
selves and powerful weapon for other
rapacious or parsimonious kinsfolk.
Thus encouraged in the very highest
quarters (the Chinese government will
encourage-or rather will not discour-
age-any custom, however foolish,
which is at once popular and not Sedi-
| tious), it is not to be wondered at that a
, Chinese girl of good family comes to
consider it meritorious not to survive
her husband. Hence the occurrence of
suicide of so-called ''WidoWS" in cases
where pressure could not have been
brought to bear. by the br0thers-in-law
namely: when the widows has never
seen her husband or his brothers.
AS with us, marriage consists of two
PARASITIC betrothal and the wedding
but, unlike our Own,a Chinese betrOthal
is regarded with certain very rare eX-
ceptions) as indisSoluble- In fact, when
once the marriage contract is signed the
| girl may be considered as married, eX-
cept that she is not yet delivered to her
huSband-Whom she does not see until
he has caused her to be brought to his
father's) house.
Betrothal, then, being as binding as
marriage, if the htSt,and dies, public
opinion approves OF lifelong celibacy
for the maiden ''wluuw." But she is
left in this case in most invidiouS posi-
ton. Rightly speaking, her husbands
family should receive and maintain her,
but they may (probably wild refuse land
her own family naturally object to sup
port Der, since the Chinese scheme of
things finds no place for maiden aunt.
In this case both brothers and brothers
in-law may hnlte their wives certainly
willy in pointing out to the girl-widow
the ''proprietyo of suicide.
Nevertheless, l am far from insist
.
welded or betrothed, is never volun-
tary. Thousands of unwilling girls
have been forced, as a simple of selfish
| provision to enter cloiSter, but at least
an equal number have entered it from
| the conviction (studiously encouraged,
| it is true) that cOnveDtual life was adj
mirable in itself. In the same way,
doubtless many Chinese widow of
| good family were her maintenance,
even to her money-loving. money-grab-
| ing folk, was of no consequence, has
committed suicide from what we may
call conscientious motives, or because
it was the correct thing to do.
The ordinary form of widow-suicide
is the comparatively decOrouS one OF
opium swallowing in the privacy of heI
chamber, an explanatory note being
| left on her person for the eXculpation
of her relatives and her own glorfica
ton. But in the districts around about
| FOochoW. the capital of Fuhkien pro
vince, these suicides are conducted ir
| public in manner that has justified
| the description of them as "ChineSe
suffice"
I Prof. Douglas, in the work already
cited, quotes long and highly inter
| eSting account of such a scene, as wit
messed by writer in the HOngkOng
Daily Press some thirty years ago, ano
papers which have appeared from time
| to time since testify to the continuance
of the custom. The most realistic OF
these is supplied by the last number OIL
| the Hwa Pao, a Chinese illustrated
| news Gas the name imports) published
since 1884 three times a month at Shang
hal. This takes the form of sketch Of
| the actual scene.
The widow is represented as standing
on stool placed upon a temporary
erection of bamboo and coarse mating
On the table by her side are two lighted
candles and bundle of incense sticks
"joss Sticks" the foreign residents cal
theml, still burning. These candles anC
the incense mark the ceremonial nature
of the act and almost every one present
also carries lighted incense stick
signifying that they take part in ani
approve of the ceremony.
| Three figures in fur Tor dark silk gar