The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1891-02-13

afternoon nap; was so sorry for it
made it impossible for me to 90 out to
the inner gate to meet her as etiquette
requires in this part of the world. But
| did my best to entertain her, gave
her-as we do everybody here-tea at
once. and tried to make the strange
frightened feeling she apparently had
wear off. am the first foreign lady
she ever saw and know | looked odd
enough to her. 1t was so funny to
see her trying to be cordial. Evident
ly her husband had told her of our
custom Of dragging hands," as they
call shaking hands, and after she had
been here minute she suddenly
seemed to recollect her instructions
for she leaned over towards me and
squeezed my hand quite hard, catch
ing hold of it as it lay in my lap palm
down. When she left she gave an
other queer little plunge for it and got
hold of four fingers that time and
pressed them in hers three times
But on making her three final bows
(of which there are always a good
many, one in the room, on at the door,
and the other all along the way to the
chair, whittier one is always expected
to escort her guest but is constantly
begged not toy she returned to her
own graceful native style of folding her
hands together and bringing them
three times to her breast, though the
hands ought to be hidden in the wide
flowing sleeves. She was much inter
ested in seeing my piano, my bed
room and everything else in the rooms
she saw, and exclaimed continually,
80 clean, so clean, how can | ever
ask you to my house which is SO very
humble and untidy.' She was gorge
ously dressed in red silk embroidered
shoes mot more than three inches
long, and a skirt stiff with black satin
trimmings and embroidery, with blue
gown having broad black satin col
lar and trimming around the bottom
and down the front, headed by pink
ribbon border and pink sleeve trim
mings. | ought to have insisted on her
taking off this garment to be cool and
comfortable, but | didn't know enough
then. Now | just fall on guest and
begin unbuttoning her gown for her in
spite of her protests that she isn't hot
at all, at all. She went from here
to call on Mrs. Bergen, and in two
days we returned the call. They were
very cordial. We saw the Itai-tai Il
is pronounced f, and means the sec
ondary wife) and the old or Lao tai
tai pronounced Low to rhyme with
how whom James has been doctoring,
and the two young tai tais, married
daughters of first wife, who died
several years ago, and the little Miss
Chin who has been adopted by Mr.
Chin "a brothers child, given them
because neither Mrs. Chin has a child).
They gave us tea and sweetmeats,
tried to make us take off both
our Chinese garments and our dress
skirts to cool ourselves, made no
end of apologies about "our dirty
home" and were on the whole most
friendly. ! then went with Mrs. Ber-
gen to pay a call on friend of hers
who did not live so well as the Chin
family but who was cordial and kind.
The Chin house was very like our own
would be if we had not put in board
floors and doors of our style, with glass
windows. The floors were brick and
not clean though the tables and chairs
: were busted and shining bright. We
were received Of course in the house
: farthest off from the street, in the cen
tire room of the three that always con-
| meet in the main building Of Chinese
/, home. On either side were the bed
rooms. divided off with curtain over
l the door way, of the Lao-tai-tai and
first wife. I-tai-tai who wasn't SO
well dressed and had always to take a
low seat near the door, had one of the
side rooms, and the young married
> daughters an inner room opening out
r of Lao-tai-tais.
Lao-tai-tai has two women who
! never leave her side, she cannot walk
, without their help and they wait on
> and feed her like a baby. My lady
= has her maid servant, poor I-tai-tal
has hers, the two young tai-tais theirs
{ and the little girl whose name is
: "precious" her little slave girl who
u though scarcely taller than she, must
carry her round and dance attendance
! upon her from morning to night
:, : Little ''precious" has just had her fee
! bound, she is about five years old
5 and so too has slave who has nc
other name. slave, do this slave
5 sweep up Miss Precious things, throw
: : away her play things and the litteI
she's made" slave bring Miss Prec
: ious' toys" etc, etc, is the way rht
: poor, plain, smallpox pitted girl
is ordered about all the time
} About a week after our call, an invita-
ton came to spend the day and lister
:, | 6 ., h1,nl mine tral b,