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

"i'i|i oui hostess broke open, put In
TWO or three pieces Of duck, several
condiments and gave to us to eat after
pressing the roll together, something
after our sandwich STYLE. They were
really good, enjoyed my meal, the
ilrst Chinese feast that wasn't a trial
to me, but then | never before had
eaten good Chinese food. always the
second best sort. We all ate heartily
and insisted we had Jared well, though
our hostess t, ared we were famishing
still After dinner towels wrung out
OF not water were passed us to wipe
our fingers on, and after about an
hour spent in talking we left, highly
pleased with our evening. The two
gentleman, Mr.. c. and his brother
(the real father Of Precious) I-tai-tai
and the other married daughter ate in
a side room with ao-tai-tai, and our
woman informed us had exactly the
same things. The men kept out of
sight all the time but peeped at us
through the crack of the doors as we
sat in the court cooling after dinner.
| had to take both my woman, and
man to go with my chair, and SO did
the other ladies and all these were
feasted even to the chair bearers, so
that they came away loudly praising
the great hospitality of Mr.. and Mrs.
Chin. We each took a string Of cash
(about 50 cts.) along and gave it to the
servant woman, who when we came
away all knelt in thanks and acknowl-
edgement.
| was interrupted on Saturday by
call from Mrs. Bergen and now am
finishing on Monday before the courier
leaves at dawn tomorrow 1t was
Mrs. Chin and Precious who called to
make p, p. c. on Friday just before
your letter arrived. They left yester-
day, the whole OF them, for Mr.. c, is
to 90 into Office at the county north
west from here. They will be back
next year on visit Mrs. C says. So
they are gone, If my little adopted
daughter had stayed | might have got
ten a good influence over her. When
she came | had a present of four
things for her tied up in a gay cotton
cloth to seal my part of the rite of
adoption. Two handkerchefs which
count as one, pair of ribbon anklets
| (of some bright red ribbon Mother
Neal sent me last winter a box of diff
ferent fancy cards, with a case Of
brush, comb and handglass, which al
so came from the same source as my
other wealth Of treasures, in box
from Mother Neal. She meant it as
prize for the school girls but
thought it too nice for them and have
kept it until now just the right oppor-
tunity to make use of it occurred.
! should like to tell you yet of Mao-tai-
tai who called on me ten days ago
after dark, for her husband would
never have let her come had heknown
of her plan, and who had to run away
and tell lot of fbs to her grandchil-
dren to get off to see this foreigner in
her den. She was so ''cute" and
| frightened and told me all about it
when she began to feel some
what at home. She was an I-tai-tai
only forty-two or three years old, but
the grandmother of four little children.
The first wife knew she was coming
and helped her off and promised to
''foop' all the -est of the family during
her absence so she wouldn't be missed.
The husband was away and she gave
out she was going to bed, sent the
children away SO she might 60 to
sleep and wrapping quilt around her
till she slipped out Of the gate, walked
over with two women servants as she
lives near by. Her husband used to
be an official, her son is now. She
seemed very much of lady and what
struck me at the time and what my
woman, who found it out through her
servants, told me afterwards confirms,
is the kindly affection between her
and the second wife. Generally there
is only jealousy and hatred. and as the
big wife generally is childless she steals
away all the rights and privileges from
the real mother and is mother tc
the children, while the real mother
is only "Aunt." OF course | dare not
return this call, stolen as it was, bu,
my woman tells me they will surely
invite me some day, when l suppose
the men of the family will be safely
away so the thing need not be told
them. | was SO amused at her, fOl
Mrs. Chalfant came while she was
, here, and she said to me "does she
, also fear to come in daylight ?" My
woman very polite she is often) in
= nocently remarked that | knew bu'
E few Tai-tai in Chi Nan, but had yes
. terday been at feast at Mrs. Chin's
6 "What Mrs. Chin's? ?" said Mrs. Mao
. who caught the sound of what my
woman said to her woman but louC
! enough for all to hear. 80, Mrs CHR
9 wife of the magistrate at such anC
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