The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-17
MONGOLMOTHERS.IN,LAW
T5EIR AUTHORITY EXTENDS EVEN
TO The BOXING OF EARS.

Widows Are Not Romantic in Chine
and Second Marriages Are Not Good
Form-It is the Empress Dowager
Who IS First Lady"
Copyright 1897
WASHINGTON, April l6-The Chinese
social world is as antipodal TO ours as is
their geographical position. The gay do
ings OF the smart set, as reported in our
society journals, would seem to the proper
Chinese mind a page "unflt for publication"
When Lady Ts'ao entertsins at dinner fair
danes only are hidden TO the feast As for
balls and germans, $50 trip the light fautas-
tic toe in a land where ladies have no toes
is manifestly not IN order. The sweet girl
graduate, the fair debutante, tho dashing
in the Flowery Kingdom. Even
the almond eyed widow may not practice
her wiles, for a second mari iage, although
sanctioned by law, is not considered good
form. The olden llme relict seems to have
had the utmost confidence in her own st, ad-
tastness. 1t was customary FIR her to am
putate her nose or ears. placing the dismem-
be.ed organ in the coffin Of her deceased
husband, TO comfort him in the shades I"
This evidence of devotion was emphas ized
by solemn vow to remain widow to the
eud Of time. In view OF the Disagreement
the oath must have been altogether super
huous. Modern husbands in other lands
have a way of insurinE the constaucy
of their spouses by the insertion of a
clause Of Limitation in their last will and
testament. 1t is doubtful, however. IL John
Chinamau yet realizes the efficacy of this
method, it not having occurred TO his ances-
Ton n 10 81, E1aNt k.aF Z, ilrr,
into dIsuse In modern" China, but the
prejudice against q second marriage still
prevails and the widow who refuses TO wed
is regarded as "a true Chinese heroine"
If, however, the COY maiden and the win
some widow have no art in the Chinese
womau's realm, that elsewhere most carlca-
tured individual, tue motGer-in-law, there
rises to a hight OF power not dreamed Of in
our philosophy. The fret lady in the Celes-
tlal empire is, by no means, the empress
Her chef honor is - be the mother OF the
emperor's sons Her mother-in-lAw, the
empress dJwGger. is the 20 er in the iul-
perial palace. Sho is known as the Mother
OF the Empires or the "mother # all
mankind, - and what she SAYS goes" witch
remarkable celebrity. This exaltRtIon is O
feature Of filial piety which Is the keynote
of the Chinese code Of morals. Absolute
authority IS, however, vested only In the
husbands mother, which inparts to it q
true Chinese favor.
Their classics embrace Ritual OF Decorum
from whose laws there is no appeal II or
dams that "a dauRhter-in-.aw shonid re-
semble the shad W and echo of her mother
iu-law. so shall she be praised by all who
know her. Ii you bend your will to your
IN jther-inlaw SIZE will be pleased, but you
viii only have performed your duty. If
she makes you eat bitterness, do not forget
this, and even ii she is cruel and oppressive
do not hate her" a rather difficult lesson
this nigh prove to even our most decorous
young woman.
T. a Chinese bride enters at once the home
Of her husbands pBrents. II the family are
IN modest circumstances she becomes, not
helpmeeJ of her husband, but the "help" Of
MS family. All faults Of her early educa-
Slon are speedily coTrec ted. IL she has
been the social superior Of her new relatives
the mental services required OF her soon re-
duce her to their rank. The Decorum
Ritual DEGREES that, should the relatives
OF the daughter-in-law bring her q gift she
must first oHer this gift to her husbands
parents, and, If they accept 1t. be as de-
lighted as If they had presented it to her,
IL they decliue and return It
she must receive il as though
they were making her a gift. She must
not present anything to her own family
without their permission" 1t also instructs
sons aud their wives to be reverent and
ooedieut TO their parents, none disobeyinR a
command nor delaying In its execution. In
point OF fact, disobed encs to the commands
OF the mother-ln-law result in punishment,
usually In accordance with the disposition of
the elder woman rather than the offense of
the younger. A sister of Soross would.
without doubt, actively resent having her
ears boxed by her mother-in-law for being
late to breakfast. A young married woman
China upf1li M
as humlliating in the slightest degree. In
deed. she would consider herself lucky TO
get off SO easily.
Among tue lower classes in China brutal
treatment Of daughters-in-law is not infre-
quent Many instances of extreme cruelty
are reported but there Is no redress. The
law recognizes the supreme power of the
Inother-in-law, and even should death en-
sue, as the result of punishment a money
payment will settle the matter to the salts
faction of the authorities. The relatives of
the victim may not intercede during her
lifetime. Should she succumb to cruel
treatment they may demand for her a
handsome fuueral. As for the husband, be
Is absolutely powerless. The rules of pro-
prlety positively prohibit any interference
on his part. The sacred ejicts class the
SIN OF selfish attachment TO wife and child
rem In the same category as gambling.
The latter is by far the mora prevalent
vice.
The doctrine Of filial piety gives rise 20
many strange practices. the Filial Piety
Classics cites a typical instance Of true fiisl
devotion. A man who lived In the Hau
dynasty, being very poor, found that he had
not sufficient food 20 nourish both his
mother and his infant child He therefore
suggested to his wife that since the little
oae shared the mothers food they should
bury the child. ave may have another
child be argued. but should mother die
we cannot obtain her again. The wife
dared not disobey him, and accordingly a
grave was dug, when a vase Of gold was
found with on inscription, stating that
heaven bestowed this reward on q filial son.
1t may be- imagined that under similar cir
cumstauces an American mother would
have guarded her babe and would have
awaited with Christian resignation the de-
misc of the old lady. Chinese wives are
evidently well disciplined.
The mother-in-law Is not the only uncer-
tainty a Chinese bride encounters in her
new home. II her husband has married
bro. hers questions of law and order have to
be settled with their families. The wife of
the cider brother, by virtue Of her position,
takes precedence after the mother. The
wives of the younger brothers are subject
10 her commands and may not presume to
sit or walk with her on terms of equality.
Sisters in the family must also ko-'ton to
the elder brothers. wife.
The domestic conditions already quoted
seem sufficient to threaten the serenity OF
even the best regulated home circle, but
there are other regulations which operate
sun more adversely to a realization of perfect