The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-13
MARRIAGE in CHINA.
WHAT THE YOUTHFUL CHINESE
ERlDE HAS TO UNDERGO.


Nanking. She has been taught from
earliest childhood that if heaven 50 smile
upon her rs To give her Il husband she
must he himhly grateful, and yet the
wedding day OF IL Marking woman, al
though great care has been taken to select
n lucky day, ushers her into q life of the
greatest uncertainty.
The parties entering into the marriage
relation have not chosen each other ut ali.
but have been chosen for each other by
persons duly appointed according to the
wish of the parents, and rs Il rule have
never seen each her.
Today is the auspicious day, the one
which the gods favor, the wedding day,
and let us follow our Chinese sister as She
prepares to leave her mothers house. All
day long she lies in bed, in quiet mcdita-
tion. She eats no hearty food, but her ap-
petite is tempted with rice cruel and Il few
other dclicacics About noon the groom
comes 10 pay his respects to her mother
He kotows to her dumps his forehead OH
the floor and to all the important mem
6ers of the family.
He has sent, three d;ys before, the beau
tiful scarlet silk wedding clothes: bcauti-
full indeed they are, and Of priceless value
i'll Chinese eyes, as they are the emblem of
the first wife.
Twelve o'clock, midnight, is favoritc
NtuuiHe HOUR. AS ltc evening comes on
and wears away prcparat ions proceed The
gorgeous red bridal chair, dcclled with Ian
terms is waiting outside, and the musicians
arc ready with their pipes, eager to play
their joyful strains. Two women of great
good fortune, having living husbands.
sons and daughters. dressed in their own
scarlet wedding clothes, friends Of her
mother, act rs bridesmaids
When all is ready to make the brides
toilet one OF them steps to the door and an
nounccs, The bride is about to take Il
bath The musicians begin to play. The
bride is dressing Another strain from
the pipes. The bride is having her hair
combel," and yet another strain sounds
forth on the evening air. y peck of rice is
poured upon the floor, and when the
brides toilet is completed she is placed
upon this and from it is carried to the
chair by some male member of the family.
as on no account must She step upon the
floor or the ground after she is dressed in
entirely new clothing, for she must not in
cur the displeasure of the god; by carry
ing anything the least soilcd to her hus-
binds home.
AS she is placed in the chair the doors
are sealed, and to the music of the nipes
she begins her solitary ride TO her future
home When the half way point is reached
the chair coolies and The helping mother
Il servant who always accompanies her
call out, "Oh, bride, your crying time is
up, we shall soon reach your husbands
home" To have the marks of tears on
her face as she arrives would bring i'll luck
to the family, and so She snothcrs all sad
feelings, and heraldcd by the weird music
Is borne along to meet her fate
At the end of the Journey instead of find
ing an eager crowd to welcome her to her
new home, the chair is put down, the mu-
Sic ceases. and she is required to sit in
silent meditation until the exact time ar
rives for the worship of heaven and earth.
fixed by the parties who arranged for the
marriage. This sitting in silence is con-
siderch Il very important part of the cerc-
mony by the mOther-in-law, for without
this discipline. this quelling of all excite
ment, the bride might prove quarrel
some member of the family.
AT the proper moment the chair is
opened. Here two other ladies', very for
tunate i'll having husbands, sons and
daughters, also dressed in scarlet, come
out TO assist the bride \ way spread with
rice has been prepared aud the helping
mother slips IL pair of the brdcgroom's
shoes never worn before over the brides.
saying us she does so, May they grow old
together and all the affairs of life he pros
porous"
There are various ways of escorting the
bride to the bridal chamber A favorite
way is to give the groom the red end OF a
Silk cloth and the bride the green end and
after they together worship heaven and
earth he leads her To the marriage room.
With bowed heads they sit upon the bed
and each drinks Il sip of tea or wine from
his OWE cup, then the contents of both Guns
are poured into one and they each drink
drom 1t, and the marriage ceremony is
over.
Now follows the sight of each other The
anxious husband for the first time knows
whether his wife is handsome or not, and
TO the trembling bride is revealed her Etc-
long companion.
At this juncture the doors are thrown
open, the groom rctircs and the kindred.
friends and neighbors come in to see the
bride. This Is II time of great mcrriment.
but the bride must sit in quiet with bowed
head ard make no resistance or answer or
even allow herself to smile, as all sorts of
Jokes are played upon her. Congratulate
lions TO the n.o,hcr-in-law pour i'm from all
sides. Ii the bride should prove homcly
the Jokes are few and the mrth of short
duration, lest the anger Of the husband be
nndnly excited
on the first day tho bride does not pre-
sumo To speak, and in the presence of her
-'N''''''''' 1it - huiilo iHTte udNS, Dit
al! this time come visitors to see the bride
There She must sit and listen to remarks
abont herself whether complimentary or
otherwise. On the third day she is for
mally introduced to the members of the
family that She may always distinguish
between those of greater and less mpor-
lance. The bride and groom stand to-
Bether with some one at their side who
announces, 1.-THE father-in-law and the
motherin-law." The pair then kotow tn
them four times. The paterna uncIcs
and aunts are next announced and so on
Until the pair have Iiotowcd to all the rel
atives except the younger brothers and
EiSterS To whom fhnu In