The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-11-02
A CHINESE WEDDING.
new Bride Is Chosen-Her Unhappy L
trance into Married Life.


match in China; of course there could
not be, where there is absolutely no
social intercourse between men and
women, and where it is, in fact, dis
grace for girl to be seen by any man
save her father and brothers. There
are no chance meetings comm thro'
the rye, no strolls in the twilight, no
partings full of sweet sorrow" at the
gate under the moonbeams. Absolutely
separated by the insurmountable wall
OF inexorable custom, the girl totters
round at her household tasks almost a
cripple on her poor little deformed
feet, while the boy stolidly goes about
his daily tasks either at school or in
the field, until it is decided by their
parents that it is time for them to
marry When that time arrives, the
parents of the young man go to go
between, a regular matrimonial agent,
who for fixed stipend, agrees to find
him wife. She inquiries about among
her acquaintances until she finds girl
whose parents are willing to sell her
flor sale it isl for the sum offered by
the family of the young man as n
marriage portion. When she has been
found, and the preliminary negotia-
ttons have proved satisfactory, presents
are exchanged between the two fam
lies, and also between the two young
phone. This exchange of presents con-
sSgNstes- the betrothal, and IL is so bind
ing that it cannot legally be broken
under,any circumstances. Even should
the young girl discover (as she too
often noes) that her future husband is
a cripple, or insane. or even that hor-
rible thing, leper, she cannot be re-
leased she must go to him, and obey
his parents as his wife.
EARLY on the morning of the wedding
the girls mother goes out and gathers
flowers from twelve different plants
These aSe boiled and the bride battles
in the water. She then puts on an en-
tire suit of new clothes, and while
dressing stands in round bottomed
basket. 1his is supposed to bring good
luck. Het dress is red, a red gauze
veil covers her from head to foot, and
round herr forehead she wears red
band from (which a red frieze falls over
her face. When dressed, she bids
good-by to her mother and is taken
into the outer room by the go-between.
Two male members of the bridegroom S
family are Waiting for her with Sc
dan chair 10 carry her to her new
home As she is carried off custom de-
mands that she should cry and wall
aloud, and, poor child, she is ready
enough to ddso No member of her
own family accompanies her: entirely
alone, she is leaving her home forever
her former friends and companions she
may never see again, and alone she is
about to enter on n new life among
total strangers. She is going to a
slavery as absolute and irrevocable as
any that evereXisted. And more often
than not be lit remembered, she is a
child of twelve years old or under
Arrived at the bridegroom's home
she is greeted and led into the house
by the mistress of ceremonies" a
woman chosen for having large num-
Der of children; led by her into the
honse, she and the bridegroom sit
SaEn. at a table set in the main room,
ana are served WIN a't,vil..tion by her
and the go-between. AS this is the
first time that the two young people
have been face to face, it may readily
be supposed that they are naturally
curious about each others appearance.
Etiquette, however, commands that
the bride should sit demurely with
cast down eyes, and as she still wears
her red veil and fringe she can see lit
Tie and eat less. The bridegroom,
however, eats something out of all the
little dishes that are handed to him.
When The meal is over the bride is
tremendously conducted into an inner
apartment which has been deliberately
decorated for her reception. Every
thing is covered with red: the hang
ings are red, embroidered with differ
emit colors, and in this red room which
is to be her home Tor her PRISON. for
the rest of her life the poor girl sits
alone for the whole of the long day
No one breaks in upon her solitude, no
one speaks to her: occasionally some
one looks in at the door to see if she
is sitting immovable in her red dra-
peries by the side of her red table as
etiquette prescribeS All around the
room are ranged the red boxes contain
ing her trousseau, and perhaps even n
Chinese girl can derive pleasure under
trying circumstances from the con-
sciousncss that for the first time in
her life she has more new clothes than
she could ever before call her own.
At shutdown the males of the family
and their friends have an elaborate
banquet and after they have finished
and retired to the mems apartments,
the women come out of the stuffy little
inner rooms, from which they have
been watching through chinks in the
light walls the revelry of the men, and
feast royalty on the remnants. After
all have finished, the go-between and
mistress of ceremonies go into the
brides room, drag her to her feet and,
throwing back her veil, support her on
either side, while the men come and
look at her. Each man holds a lighted
taper which he thrusts as far as posi-
BILE into the otherwise dark room, and
by its faint light carefully examines
the bride. Custom demands that she
shall struggle to free herself from those
who hold her, and to hide her face
from her observers, but as this is the