The Helena independent., 1893-12-06
A CHINESE MOTHER.

slovenly woman is a source of misery to all
about her. Before she is 10 years of age she
is a mistress of woman's toilet, and Of
mans as we'll. She must be proficient in
bookkeeping, accounts, housekeeping cook
ing, sewing, embroidery, music, singing,
silk raising, spinning and weaving, horti-
culture and etiquette. She is trained up in
paths of virtue-not that western female
virtue which consists of lamentable igno-
rance of the most important physiologic
facts, but that higher virtue which COM
bines knowledge, self respect and self con-
troll She is taught the principles of diet
ing, hygiene and enough physiology and
medicine to make her first class nurse
and a good doctor for all the triflin9 all
ments of the body. For this reason she is
invaluable to both husband and children.
For the same reason she requires neither
comes mother.
womanhood, wifehood and motherhood.
Under such circumstances it is little Won
der that malpractice, tho curse of Christian
civilization, should be unknown in China.
Precept and example make her realize the
physical and intellectual superiority of the
male over the female, and the greater wis
dom of the old than the young. Thus it is
that she accepts with joy the husband her
parents select and renders herself to him
body and soul completely. She carries out
completely the injunction Of St. Paul,
'Wives, render obedience unto your hus-
bands as they do unto God"
What Marriage Means.
Marriage in China means absolute change
to the woman. Her old family ties are
severed. She becomes as much portion
of her husbands family as If she were a
daughter, instead of daughterin-law.
His parents and ancestors become hers.
The success of her husband or his relatives
means her success. Their promotion to Of
flee or to title involves her ascent in tho
social scale. Above all Is the fact and the
prospect that If her sons ever attain dis
tinction she receives the same honors. Thus
every Chinese mother, no matter how poor
and humble, is a potential marchioncss,
duchess or princess through her progeny or
descendants.
In Europe titles descend The mother of
Marlborough is always plain Mrs Church
i'll. In China they ascend as well as de-
tcehd. A great genius who earns fame aud
fortune for himself earns it in the same
time for his mother and father and even his
grandparents if living. Each family un-
der such auspices is Il little world in itself.
Three and four generations live together
under the same Roof. While the Oldest take
precedence over the rest, and are entitled to
and receive the respect and love of their
juniors, yet all alike look to the youngest
us the sources of future pleasure and honor.
Only in China is it that the grandsire can
be seen dragging wagon for his baby
grandson, teaching the infant idea the mys-
teries of mud pies or playing horse, bear
and lion for the youngsters edidcation.
The young wife, especially after she is u
mother, finds in these surroundings tho
practical application and realization of tho
education OF her entire pre-marital life.
She neither knows nor cares for her neigh
bors and is therefore unfamiliar with tho
pleasures Of scandal and of gossip. She
bases her daily life upon the teachings OF
San Chung and Su Deb, the great poets of
domestic ethics. These she has learned by
heart in her youth and teaches her chill.