The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-13
SAM PING LEE DOUBLY WE'D
rJRsT IN CHINESE FASHION, THEN
IN TIE CHRISTfAN war.

re.t,ur Event Ca usen tho Usunl Gem
,o,,on Among tho Bachelors In Chinatown
-ts,nn All Out. tho Lovely bride. and Her
usr,eliousiy I~sospIrnaentV NeddisE Costume
Sam Ping Lee may have shared In a vulgar
.r,cricnn superstition and for that reason have
nostponed until yesterday tho wedding that
~, act for Friday, or no may havo intended
~. dc,ay 10 show respect for the funeral day
:, ring sic the venerable Chinatown merchant.
prt certain 1t is that the ceremony did not be.
~ until Yesterday morning. Sam Ping Lee Is
so,scsscd of u proper sense of the sanctity Of
~, ncrsonal privacy. Therefore, when the
chrietian dcvils can't to his door on Friday to
~ whether the hour OF his wedding was de-
,,-mincd, he retired precipitately to his back
room. whence he despatched n friend to tenn
.or,e with the prying strangers. and, II need
be, to lie.
"Mr, Lee herel" the stranger would nsk.
$500 him to.mol'." This was said tentatively.
almost qucstiontngly.
oBut | want to SEQ him nowf'
.Brsy now. Como to.molla day
II the visitor were foolishly persistent and
aid. But | want to see him now" tho smiling
,r,,rm.diary would answer with bland immo-
bllity:
"To.mol! Como to.molla.day.'
"When will MI. Lee be married."
"Wben him mallyi Huh! l dono. Not to-
aav Not to.mol.' By-by. Idono."
The preparations for the wedding went right
a Init very few even in Chinatown knew Of
them. The pomp and glory Of ing Sizes two.
handed funeral helped to cloak Sans design.
The street was almost empty when the lovely
Cbinn All Qui came shyly down from the rooms
a, AZ Mott street to the coach that was waiting
At her door. Two whito canvas trunks and a
b,ueand.red bandbox had preceded her. She
-t,.n,, lln,eA tEith vrtAnlv Hntyipty
sleevcs and gorgeously full light blue trousers.
On her feet were light blue slippers.
shower Of rice descended from tho upper
shadows of the enc With an exclama-
tion that was half.squcal, half.gigglc, the bride
raised her wide blue sleeves over her head and
scuttled into the carriage. Her married sister,
Wong Sing Nan. and her friend, Mrs. Cha Lee
Toi. shut the dvor after her and told the driver
10 20 to 81 Mott street. not directly. for that
would have been no journey at all. but by way
Of Pell street and Chatham square. Once they
had seen it start in the right direction tho two
women raddIod across the street to 30 Mott
street, and impaticntly awaited It's return from
the other direction.
by one, out OF the doors of the stores and tcne-
ments. seemingly out Of the very shadows
gathered Il Cabling crowd of Chinese specta-
and watched the two women with iinpassivo
faces and gurgied in an unceasinG monotone.
the Tine b Idn a SSSf CHA rS'i Lee Tpi TO op ths dG ;hc do wp1 az
the carriage. There was a patter Of slippers
in the doorway of The house; The specta,
was radiantly blue. A dark blue cap was ON his
head, his blouse was . shade lighter, and his
they were bound with snow-white bandagos.
The bride dartcd forward to meet him. Rice
from the darkness ratified about her once
more. Sparks hisscG End suffered from a
long string OF fire crackers that lUntcd under
the horses feet and exploded by twos and
threcs and cozens., The growing group or
Cinnamon murinurcd in approval.
Up thc narrow stairs of the tenement marched
footsteps. Behind the bride parched the
bridegroom. Behind him came Nan and Cha.
directing the labors of three attendants, who
carried up the two white canvas trunks and
the blue and red handbook. Each ono carried a
candle. Up two flights OF stairs they went 10
the rooms that are to DO the home of sam Ping
Lee and his vito until such time as the bride
shall have become SO accustomed TO American
fS,o o,1am IN, ,ha Is she n W" I ,s eS w1ii fsags; 10 mo For up ,ba 40
Is her husbands ideal OF life, and she has no
nigh. TO entertain any other.
At the front of the little parlor, between the
windows, was erected a tiny altar to the. 1necs-
tors Of Sam. Wong sing Nan stood beside the
altar. Beside the bridegroom, stood his best
man. Wong Sing Nam ciaspcd her hands and
s daSats,es tiny IN. c sSW to Of fA the tit aIin roast tb 2ig th e.
Qui did the same. Wong Sing Nan took 4 joss
Slick out of The bunch that was planted in the
9ui did likewiSc. They lighted the s1icks at
the candle behind the pig. and held them de-
y0utly before their noses until the room was
clOuded with smoEc. Then did sam Ping Lee
and his best man bow toward the pig: They,
TOO, selected joss sticks, but from a bowl on
the right Of t q pig.
Wons Sing Nan then led the bride away to an
other room. sam Ping Lee stood all alone he
fore tho altar and burned another loss stick
and mucmured many pledges. When tho stick
was burned down 10 his fingers he tossed II into
one Of the bowls and shook hands with the ten
men friends who had witnessed the ceremony.
Then they all sat down and ate tho roast pig
and Two chickens and drank four bottles of rice
vine, for sum Ping Lee was married.
But this IL a country of queer laws and most
O. them are made to get faithful subjects OF the
Celestial Empire into trouble. sam Ping Lee is
no superiicIal fool. Lest some day sUrie Mclean
Judge s!.ould question the efficacy of marriage
by JOSS stick, candle. and roast pig. he was
married over. again yesterday, according to the
customs OF this country. And il, in 30 doing,
ne had to krccl down and bow his head in ven
efatlon to the God Of tho Presbytcrians. what
nattered THAR II Il didn't bother the minister.
T. certainly didn't bother the sam Ping Lees.
The minister was the Rev. HUE Kin. a Chi
hcsc who j. connected with the Presbyterian
mission at 80 Fifth avenue.