The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-03-23
CHINESE ETIQUETTE.

One never becomes so well acquainted
with the Chinese that ceremony may
be dispensed with. 1t is possible that
there may be informal visiting among
very old friends and neighbors, but it
is hardly conceivable. With mere ac-
quantances the visit cannot be paid
until one is sent for, then a cart arrives
more or less splendid, according to the
position of the hostess. If she happen
to be poor the vehicle will be shabby
in the extreme-the mule by which
such cart is drawn, gaunt and aged,
the driver filthy and in rags.
If its owner is a woman of wealth,
the vehicle will be curtained and cush-
ioned with fine blue or purple cloth,
and there will be in attendance not only
the woman servant, but two naughty
outriders mounted on Chinese ponies.
The woman servant is sent invariably
to accompany the guest, since no we'll
bred woman in China ventures into the
streets alone. One of the stigmas at
tached to the reputation Of the present
dowager empress is a tradition that,
when a girl, she once went out upon
the streets alone and bought q certain
kind of cake of which she was very fond.
1t is something Of an art for for
eigner to take her seat gracefully and
comfortably in Pekin art,-there are
those who do not think that it can be
done at all. A succint rule has been
given by one who should be an author
ity: "Tumble in and fold up"
All Chinese houses are concealed
from the street by high, blank walls.
On either side of the entrance are the
stables and the apartments of the gate
keeper and the other servants. Near
the door of the court a stout, we'll
groomed mule is frequently seen hitched
to an iron ring in the wall-the animal
which the master of the house rides, OF
hitches to his cart, and which, through
out China everywhere, takes preced.
ence of the horse.
II the hostess and her daughter-ln-
law are not waiting to receive the guest,
there is certain TO be half dozen wo-
men servants, and the family will be
waiting in the court beyond. They
are arrayed in their best apparel, gor-
geous silks beautifully embroidered, the
hair elaborately dressed and adorned
with flowers and gilt and silver fins
glittering with jewels.
If they are Manchus their feet will
be unbound, the hair arranged upon a
board about fourteen inches in length
and four in width, attached to the back
of the head; and the long, loose outer
garment, reaching to the knees, will be
black, with bands about the throat and
sleeves of dark or light blue. Chinese
ladies wear much shorter outer gar
ment, gayer in color, with wide drawers
of blue or bright green. The hair is
dressed in queer little curved loop.
which is thought to accord with their
dwarfed feet
The guest addresses the mother-in-
law first, then the other ladies, and she
is welcomed with the Chinese mode of
hand-shaking-placing one closed hand
upon the other and moving it up and
down. If the children have been
brought out for inspection-as usually
happens-they are drawn up in line
and greet the visitor with pretty,
graceful courtesy. AS rule, Chinese
children are extremely attractive
they are so quantity dressed, in such
fascinating little gowns, jackets and
trousers, that suit their dark skins and