New-York tribune., 1900-07-15
WORK OF CHINESE WOMEN.
MRS. BALDWIN TELLS OF THEIR IN
DUSTRY-LADY CHO A WRITER
ON ETIQUETTE.

Chinese women probably the most indus
trious OF Oriental women said Mrs. S. L. Bald
win, Of Brooklyn. yesterday. who has lived in
China many years Even the women with little
feet employ themselves in various ways. They do
needlework. work for the temples and make paper
flowers, which they are fond OF wearing in their
hair. II is not unusual to up to her
knees In mud wearing most elaborate head deco
rations. For the temples they make incense sticks
print cloth and paper for the dead and make dead
mems money The latter is made of yellow paper
cut in Sits and has gold silver foil pasted on
eide. This they believe to be current In the other
world. Besides this they print pictures Of clothing
furniture and articles of general utility cloth
or paper with wooden stamps. These are burned
at the grave.
The Kitchen god which is found in the kitchen
OF every house. is elaborate according the
OF the proprietor and this, too is made by the
women. 1t is a bannerlike affair. made of paper.
ands may have If the family whom 1t is to protect
ls poor, only the of the god written upon It,
Or IL may resemble somewhat the old picture med
leys which were made OF advertising cards. In the
latter case 1t is covered with representations Of
vases OF flowers and domestic animals cut out of
REQ paper and pasted ingeniously together. Every
New Years Day this is burned, and ascends in
name as an offering to the upper ruler and new
goa must De ready to take its place If evil words
are said before the kitchen god he will make a bad
report and evil will descend upon the household
flilal piety is the great virtue China and dis
respect toward parents OF those who are older is
crime Older brothers and sisters are always ad-
dressed as older brother older sister and a
measure OF respect is shown bv brothers sisters
who are their seniors. At table guests always
seated according to their ages. and the second
question of courtesy is always What is your hon
orable age| The first IS. Have you eaten rice?
This is equivalent 10 How do you do?
obedience to parents is demanded by the civil
law and disobedience is punishable by arrest and
imprisonment
When was in Peking few years ago my at
tention was called to the loophoes that perforate
the wall OF the city and noticed in place that
there were three of these quite close together
which closed. The reason for the closing of
these and a few others that I discovered was ex-
planned to me follows: Parricde Is in China the
greatest OF crimes. and when such a deed is per
petrated the murderer is killed his house is razed
TO the ground and the dir under II dug up. In
addition TO this. in Picking the ioophoe in the wall
racing the district in which the crime was COM
mltted Is closed as a perpetual testimony against
that section while the prefect of the city and
Of degradation from office for lax rule Although
ciosed loopholes is not great
foreigners. From It may be seen the yellow tiled
aqofs Of the palaces and groves IN the Sacred City
Bounded @ by Hills away outside the vast plain
J., There There is no pleasure to be derived from riding
and live 10 tell the tale but it took every minute
eating Tfe a caFs y 'fRs haTs T0 w6 whses 2
placed on solid beams and the rider sits fiat upon
"Manchu women wear their hair in a broad stiff
poWknot which distinguishes them from Chinese
women. The Manchus have never bound their feet.
Foot binding has received its death blow, and
heather officials memoriaizing the Government
70 abolish the practice. The queue which is worn
by the men is badge Of loyalty to the Tartar gov
ernment.
The standard book OF etiquette in China was
written by Lady Cho twenty-seven hundred years
ago. Lady Cho the widow OF a distinguished
literary man OF North China, and after his death
was faithful 10 his memory. Her husbands broth
ct was historian OF that dynasty. but when his
work was half completed he lost his sight The
Emperor sent messenger to him asking who
could finish the book. and the reply returned
that only his brothers wife was capable Of doing
II. The Emperor sent for Lady Cho, and she was
conducted in the greatest of the Emperor's
palace. There she completed her brother -in-law's
where the left on and the woman began
Lady Cho afterward wrote INSTRUCTION for Women
and Girls which has even yet rival In the
book she gave the duty OF women from birth TO
dren by Mothers Duty OF Daughters to Parents
Duty OF Children Teachers 'FYlial Piety'
Hospitality and How 10 Receive Women Guests
and directions for caring for clothing how TO put
husbands food, reverencing their husbands and
reverencing their mothers-in-law
I'm the chapter virtue is this terse advice IF
your parents are sick. loosen your girde TO lie
bleed.
Regarding hospitality this ancient writer saws.
AS a guest, demand nothing AS hostess exhaust
IAN exhortaton for women no, to yield to laziness
Is particularly clever and refers the effort that
a woman with a torn garment makes hide the
rents in these words: A lazy woman is ALWAYS
ragged She Is forever pulling the over to
hide the east
The last chapter ends with this wall: All that
are born must die
Regarding the capacity OF Chinese women as
scholars, I have found them eager for instruction