The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-11-03
NORTH CHINA WOMEN.
They Are OF Much Greater Consequence,
Both Socially and Politically, Than
Richer Women of the Southern Prov
inees.

1t has often been said that the woman
OF northern China, that portion of the
empire invaded by Russia, reigns su-
preme in her own household. Though
this is an exaggerstion, she Is undoubt-
edly of greater consequence than the
women farther south, The Manchu
woman, farther north than Pekin, is GER
tainly far more emanoipsted than her
Hun sister, and she at least is allowed
her natural feet to. walk upon.
Another curious fact observed In China
Is that the women OF the lower classes
have much more freedom than those of
rank, and are more on an equality with
their husbands. The explanation of this
Is a matter of Chinese social economics.
The poorer a man is the fewer spouses
can he afford to keep, so that the averag 9
man of the lower-not the middle-classes
has but one wife. In this alone she holds
an advantage over her Weather sisters;
and, again, companions in poverty are
apt 20 make common cause. The poor
man and his mate must work together.
He cannot afford TO shut her up or keep
her apart from the world, needing her
assistance as he does In his work. If he
is a farmer the burden OF all the house
hold cares falls on her shoulders, and this
takes her outside to fetch water, to wash
the clothes or to make purchases at the
store, She freely meets and gossips
with the other women OF the nelghborhood
and leads more of a social life than ladies
of the highest station.
WOMEN OF HIGHER STATION.
These ladies, on the other hand, though
saved from manual labor and from the
anxieties OF poverty, and though richly
clothed, housed and fed by the average
by husband, must submit to being
practically immuned and are obliged to
share the husbands affections with sew
eral others; in fact, the first wife is rarely
loved by the husband. She holds the
position of honor among the womep,of
his household, it is true, but shells not
the wife OF his choice; she has been bar
gained for by his family and he probably
never saw her till the marriage took
place. The others, on the contrary, are
of his own selection. IT Is not unheard
of for one of the wives to have large
influence over the husband, for women
are women the world over, and men are
men. But, generally speaking, it is the
women of the lower classes who, for the
reasons just enumerated, play beaver
part in the every day life OF the great
Chinese empire
The appearance OF the Chinese women
is In accordance with their characters
generally attractive. She dresses In more
comfort than do women In other parts OF
the world. The Manchus wear long
skirts. but their blouses are loose, while
almost all other Chinese women wear the
long, graceful blouse and pair OF trous-
ers, which the most emancipated western
woman might envy from the standpoint
of comfort.
AN ENGLISH DINNER PARTY.
1t is we'll nigh impossible to get well
acquainted with the secluded women OF
the upper classes. The daughter of The
Blake, has been more successful in this
way than almost anybody elsa who has
held high social position in China. She
studied Chinese first OF all. and now has
made real friends among the women of
rank In Hongkong. A dinner party
which she gave for them was a great
feature. All the men were banished from
the government house for the evening,
and the foreign ladies who were invitei
were in full evening dress. Ths Chinese
women not only attended but they en-
Joyed 1t. Some OF them had made pre-
vious acquaintance with knives and
forks, but those who had not, learned in
few minutes and used them daintily.
They wondered at many OF the dishes,
and also at the bare arms and threats of
their hostesses, saying that 1t must be
livery cold" They themselves wers
dressed In the most exquisite OF Chinese
clothes Of rich silks, heavily mbroid-
cred, and in addition wore magnificent
jewels and orna ments OF gold. 10 ths
person anxious to learn something OF
that class of Chinese women the occasion
was one of unusual interest.