The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-08-08
WOMEN OF FAR CATHAy.
Something About the Wives and
Mothers or tho Boxers.


tlons or factions the women of the
countries involved take an intelligent
part, either as nurses for the wounded,
CONSIDERS for the dying or In active SER
vice Rs managers OF varions schemes
TO keep the pot OF peace boiling while
the husbands and fathers are engaged
In deadly combat with the enemy. To
women In civilized spheres it is given
| TO maintain the integrity Of the nation
at home. Matilda, wife Of William
the conqderor built magnificent
| cathedral while her husband was away
In the wars, and with her own hands
| embroidered the Victories OF the lime
on roll OF tapestry which eight cen.
| turtles later Ia exhibited in u museum
| at Bayeaux, In France.
Miriam went out with her maldens,
singing and dancing to welcome her
brother, victorious from his wars. 1t
Is only the savage whose women assist
in blOodshed and do no noble deed OF
mercy or enterprise, And the reason
is not far to find. The savage woman
Is subordinate. Her instincts, her train
ings, have been on the lines OF aggres-
sive cruelty. She has been taught that
mercy is cOwardice, she does not spare
her own, shall she then have pity on
the intruding stranger? or these are
tho women OF China, who know only
the lessons taught them for centuries
that everyone not OF their faith Ia an
enemy, dangerous and implacsble.
There are two events which gladden.
! the somber, restricted life OF the Chi
nese woman-one her marriage at az
early age, the other the birth OF son.
No greater distinction awaits the Chi
nese woman In this world than to give
/ birth TO a son-in the next she IL Of lit
tie cOnseq uence, as she Ia not supposed
to possess q soul. Her lot here is not
an env,able one, for II she is of high
caste she Is secluded In her husbands
home, she cannot walk on her mutila-
ted feet, and II she does not bear her
husband many sons she is regarded as
q piece OF useless furniture and must
content herself with gorgeous robes
and an elaborate head dress. A China.
man desires offspring for the selfish
reason that his bones may be worship
ped-lf he is not parent he cannot be
an ancestor, which would be calamity
in country whore the religion con-
sists mainly in sitting on a tomb and
reciting the virtues OF the dead.
Girls in China are accounted as
"household shadows and household
SORROWS" Formerly they we're drown
ed like blind kittens at birth, but the
missionaries are responsible for the
doubtful good OF preserving their lives
in later years. The Christianized Chi
naman does not object to daughter,
although his acceptance of the disap-
pointment is In the nature Of q penance
The first high caste Chinese child born
In Washington was that Of the Chinese
minister who was stationed there dur
ing President Gartield's administra-
tion. The Chinese like women doc
tors, and the official engaged the SER
vices of DR.. Susan L. Edison, who intro
duced to America the first high caste
Chinese baby within its limits. The
anxious minister, dressed In his best
event in his private suite in the lega-
tion palace, and as DR.. Edison approach
ed met her half way He scanned her
face moment anxiously, then held
this laconic dialogue with himself:
boy No. Girl? Yes"
Native Cinnamon look down on their
wives and In every way they can show
their contempt for them, believing that
a man should do this in order to main
tain his own supremacy. Some of their
popular sayings convey this idea:
"a man should listen to his wife,
but he must not believe her."
"A womans mind Is quicksilver
her heart is wax"
"Men, when they meet, listen to
each other. Girls, when they come
together, look at each other"
women look down to be looked at"
The lovemaking In China Ia of the
most intricate and matter Of-fact kind
The contracting parties are betrothed
In childhood, often In their infancy,
and sometimes before either was born
A rich merchant says to his friend
when both are married
"TOu have daughter, have son-
we will then marry them, or II have
the misfortune to have q daughter she
shall marry your son. Is that con-
tract ?"
The betrOthal OF two imaginary
children follows with great ceremony,
and as the prediction is usually veri-
fed the children are brought up for
each other, and their second betrothal
is made another occasion OF great
feasting, and an astrologer Is consulted
to read the horoscope Of the pair and
set the marriage day. One of the
strictly forbidden rites Is marriage to
q foreigner.
The dying request OF Chinese wife
| to her lord often takes this form
when | am buried you must come
often to my grave to burn incense, and
you must not harm any white butterfly
or lizard, for | may prefer to come
back to you ir those shapes when am
tired OF lying In my grave"
| 1t would seem as II all the superstI-
tlons OF the rest OF the world
had been banished to China,
! whose kingdom they hold Tor
their own. A Chinaman is afraid
to look over his shoulder, for he knows
he will see ghOst-that he never did
see one has no weight with him, and
| he feels that all is right at home, but
II his neighbor sneeZes and he does
not he believes himself neglected and
becomes morbidly jealous. Quite like
other women, the Chinese wife has
her little plans and schemes and ad.
| vises her husband to wear wet hand
kerchief In his hat to keep his shaven
poll from sunstroke. When the towel
cools he naturally sneezes, and when
he goes home cOmmends his wife for
thinking OF him during his absence.
There is little doubt that rather than
see their women fall into the civilizing
power OF foreign nations the Chinese
would not hesitate to slay them with
the sword. And in view of future
similar to the past of Chinese women
such a fate need not be deplored It
would be one of the tragedies where