The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-06-06
CHINESE AND YANKEE WOMEN.
An Entertaining Talk by WI Ting Fang.
News and Courier.

WAsnISGToN, May 19.-'I am
greatly interested in the American
women" said WI Ting Fang, the
Chinese minister yesterday. "Shc
amuses me, and she cxcitcs my
curiosity. Why does she dress in
such an outlandish way, choosing
public occasions for the exhibition Of
portions Of her body which, under cir
cumstances of greater privacy, she
deems it modest to cover up? For
what purpose does she pinch her
waist-a custom which. from Chinese
viewpoint, seems barbarous?
Nevertheless, it is unquestionably
a fact that women in China are much
like American women. The life of a
gentle woman in my country is by no
means so different from that of per-
son Of the same sex and social rank in
the United States as you might sup
pose. Her occupations are, Ito great
extent, the same and her amuscmcnts
are similar. Probably she enjoys
quite as much happiness as woman
Of corresponding position in Uncle
Sam domain.
THE Chinese lady does not have
the same freedom OF social intercourse
with men as is enjoyed by the Ameri-
can woman Of equal birth and station,
but she is not dissatisfied on this ac
count. 1t would be mistake to sup
pose that she is secluded in any such
way as the women of Turkey or other
Mohammedan countries. She meets
without restriction the intimate male
friends of the household, and her hus-
band does not try TO keep her from
knowing the men whom he admits to
his own close acquaintance. If you
happen to know a lady in China,
though yourself man, you arc not
debarred from calling upon her.
IA lady in China frequently smokes
pipe. That statement tounds odd
perhaps until it is explained that the
kind Of pipe she smokes is water
pipe-what you call 'hubble-buoble'
and that the tobacco used in it is 80
mild as to have almost no strength at
all. The weakness Of the tobacco
does not matter much, inasmuch as
the smoking is done rather as form
of amusement than in the way of in
dulgenoo in narcotic for the gratifi
cation Of a habit.
"The Chinese lady has plenty CT
amusements. She plays games with
oards-games Of kinds which, for the
most part, are not known or under
stood in the United States, though
not less entertaining than yours-and
in this way she passes many happy
hour. Chess and dominoes are like
wise favorite pastimes with her, and
when not otherwise occupied, she
zsads novels. She is not kept in
ignorance, CD Mohammedan women SO
commonly are, and she is fond Of
reading. No circulating libraries are
available, but she buys books-most-
]y novels and plays. We nave plenty
OF novels in the Chinese language.
'In China lady who is the mis-
tress Of an establishment has her
household duties, just like an Ameri-
can woman Of good position. From
her point Of view housekeeping tasks
are in nc way. derogatory or beneath
attention. Sheshas general superin-
tendence over domestic affairs, in
Guiding the management Of the SER
wants, and, though she does not inter-
fere commonly with the kitchen de-
partment, she gives general directions
and on occasions instructs the cook as
to what is to be purchased in the way
Of food supplies. She does not ever
go to market, the buying Of ell pro-
visions being done by her cook. AS
rule in the houses Of the well-to-do
there is nurse for each child, but
the mother Of the family looks out
anxiously for the welfare Of all the
children.
"The Chinese lady frequently occu-
pies herself with embroidery work,
but she does no plain sewing, all Of
that being relegated to servants. In
my country servants wages are much
less than in America and we have
more Of them; where well-to.do fami-
lies in the United States would have
three domestics similar household in
China might have seven or eight.
Ordinarily we have three meals each
day, just as you do, the dinner being
late in the afternoon, at or 5 o'cloek.
1t is customary to have light supper
in the evening. The meals are served