The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-14

Terrible Mothers-in.Law Make Life Worse /
Death for American Girls Who Have
Been Married to Orientals

az al forward. They never expose any
part of the person except the face and
hands such things as low necks and
short sleeves are not known. and they
even tie in the breasts In order that
they may not be over-prominent In
many parts of the country the usual
dress for Chinese woman Is a pair OF
trousers or wide pantaioons which come
10 the feet and above THIS sort OF a
Jacket or close coat which fails 10 the
knees or below, They usually wear good
clothes, bright-colored satins and silks
beautifully embroidered being much more
common with them than with us.
In the above l have referred to the ter
rible character OF the Chinese mother-in-
law. She Is the worst of her kind, and
when her sons wife is a foreigner she
often becomes a demon. The close OF this
war will inaugurate a new regime for
China There will be openings for for
eigners in hundreds of ways. The prob
ability is that some OF our soldiers will
stay here and some may bring their FAM
flies TO settle IN the Celestial empire. The
new Chinaman win become more popular
abroad after time. and there will be a
temptation now and then for an American
girl to marry a Chinese and go home with
him. The fate OF the woman who does
this will be horrible in the extreme. She
will be treated here as the slave of her
Chinese mother-in-law ana will be sub
3ect to all kinds OF indignities.
Let Arteyicon Girls Be9oare.
A number OF the missionaries and fer
eign merchants out here have asked me
20 warn American girls 20 have nothing
To do with Chinese lovers and TO say 10
those who have married. Chinese that
they had better remain in the United
States There have been numerous In
stances IN which such wives have found
in China n fate equal TO death or worse.
One WAS that of a very pretty American
girl who married the Chinese tnterpretef
OF one OF the New York courts The Chi
nese had gone to the United States at
IL and had been educated there. He was
well paid, and after his marriage he and
his wife lived happily and In good style
for some time in New York. They had
little hoy. and when the child was years
old its father proposed TO no hack 10
China with his wife. expecting that hts
knowledge OF English would give him 4
good position here. He came OF good
family. and one OF his uncies was physi-
elan to Ii Hung Chang.
The two came out TO China FIRST class
and were apparently happy on the voy-
age. When they arrived the man took
his wife to his mothers house. She re-
fused to receive her as his wife and
laughed at the idea of foreign marriage
being binding. She made the American
girl the slave OF the family and gave her
a good beating daily. She threatened to
poison her and so terrified her that she
lived for time on raw eggs, breaking
the shells herself. so that she could be
sure that poison had not affected them.
Her mothcr-in-law took her clothes from
her and gave her a lot OF Chinese rags
TO wear. This was In Tientsin.
After time the foreigners discovered
her condition and persuaded her husband
10 go to Shanghai. where they got a
place for him with the Standard OIL COM
pany. They raised some money for him
and paid his rent, He proved OF no value
Ms clerk. and. In fact, that he had n
foreign wife prevented HIS getting work
among the Chinese. His mother followed
him TO Shanghai and again attempted 20
maltreat the American girl. but was pre-
vented from doing 30 by a warning from
the foreigners that she would be arrested
II her daughter-in-iaw was injured. The
old mother-in-law said the girl could be
nothing but coBcubinc. and all the
0mily agreed In this opinion.
The head OF the American Bible Society
who told me the above described how he
called with his wife one day on this
American woman, whom he had been
helping. Said he
AS soon As entered noticed she was
starving. and upon Investigation, found
that she bad been living all winter upon
one hot meal day. eating tho rest cold.
for she had not the fuel 20 cook Il.
Shanghai. you know, ~ almost as cold M
New York In the winter. and for months
she had had one-haif ton OF coal She
had but one dress and no underclothing