The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-11-13
through unity of action results may be
secured.
CHINA'S CRUEL FASHION.
supposed Origin Of BinaIng the Feet of
Children.

All who have the slightest knowledge
Of China have heard Of the custom of
binding the feet Of Chinese girls, but few
adopted to secure the dipIinutive feet
whicn the Chinese prize so highly. It
IA not known how this cruel custom
Originated. and the Chinese themselves
seem to b. uncertain as to when IL was
adopted, but tradition relates that GER
tain empress OF China, somewhere back
in the twilight of Chinese history, was
ths ladies of the court co bind their feet,
IN the attempt to secure artifioially the
same deformtty which nature had inilict-
ca upon her. There ars two distinct
styles of binding the feet in vogue among
the Chinese, but the process Is the same
In bothIcasas, the different results being
secured by the way in which the binding
Is done. The instrument used Is a small
roll OF firm cotton webbing about two
and one-half inches wide. This webbing
must have no stretch or give to 1t, and
Is woven especially for such use. The
process is usually begun when the girls
have reached the age OF six or seven
years. though in some cases where q par
ticulariy dainty pair of ''goldsn lilies,
as the Chinese call these poor deformities
is desired, the binding Is begun as early
aslthe third or fourth year.
The foot is taken and all the toes ex-
ospt the great toe bent under the lnstep,
which IL thus forced up. When this has
continued for some time and the foot has
become quite pointed in shape and the
instep considerably arched, the binding
is extended and the heels and toes drawn
together, thus preventing tbs growth OF
the foot in length. In the style of bind
ing in North China greater pains are
taken to preserve the pointed effect, while
in Southern China the shortness OF the
foot Is SO much desired that the pointed
effect is almost lost, and the feet bscome
mere sEumps.
Inc excruoiating pain endured by Chin
ese girls In the process OF foot binding Is
impossible to describe. Taken young,
while the feet are growing, they are
bound and wrapped so tightly with the
webbing that circulation Is almost entire
ly cut off, and the bandage Is left on just
as long as possible, for It Is q saying
that every dressing OF tho feet loses a
mite of daintiness. But the worst OF 1t
IL that the torture Is drawn out through
lifetime, for the binding can never
cease. The seams and n5sures caused In
the feet by their distortion become sore,
and often gangrene sets in and carries
of the sufferer. In order to prevent this
it Is customary to powder the feet with
saltpetre while binding them, thus liter
ally putting them I'm pickle to preserve
them. The result OF this binding is that
all the weight of the body In standing is
thrown on the heal and the foot Ioses the
power to balance the body. A small-
footed woman cannot stand still, but like
one on stills she must constantly be step
ing backward or forward to keep her bal
anc9.
1t Is strange how this cruel fashion
has fastened itself on the Chinese
women, TO whom 1t has become the
badge OF respectability, and whose ele-
gance and distinction are measured by
the greatness OF their deformity. The
most advantageous marriages are made
by those whose golden nlIss' ara tine
most petite, and those otherwise unde-
sirable become prizes II possessed OF Tiny
feet.
d The custom Is peculiar to the Chinese
| for the MongoIs and Manohus have never
adopted 1t but so dear Is 1t to the Chimes
| that the greatest emperor of the present
dynasty, who succ sssfully imposed upon
| the Chinese the wearing OF tina queue as
| a badge OF subsection, did not dare TO
risk his authority In an attempt to stamp
out the custom of binding feet, though
he prohibited she practice within the
limits of his capital at Pekin. The work
of missionaries is, however, beginning 70
make itself relt, and native societies are
at last pressing to abolish the cruel am
| anciAnt custom,