Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-28
woMAN's INFLUENCE IN CHINA
Greater Than Is Commonly Supposed
Many Famous for Learning.

woman influence in China is greater
than Is commonly supposed, says the
New orh sun. Records of the Flowery
Kingdom are full of examples of women
famous Tor their learning. heroism and
h1gh principle sometimes women achieve
absolute power over the household, but
there Is popular saying, She eats rice
WIN her huSpand, which is used to de-
scribe the rule of the female tyrant. The
most astonishing instance of feminine
power today is, of course. the career of
the IMPRESS dowager AS an instance of
the Empress dowager's power, it may be
recalled that she deposed her strongest
vizier, Prince kung. in 1885, by a mere
decree In the Pekin Gazette because "he
overrated his Importance"
In common with all other nations, the
women OF China represent the most fer
vent religious element. They are said to
SUPPORT enthusiastically the Boxers
sion to help rid the country of the mis-
slonarles. That the women of China 40
not lack courage, is proved by the fact
that they sometimes seek suicide as re-
nei from unhappy marriages and uncon-
genial husbands would frequently be muir
dered were it not for special punishments
1Snominious and slow" devised for all
women who attempt homicide The mere
existence OF this law provides the neces-
sity for it. Again, not long ago, fifteen
young girls of Canton threw themselves
into the river to escape from marrying
the husbands chosen for them.
Two other recent examples prove the
devotion of the Chinese women of high
degree a daughter of the Chinese min
lister to London, kwo-SungTaon, was
married at the age of seventeen. When
her husband died she tried to commit
suicide, out of grief, and would eat moth
ing but gold leaf, seeking thereby to in
duce death. 1t failed to poison her. and
she then starved to death. Her sister-in-
law, Mrs. kwo, sister of the Marquis
Tseng. also tried to follow her husband
to the land of spirits. but failing in her
passion on her children. agreed to I'VE,
and managed her father-in-law s proper
ty while he was in London. Lii Hung
Chang penned memorial to the Dragon
Throne, requesting that these two women
should receive sign of imperial APP
prevail.
Notwithstanding the degraded condition
of women of the lower classes. the fem
mime ideal is high in China, and the an
mails of the past show a long series of
virtuous and heroic women, who have
made an indelible impression upon the
national mind. The mother of the great
sage, Confucius. is held as model. The
next philosopher Of Importance, Mencius,
was also indebted to his mother for the
formation of his character and mind, as
well as his philosophy.
Womans lot in China is. however. not
an enviable one. She is not received into
the world with JOY. and gets very little
from all companionship to become the
young girl who sits in the house. until
her marriage. when she weds someone
she has never seen. Then she must obey
her husband and her mothcr-ln-law; she
may not come into contact with men or
the outside world; and. as a rule, she
cannot read. She may, however, receive
ladies and return their calls. The patri
archal system is so universal that the IA
Their is a despotic ruler over his family,
and married woman becomes so entire
ly a part of her husband s family that
she has to yield her obedience to her
husbands parents. who frequently treat
her more as a slave than a daughter-in-
law. The doctrine inculcated in the Chi
nese classics is that a woman has three
stages of obedience: First to her father:
second, to her husband, and third. if her
husband dies, to her son when he reach
es manhood. The old proverb goes. Men
wish their boys to be like wolves, and
fear lest they should be timid their girls
they wish to be like mice, and fear lest
they should have the holiness Of the IL
ger" The laws established 33o0 years ago
are in favor today. and among them no
rules are stricter than those for keeping
the women in bondage.
Chinese books of instruction for girls
consist chiefly of eXhortatiOnS to dis
charge their duties as daughters. wives,
mothers and dauShters-in-law. The
nous Emperors wrote prefaces, describe
how the female mind and character must
be trained. Modesty. gentleness, self
sacrifice. wisdom. respect for elders and
a virtuous disposition must be a woman's
equipment in life. There is no pressing
need for intellectual education. However.
about 100 in every 10000 women
read. and that means read with under
standing the great books Of philosophy
and literature. the works of China's sages
and poets. Such cases are found among
the ariStocratic classes, and men of let
tiers frequently teach their wives and
daughters not only the art of reading.
but that of writing, and so so far as to
publish their literary effusions.