The Florida star., 1900-08-24


are comparatively few in China. re-
main known as boys" to the end OF
their days
To Us IL appears ridiculous that a
boy OF 16 should take upon himself
the responsibilities and duties OF
married life. but Chinese custom en-
forces early marriage. Some boys are
married at 10, and their wives are but
little older. IL there is no other reason
the motive for so early a marriage is
the need OF another servant in the
family OF the bridegroom. which need
is supplied by the new daughter-ia-
law.
Chinese weddings are generally OF
the most complicated description, and
must be performed on one OF the many
lucky" days OF the year. a Chinese
boy. when married, does not neces-
sarily set up housekeeping for himself.
He and his wife become part OF
the paternal household. Frequently
Chinese boys, married at the mature
age OF II or SO, become possessed Of
grievance and run crying TO their
mothers for relief in the manner so
familiar to us. They are sent back TO
their wives for comfort. Theoretically
Chinaman becomes of age at 16. but
practically he remains Il part of the
family and does not become the head
of n family himself while any OF an
older generation descended from his
grandfather's grandfather remains
alive.
To Chlnaman a son is an absolute
necessity, in order To preserve intact
the system OF ancestor worship. the
rites OF which enter into daily life.
When Chinese father has no son or
loses him, one is adopted. The adopted
son is generally relative. the son OF
brother or cousin. When IL can be
avoided. the son of sister l. not
adopted. because. according 10 the in
gen1Ous Chinese. he has another sur
name and is thus of Il more distant
relationship than the son of a brother.
Rather than adopt n sisters son. whose
position is linble 10 dispute after the
death OF the parent. the family will
frequently adopt an entire stranger.
Another way in which Chinaman
secures the perpetuatiOn OF his family
Is To have one son represent his father
and his fathers brother. who has no
son. In this case the son must have
two wives and two households. one for
each branch of the family. AS human
nature is still alive in China. although
frequently IL seems dormant. this ar
rangement is conducive OF much con-
jugal pickering.
When n Chinaman becomes i'll, the
first thing TO be done is To send for all
his relatives. OF whatever degree of
nearneSs, 20 come and see him. They
crowd around his bedside and each one
Of them puts an endless number OF
questions To the patient as To his con-
ditiOn. Each one has his pet SuGges-
ton 10 make as 10 the best food for the
patient. nearly always ridiculous.
Death is Il welcome relief in many
cases. for such Il thing Us privacy is
unknown in low or middle class China.
The native medical attendance is such
as To hasten death rather than to pro-
long life.
When a sick Chinaman is supposed
10 be nearing death. they put on his
grave clothes. They have no nerves,
ana therefore the approach Of death
causes no qualms of spirit tO the dying
man or his relatives. The former ac-
ccptS il with characteristic Chinese
StOiciSm. while the latter at once be-
gin to dispute about the disposal of his
property-thiS while he is still alive
and in his presence. Quarr,'; frequent
" take place In the death chamber.
They have no sense of decOrum as we
understand it.
Intcrtwincd in all the affairs of
Chinese life is ceremony. but on no
other occasion does il appear SO
prominently us during funeral. When
n Chinaman dies. the first and most
important thing To dO is To go to the
nearest temple and inform the local
god Of his death. Il ceremony some
what like our local southern one of
telling the bees" After much other
religious ceremony. the chanting Of
prayers. and the discharge of bombs
AMI tircrrackcrS Ia scare away evil
spirits. the body is horne i'm Il funeral
procession L. the huryiug place. When
Il family wishes IL Impress its neigh
borS with its wealth and its respect
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