Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-09-05
HER HOME EMPLOYMENT AND
DAILY ROUTINE LIFE.
THE YOUNG LADYs TOILET
FormaIities of Visit to a Friend
How Evening is Spent
The Marriage ceremony-Rride'
Face not Seen Till After the
Wedding.


really studying the social life Of the
Chinese comparatively nothing is
known respecting the Chinese lady of
to day, sage the American queen.
Her manner CT living. her characters
tics and accomplishments are either
shrouded in mystery or misunder
stood Having had exceptional op-
portunities for observing the domestic
life of the people of the middle king
dom" and being DESTROYS of showing
how a daughter of Ham actually
passes her life. will ask the reader
to accompany me in imagination to
that far-away empire.
1t is Z O'Clock on Silly tropical
morning as we approach the private
residence of a merchant who. besides
having three charming wives. is
blessed with a couple of sons and
daughter. After crossing courtyard
paved with cobblestones we ascend
four granite steps which extend across
the entire frontage of the building,
and, passing between two large wood
en- doors, enter the house proper.
This consists of several apartments.
The reception hail comes first, then
the ancestral hail and finally the sit
ting and sleeping rooms.
The members of the Shun family
are not abroad yet, though it is just
time for them to be called, but the
servants have already commenced
their duties. An elderly female at
tendant, attired in thin black cotton
clothes and possessing large, natural
feet, now reverently enters the an
cestral hall, carrying a sheaf of
brown-colored "jossticBs" and several
tiny cups of tea on a lacquer-ware
tray. Approaching an oblong altar
upon which are arranged an image OF
the Yeuk Wang and of other deities
supposed to preside over the chief
doors of the house she places the
sacrificial cups of tea in front of the
josses and lights the sticks, which
emit a fragrant odor of sandalwood
and CARGO Having done this she,
making several obeisances, leaves the
chamber and proceeds to the one &C
cupied by Mis- Ching All Choi, her
mistress. The servant finds that Miss
All Choi has just risen from her four
posted wooden bed, which is inclosed
by embroidered curtains and a
mosquito net and is standing near n
gauze-covered window, tending some
flowers growing in couple Of fan
tastic-looking bowls.
Miss Ching Arises.
The young girl, whose age is IS, IS
at present only attired in close
fitting white linen jacket, which
shows to advantage her small yet
faultlessly proportioned figure and
her full though delicately complex
timed face. Her forehead is high
and intellectual; her eyebrows curve
upward from the nose, which is small
almost almond-shaped and of a liquid
black color, deeply dashed, while her
mouth is small and we'll formed, and,
being generally half parted, reveals a
row of the most even and pearly
teeth, which look more artificial than
real in their perfection. 1t may in
terest some to hear that Chinese
ladies' are fastidious with regard to
the tooth brushes they use, and usual
" keep a stock Of new ones by them;
those with very short and stiff
bristles being the kind generally
preferred.
Miss All Choi possesses small and
shapely hands, but they are marred by
the extraordinary protection Of the
nails, which are allowed to grow to a
length of two or three inches, this
being regarded as the si;T1 of gen.
tility in the "Flowery Land" Her
feet are closed in peculiarly sharp
and hoof-like shoes, covered with gold
and embroidery, and are unnaturally
small and cramped, through having
been bound tightly from infancy.
Mysteries of the Toilet.
A little girl now enters the room
with hot water, and while her mis-
tress performs her additions she and
the anah (servant) busy themselves
about the wardrobe, which comprises
a number of pigskin boxes filled with
silk garments; those for the winter
being lined with much-prized silver
foxskin. Then Miss All Choi opens
her toilet box, the lid of which is
fitted with movable looking glass.
Hairbrushes are seldom used either
by ladies or gentlemen in China, and
the former always go bareheaded ex-
cept in winter, when they wear q
band, generally ornamented in front
with pearl or jadestone, which is
passed round the forehead and tied
behind, the crown of the head re-
naming exposed.
Placing the box on the table, the
young lady sits down on a hard ebony
chair, and, adjusting the glass so that
it reflects her face, leans back The
little girl now begins to fan her, while
the anah proceeds to dress the wealth
of black hair. which is let down TO its
fullest length. This is an exceedingly
intricate and irksome task, that takes
quite an hour and often much longer
to complete, according to the style of
couture worn.
The face is next attended to with