The Washington times., 1902-08-17

bride had written with her own hand q
Chinese motto. II possible there are
more traditional superstiticns attached
to the wedding fetiches than ever a
schoolgirl had over a bit of wedding
cake. The Cinnamon religiously secret
ed the favors in their clothing. Perhaps
tonight they will dream upon them-will
dream of land where poppies grow all
the year around. where dark-hue maids.
/ each one handsomer than the other, wait
upon them and bring the rice and the
| chop sticks; will dream Of days spent
! in slumbor and of nights over the fantan
table. and the dried leaves of the same
poppy.
Then Yee Hing carried a straw cot-
cred bottle of rice wine, decoction
which would wither the tongne of the
most confiremd habitue of the high
ball." and poured for each of his guests
a portion of the white liquor with the
biting edge. One drink was enough to
make his guests smile, even as Yee Hing
still smiled. Then the feasting began. and
for two hours a succession of strange
viands were brought forth to tempt the
oriental taste. to bring back memories of
other lands. Probably there has never
been just such another wedding feast
served before in Cleveland. Possibly
there may never be another.
II began with birds nest soup. the
chief ingredient of which was a little
fish. frequenter of the Chinese rivers.
Whatever else went to make up the
peculiar decoction Is a mystery known
only to the Chinese deities and possibly
the cooks. Bus the smiles of the guests
broadened as they fished out the little
fish with chop sticks and then drank off
the soup.
Chen Gluy Served.
Chen gluy was the next tidbit, and
the guests seemed to like it. An Amer
lean might have launched into a philo-
sophical discussion as to what sort OF
training palate must have which
would welcome chen gluy, but the ORR
entails chartered and ate 1t with a rel
ish. Then came roasted Chinese pork.
which one of the Cinnamon confdingly
said had been brought direct from the
district of Canton. and differed essen
TALLY from the American grown animal.
There is strong probability. however.
that the article had at one time reposed
in one of the largest buildings of the
city from which the bride halls, re-
losing calmly in his own barrel.
Roasted pigeons came next. They.
too, were said o have once flown about
among the tea fields OF Canton. They
were washed down with bolo gee and
topped off with course OF Chinese
mushrooms.
Ther came hong ton, fish served 10
strips. follo wed by yon 10y. which even
the latest arrival from China was IN
Oh fN tr half
IDENTIFY that ynn 10y has no American
equivalent. Then came more duck,
stewed this time, and mixture OF ham
and chicken. fixed and cooked in q mos
ralatable manner. By this time the
circle had been nearly completed AMI
the time mad arrived for another por-
tion OF birds nest soup. this time flavor
cd with rruit and confections of one
sort and another. so that it lost many
of it's first course characteristics and
was served as a dessert The feast
closec with drink of lin lu DON And
still Yee Hing, who hac eaten his way
through the multitude of courses at the |
side of the little bride who held her |
ian to her face as she mincingly par
took of the many dainties, smiled
The feast formed only part of The |
celebration. In addition several hun |
dred of thousands of frecrackers were
exploded. and much red fire lighted. An
alleged orchestra. whose implements |
were of very crude order. played" Sc
lections from a Chinese hymn book.
Yee Hing Proud Man.
Everywhere was mirth. everywhere
pride, with Yee Hing the proudest man
of the lot. The feast. the fireworks. and
the weird music formed the last rites.
Nine Yee Hing will no longer pine in
her little bower. For her the life of
has begun and her career as
a slave girl ended. Today the Chinese
women who brought her from Chicago
to carry out the contract made by her
former owner will return. To an Ameri-
can girl the ceremony might have seem
ed hideous, for in 1t all was so little
of sentiment that II was not noticeable.
There we're no coy words of love, no
condolences. 1t had all the
bargain and sale OF an American girl
who purchases a European title. But
In 1t all is the saving feature that the
little bride seemed to like 1t all, ac-
cepted the situation most philosophically
as her ears were filed with the tales
of the wealth of the Lake Street tea
merchant. And. too, Ye Hing smiled.