The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-06
Petticoats Rule in China

coup, and planned 1t SO ell that its sue
cess endures today.
eve have been forbidden to indulge the
essentially womanly pleasure of manag-
ing anything outside the walls of our
homes; we have been forbidden to toss
back concealing wells nd show our beauty
or to go out unless our lords and masters
so will. Yet there is much within our
own walls which we may manage-there
our servants, our children and"-with a
gasp Of almost terrified deIight-"our hus-
bands"
So the cunning Chinese women argued,
and at once proceeded to begin their pet
ticoat government. That was 1000 years
ago. and yet scarcely a Chinaman of, this
country Is free from the rule of his
womenfolk. 1.-THE inLer ones" they
vaguely call the women who henpeck in
such an arritating irresponsible manner.
When the women lost their right to
have political say they gained the rights
not to be "bambooed' and to "bam-
boozle" every magistrate or court with
which they came in contact. Cinnamon
of high degree have been mentally
crowned by foreigners for their innate
gallaptry in refusing ever to argue with
a woman. but among themselves these
grave-faced celestials agree that it is be-
against that of the other sex. as he is
sure to be worsted. The humorous litera-
ture of China-one wonders If the Chinese
ever laugh when they reed it-abounds in
references to the henpeeked husband. His
name Is legion. and neither rank noT
wealth, nor countless court favors can
make him exempt frem She government
OF his wife, established so many years
ago in revenge He may Be all powerful
outside his walls. but within them he Is
whatever his wife desires This does not
mean. however. that all Chinese women.
or even half Of them, are ill-tempered.
nor that men of the western hemisphere
are not equally henpecked
At a Chinese dinner given once for a
number Of mandarins ard guests OF other
nationalities. the host is said to have in
auired whether a certain man feared his
wife
''Why?' a foreigner asked.
Because" the host said, pointing to-
ward an especially pompous native, che
doesv
The foreigners laughed immoderately,
which rather puzzled the Cinnamon, for
to them 1t was not in any sense a laugh
ing matter. Probably the Englishmen
we're Just as much afraid Of their better
halls, but not for worlds would they have
acknowledged 1t.
Along this same line Is a story culled
from Chinese literature. Ten brave men
and true had endured the despotism Of
their wives until they decided that pa
tience had ceased to be a virtue and then
they mutinied. Meeting surreptitiously
one night in lodge room, thew swore to
ea Sc the matrimonial yoke bit. One of
the number must have talked in his sleep.
though. for when the fatal night arrived
for the taking of the fearful vows the ten
wives appeared as apparitiens at the one
doorway Nine of the rebels fed leaving
one behind. who sat insmntable as the
Sphinx under the centenptuous gaze OF
tire women They did not harm him. how
ever. but taking q survey OF the room. de
parted, well pleased with their work.
Later the cowardlv element returned. de-
1ermined to elect the brave tenth man
their president. They arrived and ne was
stu sitting erect In his chair. but when
thev began to praise him he made no
answer. for he had died of fright. And
there was caused for It.
The very language of China admits of
henpecking ''What has my lords miser-
ably unworthy little wife done that he,
the great and magnanfmeus. should act
toward her like such an honorable brute?
the meek-faced woman In her picturesque
dress inquiries humbly, and what Is a man
going TO do In a case like that? He SIM
piy has to admit that che was AN honor
able brute but that never: no, never,
again will he so far forget his ab1ect dog
Of self If onlv his gracious. exalted lady
wife will forgive him" Which, of course,
she does until next time.
The Chinese women are not ignorant
now. either, but apply themselves and
learn to read and thus gain new wiles for
tormenting their henpecked husbands