New-York tribune., 1902-03-18
CHINESE HENPECKED MEN.
BEEN ISSUED AGAINST FOOT
RI\DING
BINDING.

I lumba yesterday. Then he went tell
pie story culled from this branch OF Chinese itera
ture.
Ten henpecked husbands resolved 10 form a So
clety to resist the mpositions OF their wives" he
said. The ten wives heard Of the plan, and while
the meeting for organization was In progress
tered in a body. Nine OF the rebellious husbands
| inContinently bolted but the tenth one retained
his place, quite unmoved by the frightful appari
ton. The ten ladies, merely smiling contemptu-
ously onithe one man left behind. returned their
homes satisfied with the success OF their raid.
The nine husbands thereupon returned and resolved
to make the heroic tenth the president of the
ciety. When they went. however to inform him OF
the honor IT was found that he had died OF fright
Women have few privileges that have
not continued Professor Giles. They exempt
from the bamboo punishment; no be
oamoooed- And woman Is source Of anxiety
and msSiving to magistrate and counsel in any
case in which she may be a party. for no Chinaman
VIII enter into an argument with a wOman-not
from any feeling OF chivary at ALL but from
rooted conviction that he will get the worst of 1T
Professor Giles continued to reveal masculine
Crets by describing something which ne said real
ly took place at dinner at which a number of high
class natives and important foreigners pres
ent. The host. addressing himself to the latter
inquired
DO you fear the inner Ones?'
Upon inquiry he explained that he meant their
wives and added, with unconscious pathos, that
many Cinnamon stood in constant fear of their
wives
Now, for example. he does" said the host
naively. pointing at solemn and rotund magis-
frate who had impressed every one as filed with
a sense OF his Importance.
At this all the Europeans present burst into un-
controllable laughter. which rather surprised the
! Cinnamon, who had been seeking TO acquire in
formation on what they thought were very serious
matters.
ABOUT INFANTICIDE.
/ Professor Giles attacked a good many hoary tra-
dltions which have wrapped Chinese women in a
! cloud Of gloom He declared that while infanti-
eide did exist it no more prevalent than
! in England and other Christian Western
! countries. The presence Of the CHASTITY tablets
on Chinese river banks, announcing to the public
that Female children must not be drowned here
! ne explained In the following way: All rich China
men are expected TO do something for the elevation
OF the people. either in the of charity. educa-
ton or the like. If they do not society looks at
them askance Some OF them have printed and cir
cuIated great numbers of tracts warning the peo-
pie against immoral practices-opium eating and
others. II is men OF this class who have erected
these tablets on the river banks and lake shores
without the least regard whether any girl
baby ever has been drowned there not. As 10
! the baby towers" Of which Miss Gordon Cum
ming gives such horrible description in her book
he declared they for the benefit Of parents too
! poor TO buy graves for their children He quoted
Mrs Isabella Bird Bishops statement that eleven
Bible women had confessed to her that they had
destroyed not less than five girl infants each He
I
De Just IKE them 20 say so, although he did not
believe a word Of IT. The Chinese seemed to think
that the only way 70 excite the respect foreign
ers was by exaggeratiou.
IF girl children destroyed" Professor Giles
continued, there be an altogether dispro-
portionate number OF female infants horn in China
/ Every chinaman has sacred duty 10 perform
when he reaches the age OF eighteenth marry
Every adult Chnaman has a wife. Some Of the
""hther mandarins have several The Emperor
has seventy-two. 1t would that this would
absorb fairly proportionate number of women"
GIRLS TAUGHT To READ
All Chinese girls of good family, he said were
taught 10 read, and there was a great quantity Of
educational literature for girls A mass OF poetry
existed. written by women AMI one of the dynastic
histories was written by a woman Women went
out unveiled wells having been abolished in the
seventh century. In that century. also.
were admitted to official life In China and some
OF them rose 10 the highest positions. But by the
close Of the eighth century men had vigorously ex
Guided them from public life Women took no
own sex. They knew no men excepting those e1f of
ote,t 81 own taniiy. Boys and girls were separated
AT me age OF seven when the boys TO school.
thinaman never referred TO his wife. II was
existence was ignored although the Chinese father
ofE%m zen, SPOKE poke. OF his children;
| tom. The real obstacle TO ts abollshment was
ct fS1n t1 RUE ot LashiGn which makes dim
Ural Foot Society" composed OF both foreigners
ential people. had been unable TO make much i'm
pression on the national custom. Tartar en-
against foothinding; But he obliged to rescnd
II Aithough the Tartars could conquer the COun-
try, they could not conquer this custom Within
rev months. he said, another decree to the same
effect had been issued.
SOCIAL USAGE IN CHINA
Chinese social customs. he said were extremely
d'Herent from those of Western countries and
great trouble and annoyance arose from the in
difference of foreigners TO learning or conforming
10 them There was just as much propriety and
necessity. he thought. In conforming TO social
usage In China as anywhere else and the neglect
to do 80 was one of the things which had created
Ill feeling in China. A noted Chinaman in Eng
land made remarks about Mr. ChamberIain's eve
glasses which were considered rude. From the
Chinaman's point of view. Mr. Chamberlain was
;ir more rude. Tho Chinaman always removed
his spectacles in conversing with an equal For
some reason of which he never able to secure
suit TO be looked at through glass or crystal Some
times when two friends met In the street
would cover his face with his fan, whereupOn the
other would pass without a sign OF recoGIvstIon
IT Is merely delicate way OF saying L am too
Dusy for a chat this morning. said the lecturer
Ana for frankness and an open. above board way
Of doing things; II compares favorably with the
,n you are making call. your drinking tea is
mitted to your host to drink hts first, delicate
mint that ne has other engagements. The moment
servant in the hall will be heard shouting for his
conveyance and the failure of the guest to leave
much amused comment on the part OF the Chinese
II you are invited to dinner, about two weeks be-
red card upon which 1t announced that on
certain date. at noon, the floor will be swept and
the winecups washed. and the host will await your
chariot. Again before the day, you will receive
still more formal and fowery invitation and on tho
punctua to the minute Nobody pays any atte0e 0e
tion TO this. The guests all go at 43O o'clock in
Professor Giles quoted statements about all sorts
of Chinese matters from English papers of
"a md a