The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-29
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SILK Nzka dress
SEE boyI)
The Liale Known
High Caste Chi
nese Lady.

The Chinese woman is domestic, hom.
Is her sphere she finds interest and de-
light I'm such simple occupations as sew.
Ing, worshippng her ancestors, and play
Ing games with her children. No wave Of
revolt has power to touch her reverence
and respect for her lord and master.
She has no ambition TO prove herself
mans equal no desire to be anything but
the weaker vessel. She is quite content
to remain ut home for days and weekE
and even months at a stretch. Her tiny
feet are not meant for ''gadding about
In search of pleasure or amusement.
The high.classed Chinese lady is dressed.
perhaps. more richly than any other wom-
an in the world. Even her tiny shoes are
cxquisitely made: she takes both pride
and delight In her Golden Lily" feet
She can scarcely toddle without help. But
liberty OF movement Is smnll matter
compared with the possession OF diminu-
tive feet In shoes of solid gold.
/ The .'ily foot consists of the great
toe encased In n shoe two or three inches
long. The other toes have been dislocated
backwards to lie closely under the foot.
When Chinese girl Is about six or eight
years OF age. she is visited by the foot
binder, whose profession 1t is to produce
this anatomical distortion SO much ad-
mlred by the better class OF Chinese.
ue toes uTc iVlSSd uhuSA NAo
foot, which is bnndaged by strips Of espe.
cially made cotton cloth, and these are
kept on for several weeks Mt stretch,
being removed only to allow kneading OF
the joints to make them more pliable.
The pain is cxcruciating, and there Is
considerable swelling OF the leg and foot
in the first Instance. Later, huge corns
appear as result of pressure, and 1t Is
remarkable that disease OF the bones and
y, ho vrr
pings are finely embroidered. and the Ut
tie shoes made of silk or satin deliberately
stitched In rich colors.
The smaller the foot the better tho
prospects from matrimonial point OF
view OF the Chinese maiden. Chinese
girl Is sometimes, however. betrothed as
a mere baby and should the man die be-
the marriage takes place, she Is consla-
cred widow" She cannot marry again
without losing CASTE but she may adopt
son II she likes.
A widow Is not allowed to rouge or
powder; she can only wear half mourn-
Ing. which in China Is symbolised by
blue or Violet shades, for the rest OF her
natural life.
When she dies, II she has been faithful
to the memory OF her husband, or be-
trothed, she is rewarded with magntfl-
cent funeral and has monuments and
arches erected in her honor. All over
China, carved arches Of wood or stone
are displayed to the memory of widows
aud of women who have never married
at all. The "Old Maid" In China is a
very important parsonage compared With
the spinster Of Western countries. She
Is regarded with admiration and respect
by all her friends and relatives alike.
! Old age is especially honorable in China:
the greatest compliment you can pay a
Chinese woman is to assure her that she
looks ten years older than. her actual age.
Trained from babyhood to hide all emo
ton, the women lead the simple Ire as
a matter Of course; their placid, quiet,
sunlined, unwrlnkled faces ,, give them an
appearance Of youth TIL advanced years,
when they seem suddenly to shrlyel up
into old women.
The better class OF Chinese women are
exauisltely dressed in richly embroidered
silk, several skirts of different colors
being worn one above the other. Hair
dressing is fine art In China, and in
no country in the world are there such
varied fashions and styles. Each district
has It's approved coiffure, but one and all
affect elaborate ornaments of silver or
enamel and artificial flowers, which show
instrong contrast the glossy black hair. &
The marriage crown" Is rs magnlh-
cent as money and Chinese taste can
produce, and a marriage Is n great occa-
bride. attired in scarlet and gold, with a
wedding veil of crimson silk, Is carried
In a golden sedan chair, which Is usually
hired for the occasion. Red Is the luck
lest colour lii China, and is Introduced
ms much rs possible Mt this time. The
presents are carried in large red boxes.
Or on red lacquered trays: rcd candtes
and banners bring luck to the bridalpair:
and, In the home, scarlet cushions and
covers and hangings are brought out for
tho occason The bride may have been Il
never have seen her husbands face,
and she must obey and wait upon and {,
serve her lord for the rest Of her nat,