Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-05-08
A Weekly Letter From the Orient
FURNISHED BY THE RECORDER S SPaC-
IAL CORRESPONDENT, WHO Is
MAKING A Tour OF THE EAST
ERIN COUNTRIES.
Especial to Recorder.)


Manila, p. l., December 1.-The
Filipino woman is unique among
the women Of tie Orient, A care
ful observer will notice her pecul.
lar position at once. She is equal
in every respect with the Filipino
man, and her Sex does not exclude
her from all the aims and opEor'
tunities that are open to Eer broth
ers. This is in such marked con-
irast with the condition Of the wo-
men of China and Japan, that one
cannot help remarking upon it. In
many parts Of the country it is GUS
Itomery for the husband to turn "v-
or to his wife nil lis earnings, Ter
she is the thrifty and industrious
help meet. Often she not only
manages her own household but
directs the activities OF her hus-
band. had a peculiar instance of
this when | asked my washerwo-
man where | could obtain q relia-
lie man for some work desired
done. She said she would bring
her husband to me and he woald
do as desired.
Next morning there appeared at
my door my washerwomsn with a
man to whom she began giving
minute directions as to conduct and
behavior, and then she turned him
over to ME with the request that if
he did not do exactly as | said IN
all things, | should report his de,
linouencies to her, and she then
gave him additional warning and
left him with me. | must confess
that he made an excellent servant,
but am sure that it was because
he was more afraid of his wife than
Of ANYTHING that | might have
been able to dc to him.
Travelling through, the Philip
pines one really gets the only idea
of how the people live. On one OF
my trips to the interior | came up
on little settlement, about four
hundred miles from Manila. The
tropic night had just closed in, and
from the native huts along the
street came sounds Of the mando-
lin and guitar, and the yellow
glimmer of light fror, the cocoa
oil lamp made the outer darkness
more impenetrable. We had gone
scarce half way down the street
wheH we we're addressed BY an eld'
erly Filipino woman, who said:
"Gocd evening, excellencies
Have you yet had your suppers?
Will you not honor me by feastlng
and remaining in my poor dwell
ing over night?'
She explained that she was the
wife of the presidente of the settle
ment, but that he had gone away
on a long iotNney-eighteen miles
Ito attend to law suit. She
then introduced us to over twenty
other villagers who had gathered
to bid the strangers welcome. This
is simply the custom OF the conn
try, and any stranger would lave
met with the same welcome. The
usual salutatiOn to 4 stranger IS,
.my house is yours" The natives
will scurry around among their
neigh bors for food. dishes, chairs or
any thing else that NAV be lacking
to make the strangers perfectly
comfortable. and the whole village
will do its utmost to make your
stay pleasant. But do not offer tc
pay for this courtesy. 1t will be
taken as deadly insult. Of course
you may give present to the chill
dren or to the wife. but do not Of
fer it as pay for what you have re-
ceived, unless you desire to be pu'
down as one unused to courtesy.
After we left this village the
next day, We struggled along
muddy road fol five miles to anoth
err village, and here we became the
guest of the presidente. who wei
coined us in his slippers, having
lust awakened from his noon-da.