The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-24

ors aro those OF the rainbow. the mos
delicate hues being used. My fair mer-
chnnt wore Jacket OF Sauze, ant
her skirt reached as nigh as the arm
pits. The jacket was so thin that the
brown skin could be seen through the
n,eshos. exposing the neck, shoulders
4 md arms She had beautiful face
Her eyes were large, soft and brown
! ,yith eyelids lust IL tritle oblique and
nigh arching, delicate brows. Hoi
hair. which was glossy black, was
rolled up in a pyramid on tho crown
| and fastened there with bright gold
| on comb. She wore n necklace OF
pearls. to which were hung pendants
| of amber and a double string of pearls
| fell as low as her waist. She had
seven gold bracelets on each of her
wrists, diamond ring on her finger
and diamond plugs In her cars. She
was Judge. about fifteen years OF
age. but girls mature here at thirteen
| and she was woman grown.
Eur Plugs md WOmnnhoOd.
| All the girls here wear car plugs
r'hev cannot enter society without them
As n maiden approaches the age OF
coming out, which is usually at twelve
or thirteen, her ears are bored, and
the ceremony is as important to her rs
the first long dress is to her American
sister.
The ceremony Is formal. and II must
he done when the stars are propitious
The family consults tho fortune-tellei
for this occasion. and a big feast it
attend In their best clothes to wit
ness the piercing This Is done by
a professional earborer, who uses
needles of pure gold for the rich ant
silver ones for the poor
When the exact moment has arrived
the girl Is laid down upon a mat in The
back of the room and her relatives
hold her there while the earborei
thrusts the golden needle through the
lobe and twists it around into Il ring
This he leaves in the ear. The othei
ear Is treated likewise.
While this Is going on the bands
play, and after II there is feast. i
takes the ear some time to heal. wher
It Is quite well the process OF en-
larging the hole begins. The needle
is pulled back and forth until tho sore
heals 1t is then taken out and n lit
tie cylinder OF finely rolled gold I.
pressed in. This Is gradually opened
from week to week. stretching the
hole larger and larger, the cylinder
being kept in until 1t grows TO tht
proper size. Such people as cannot af.
ford gold or silver put stems OF ele
phant grass III their ears, inserting
stem after stem until at last the hole
in the lobe will contain a bunch a!
big around as your thumb. After th'
ears ar ewell healed the plugs or hol
low pipes are inserted.
a..
holes until they grow to an inconceiv.
able size. I have seen peasant girlt
with ear holes so large that napkin
ring could be thrust through one. ant
it is not uncommon TO see a Sdrmest
maid with big cigar thrust through
one ear. There was not merchant II
the bazaar at Mandalay who could no
have used her ears for cigarette hold
ers. and but few who had ear plug!
less than the size of their finger tips
The Girls All smoke.
Speaking OF tobacco. all Burmese
women smoke, and girl learns to puf
a cigar long before her ears are
bored.
Children arc taught the habit a
soon as they are able to walk. and
see four-year-old boys putting Gig
aretts. The average cigar used by tn,
women looks much like a long ear o
popcorn with the husk on, It Is mad,
OF other leaves in connection with 10.
bacco: it Is loosely rolled and is otter
tied with a string All the girls ar,
adept in making cheroots and-at a party
one girl may roll for the crowd. tbs
big cigar being passed about from one
guest to another. each taking Whit
In counting, I doubt not. the CIR
makes the cigar and the two take
love- smokes in turn.
Love and Marriage.
And this brings me to marriage II
Burma. The customs here arc fal
different from those OF Japan. China
Korea or the other countries I hav,
visited during this trip around tn,
world. Tho Japanese girl has a hus
band picked out by a matchmaker
the Korean takes one at the dcta
ton OF her parents, while the Chimes
maiden Is often sold. and. IL married
becomes the slave of her mother-in
law
The siamese girl is nominally tn
property of the King, st1d the Malayal
harem, as are the millions of ONE
of India, Egypt and Turkey. Thu
Burmese girl goes about as she please
and narrles whom she will. During he
childhood she associates with the boys
and after married she is looked upoi
as a comrade and often rules the house
hold. She Is the business man OF tn
establishment. She usually makes TIL
| money, and always carries the purse
The Burmese marry and one Is al
| an old maid II not married before on
| OF the teens. During the courtship tn
! young man brings presents of orange
| or candy: he writes verses In prais
OF his ladys beautiful ear plugs. ant
she in return gives him cigars and
| perhaps. turban or shawl knit b,
her self.
| The marriage is little more than
| festival at the house OF the girl Her
! the Young couple eat rice together
join hands and say they intend to liv
as man and wife. They are SUPPOSE
| to bill and COO, feeding one anothe
| as the birds do; and they drink te
1