Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-11-14
HIGH LIVING IN CANTON.
Aristocrat Usually Has a Wife and
Two Slave Girls.

Cantonese aristocracy is official.
There is nothing in the system TO pre-
vent a simple peasant from becoming
yiceroy. Until recently entrance into
and promotion in official life was By
competitive examination.
Princes of the Manchu dynasty are,
of course, the real blooded aristoc-
racy of China But there are not
enough of them to go round, and out
side of Picking they exert little in
fiuence in social life.
While there are no watertight conf
partments in Cantonese society, it is
possible to distinguish certain classes.
/ propose to show. with the help given
me by our consul, how typical fam
lies Of these different classes live,
especially looking into their living
expenses and incidentally into the
structure Of family life in Canton.
Taking the aristocratic official class
first, you will find in typical family
six Observation-Disclosures and wife, two
other women, and two children.
Their monthly household expenses
would be about as follows:
Rent for a house valued at $4,000.
$50; eleven men servants, including
one porter, four general servants,
cook, assistant cook, and four chair
coolies $37 There will be seven wom-
en- servants, at total cost of S1T.I5,
comprising two women's maids at 81
each. two babies nurses at 81 and
three general servants, who also do
the family washing, at sI.25 each.
The food for the family would cost
SIS month. The master and three
wives have four meals a day: Break
fast, SO cents; luncheon, % cents; din
ner, rs cents; supper so cents. The
two meals for the servants cost p
cents q day. To this must be added
rice 20 the value of $3.50. and $11 for
frewood and sundry expenses Thus
the bare living expenses for the fam
lily are s2i7 month.
The two extra wives are practically
slaves. II they bear no children they
have no legal status; if they bear
children their position in the family is
assured They are subject to the or
ders of the first wife; their children
are considered her children and sub
ject to her direction
AS there always is steady exodus
of men from Canton. the population
| numbers UiOEe WOiIitIl tlidIt illfli- l4e
law does not sanction but on the con-
trary actually forbids plurality of
wives. a Chinaman may have but
one wife: there is no limit to the
number of concubines he may have.
The wife is chosen from the same
| rank and position in life as that of her
| husband
Among the higher classes betrothal
| Is usually contracted a few years be-
fore the marriage takes place. The
young people have no voice in the Sc
lection of a life partner, betrothal and
marriage being arranged by the near
est eldest male relative. After n
formal betrotllal is entered into the
young mans family send II quantity
Of cakes to the girls family, together
with IAN agreement of engagement
and valuable presents to the fiancee
herself" The girls family, in turn,
sends gifts of confectionery and a
formal acknowledgement of the en-
gagement."
The marriage ceremony is formal
and well defined About two weeks
before the wedding there is an en-
gagement ceremony" Fortune tellers
and soothsayers determine an auspi-
cious day. The bride is brought to
the bridegroom's house in decorated
chair, with considerable pomp. She
is received by the bridegroom in the
main hall of the house and together
they worship heaven. O., they kneel
facing the street and the family ances-
tors and PROSTATE themselves before
the house. The bride is conducted TO
h,.u ha nd and
probably for the first time, sees her
husbands face
Other women are purchased out
right There is no formalitY beyond
the passing Of the money and the re-
reipt therefor. Upon arrival at the
house they kowtow or cetennonially
kneel before the wife and all the high
err members of the family Under no
circumstances do thew eni"V the honor
and rank accorded the wife
All this seems strange to us. But
IL must be rememberedS that the Chi
| nese do not take heaven into their
confidence in making marriages. Mar
/ riages, births and deaths are in no
| sense under government supervision.
| They are the private affairs of the
persons or families concerned, and the
| state in no way interferes unless GUS
tom is violated.
Household servants are usually fur