The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-10-06

IN the amruauve, ana mere $1,000 DC
fore my evening FIRE the handsomesi
ever seen. The features were Of a de-
cidedly sirlish favor, but the clothes
were those OF man.
| Il have run away from my home.
They have been very mean to me. ] am
far from my people. They have gone TO
the South for the winter. May stay
with you all nightT' Thus painted my
visitor, breathlessly.
I readily assented. and after taking
tea with the new-found acquaintance. We
rolled up In my deerskins and slept
soundly all night.
What was my surprise next morning
when my handsome visitor broke into a
volume of tears and told me that she
| was the daughter of a chief Of the 40
| Han tribe. Her father wished her to
| marry a young man OF the tribe whom
| she did not like. She determined to
| thwart him. and, Disgusting herself as a
| boy she ran away two days before. She
| asked me to take her 10 her people, who
| by this time were several days journey
| to the south of where We were.
I was on my way to Tibert. and for
| tunately the trail of her people led me
In the route I had intended travelling.
Chen Song. my boy. and / soon had our
two camels loaded and were of at
merry trot to the south. My pretty lit
tie Mongol find was perched on my
camel Immediately in front of me. Some
! times she cried because she had run
away from her father. whom she had
thought so mean. but who now was such
a good man. For the time being / felt
| as though i could abandon my people
and all their civilization, marry this lit
tie vixen and become a wild Monaghan
chief.
stolen by Lover.
Between sobs little Mongolia said that
she had been duly stolen by her lover
He had crept up to her tent, gently
| raised the nap. stuffed my little girls
mouth full of rags so she could not cry
out. and made away with her. The petit
creature was seriously disappointed when
she discovered that she had been stolen
by young man whom she did not love.
She said that she hoped a much hand
somer and better man would steal her.
1T is quite nice TO be stolen by one
whom you love" she said In clear Mon
golian. AT first l thought my real true
lover was stealing me. but after We were
away from my fathers tent l found
that II was a young man whom ! did
not love. What could l do but cry.
Soon after this / dressed in my brothers
clothes and ran away. But you will take
me back to my people, won't you? You
are so good"
So 1 did take her back to her people.
l remained with them for nearly three
weeks during the latter part OF that
cold November. The tribe had shifted
from its summer encampment in. the
northern part of the country to the
south, where II intended spending the
winter.
learned that II was a standing Gus
tom OF the country for young men TO
steal their brides. young man must
do this TO prove himself worthy hus-
band. A short time after he has stolen
her he brings her back to her father
and presents her to him. This Is accom-
panied by a speech filled with eXtraya-
CANT metaphors and much circumlocu-
ton. II all ends with a request for the
young women whom ! have so ably
abducted from your palatial abode and
brought to my bug-haunted. filthy camel
lair hut as a sign before the Great Bud
dha that she is rightfully and truly the
affinity of your humble slave"
After this the two young people are
brought before the chief of the village,
who formally betrothes them. 4 short
time after this they are usually married
by a Buddhist lama or monk, of whom
there are thousands in this country. The
marriage is accomplished by much drunk
enness ana dissipation
Divorce Is Easy.
AS in most semi-civillzed countries d.
vorce is very readily obtained. II is very
much like Madagas scar in this respect.
II the wife does not suit the husband
she is sent home on the slightest pre-
text. I have heard OF wives being d.
vorced because they had coughs, because
they did not comb their hair to suit their
husbands. l remember one husband who
sent his wife home because she was awk-
ward enough to fall OF a camel and
break her left hip. He said she was
no good after this. One can always
know a divorced woman by her head
gear. All her ornaments are covered by
a red silk handkerchief. which is sign
OF her disgraced state.
The young women of this country are
rot ugly as are those OF China. They
partake much of the Tibetan features, |
and for that reason resemble the West |
ern people to a great extent. My little |
had strikingly Italian face. |
They are all wiry. strong limbed maid !
ems. They can ride with as much ia
cility as any cowboy of the West. I |
have seen them run along with a horse |
for a few PAGES and suddenly spring |
from the ground to his back and ride |
astride for mile after mile humping up |
and down without the slightest COM
junction.
They partake of all the grace of their |
race. They have long graceful limbs. |
A frank. candid manner dominates them. |
They come straight up to you. look you |
In the face, and trust themselves to |
you with perfect innocence. Witness |
little Mongolia who came to my tent.
The Occidental code of modesty does |
not obtain here. Both sexes battle to-
gether during summer when they come |
to an inviting stream. Coney Island |
bathers would be astounded to witness |
this sight. Men and women, youths
Ind maidens, boys and girls. all |
padding about promiscuously, regard |
ess of bathing suits, in the. refresh
ing water. 1t is done here in perfect /
innocence.
Lama Often n Debauch.
In some parts of Mongolia the lama is
1 great force for evil. He is in many
Instances a drunken debauche and ia
hers are in a constant lookout to keep
their daughters from these vicious men.
know of one lama who has three
wives and against all the rules of his
church is living with them openly and
publicly. He has brood of children.
ll-kept, ill-bred, who are quickly follow
ng In the footsteps of their degenerate
iather.