Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1912-06-22
ADVANCEMENT OF
women IN China
Paper Read BY Miss Choy
Kyau Zane at the Joint
Graduating Exercises Held
at Mills School Thursday.

Twenty or twenty-five years ago
women in China were bought and sold
like tine negro of our Southern States.
They we're not allowed to go out in
the street or to be in the presence of
men except in that of their own hus.
bands.
1t is said that once all the Chinese
women Of a village gathered out of
doors to celebrate special occasion.
They were all sitting together In the
open air, sewing. laughing and enjoy.
ing themselves for the first time in
their lives, when suddenly one Of them
was frightened by a man who passed
by. This woman ran and hid herself
indoors like frightened mouse.
Only women of the lower classes
such as boat.women, water.carriers.
and servants went and came freely
along the street, but the women OF
the upper classes went out only in
carts or in covered chairs carried by
coolies. This also applied to the girls,
for they were not allowed to go open.
ly even to school, but now they even
go out alone and do their own shop.
ping Chinese girls used to have very
few acquaintances and as life went on
their circle of friends contracted rath.
er than increased. But now they have
friends not only among themselves but
among the boys.
Womens suffrage has lately been
granted to the women OF China. You
can think what II means in China
where woman or a girl hitherto has
not dared to walk on the streets nor
to see man outside her own home
Not many years ago. footbindinG
used to be the custom of the Chinese
women, but now that custom is rapid
ly dying out, because Christianity has
taught them that It Is very cruel ia
hurt the bodies In that manner. The
idea OF the beauty of small feet has
been greatly changed by modern
teachings also, and daughter IL now
lao longer more desirable wife IL shf
Is able to be an ornament only In the
home. The helplessness Of small.foot
ed women has been proved to the mel
OF this age, too. for many women anC
girls were lately burned to death I'm {
great city fire because they were phys
ically unable to escape.
Girls were not educated like theil
brothers and only a few Chinese wo
men knew how to read and write. A,
civilization and Christianity ar,
spreading over China, girls are educa
ted as well as the boys.
A Christian College of DOmesti,
Training for women was established
In Canton, China. not long ago. Tn,
school was entirely in charge Of som,
older students. The enrolment wa
twenty-five, nine married women anC
thirteen unmarried The daily pro
gram of the school include Ribl,
study, nursing, cooking, sanitation
physiology and hygiene. The girl
were also taught the decoration o
houses and the caring and feeding O
infants.
During the recent Revolution o
China the first burst of enthusiasm
among the girls made them believ
that they wanted to go TO war an,
fight for their own side. But the par
ents Of these girls said that they ough
10 stay at home and take care of tn
household. The daughters answered
I'VE are Christians. Jesus died 4
save his people and therefore we mus
die for China. II you don't let us x
we will jump into the river and drowl
ourselves, because We must die 70
our country"
At last one of the officers said
We'll, II you feel like that you mus
go"
That day a number of girls went +
war and some of them immediatel
turned their attention to the Re
Cross work where they learned to pr,
pare bmdages and TO help care for tn
wounded soldiers. Sometimes whe
these girls saw the pitiful wounds G
the men they would actually cut thei
own flesh to bring relief to, those the
loved
Unsellishness Is the keynote of tn
life OF the Chinese women and at e'
cry opening of the opportunities no.
being offered to her we have fires
proof that her mind and heart ar
such as will tend to raise her NOR
and mora toward tho i1aal ~ IA. ,.,,,