Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-30
FAMILY LIFE IN CHINA
IS RAPIDLY CHANGING
Result OF Absorption OF Foreign
IDEAS Clearly Seen in
Home Circles.
FATHER is SUPREME HEAD
His Absolute Power of Control and
Punishment Over Sons md Daugh.
tcrs Is Universal Throughout tho
Land.

PEKING. August 2?-Thc Picking
Gazette gives the following interesting
description OF family life In China,
commenting that these conditions are
fast changing as result OF the alb
sorption of foreign ideas:
ne Chinese family In it's old-fa sh-
ioned organism is n small kingdom,
with the head Of the family as the king
ana ruler OF all under his roof. Except
Tor the law Of the country, his words
are law. In certain cases the word Of
the family chief Is even greater .hnn
the law OF the country. The absolute
power or control and punishment ef
me rather over his sons and daughters.
the latter before their marriage and
the former even after their marriage,
is universal throughout the land.
proyerb says: II Il King wishes his
subject 10 die. he must die; II faith
or wishes his son 10 he destroyed. he
must be destroyed Such is the sever
OF this sort came under the notice OF
the writer some ten wears ago even
In such a modern city as Shanghai
certain Ii family had only one
son between two brothers. and. natur-
ally. n" was considered the ncarl of
the house. At the age OF sIytecn ,ha
poE was sent 10 mission school to
study, ara in due course he decided 20
become Christian. This was strong
~ opposed By the whole family. cspe-
iaiiF INC grandfather. But at first
theS smiled At the carefully advanced
mint by the boy. believing thar hc
would never dar" To make sucb f.
chahSc, They We're mistaken. for Tho
hoy not long after announced that he
mad applied for baptism at the mission
~, naas II plain TO his parents that
unless their consent was secured bc
could not be baptized This so aroused
mis- parents that they shut him up I'm
small room and. for fear that he
would escape. took every p3rticlc OF
uecent clothing from him and Clothed
n.n, III pad rags. tndauntcd, the boz
crcpt through a window and inter
viewed the missionary. who. OF coursc
counsc!ed him TO be patient and ,olJ
hlm to return home 10 he an .obedi
emf SON The boy took tho .dyic.
D"l not until he had secured LOT OF
would read and distribute among mis-
tel"tINcs NJ his native place, 20 which
MS parents had threatened 10 send hin,
!! u" refused 10 give UP his new faith
!. '"u'i t"c bog was sent TO his coun-
Try nome in Ninpo to rccc;vc tiiscirIi-
tii' lessons TO count"ric the Chris
nan doctrine The boy promised to
write after his arrival ut Inc natlyc
piacc. nut no word has come since Al
though no one vii over know whot
sort oil lessons the hoy received at the
hands OF his family elders II co,,id
not have been easy, for /, was inc ,I,.'
TOM OF tn" Ninpo elders even to bur.
people alive for crimes unpunishohIc
~ state Law. This, OF course was an
exceptional case, bu, such exceptions
Wer" not by any means rar.
NoI Anything LIKE:
CONDITIONS Or SLAVERY
On tho other hand. i, must no, hc
imagined that the sons and daughters
OF a iainily live under anything like
eonoi t!ohs OF slavery; for II the father
!ee!s u ms duty 10 look after every de-
tan or his family affairs and sccs IN :,
tna' every member or the house obeys
his words the sons and DAUGHTERS fool
eIGal!N dut%- bound 10 please and obev
ms instructions without any feeling of
disSontent or painful effort
ne plain principle of living be-
tween father and son is. therefore. This:
re ,a'her should see TO the needs OF his
iam!ly, sons. daughters, and all direct
what they should do and how ,bev
should act. decide how they should he
trained and taught, whom TO marry or
Wcd, what professions, II sons to ndopt
sec mat they are obcdicnt and happy.
ana decide what 10 do In case Of dis
obedience or insubordination For The
son, az we'll as the daughter, IL is a
du'N I" be oDcdicnt and good humored
lhce: all circumstances and o what he
or she can To make the parents. az we'll
as the whole family. happy; the son liz
not 10 decide anything without the pre-
Nious consent of his father or other
elderly member of the household and.
as Confucius has said is not to 20 too
Tar away from home while his father ia
siiN living: and IL he does to give the
name OF the locality to which he jour
ncNs. The sacrifice OF self is absolute
~ necessary for a dutiful son. Con-
fucius says. While the father is living,
look at his ambition; when his father
is dead look at his deeds AS TO the
duty of a son after his fathers death.
the sage says, y man may be called
hlial If he does not depart from the
principle his late father has laid down
for three years CATER the death of the
latter).
The principles summarized above