The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1919-03-19
swer to our prayers, so we accepted
the invitation and went.
Wa foupd voru hn9utifn1 Chinese

Iswer to our prayers, so we accepted
the invitation and went.
We found a very beautiful Chinese
lhome-semi-foreign in Its furnishings
and several pleasant intelligent ap.
|pearing women of the upper class =
The table was exquisitely set and the
food was of course the very best.
Nearly all women of this class smoke
and drink. l am sorry to say that the
wine served that night was in big for
eign bottles bearing the label Cali.
fornia Port" Of course our teachers
at once said "We are christians and
do not drink wine,' and the hostess
did not press it upon any Of us. She
kept urging it upon the other women.
lone of them began to show signs OF
having too much and said II am get
ting drunk. my head is beginning to
|ache.'' Still the hostess kept insist
ing-almost forcing her to drink more.
Finally something inside of me
couldn't sit still any longer-Chinese
politeness or not-and | blurted out
in the best Mandarin | could muster,
"Tai, tai, it isn't necessary to be cere-
monious. Her head already aches. |
wouldn't make her drink any more" :"
1t came as surprise to them and the
hostess was too polite not to acceed
| to my request and she did not urge
lupon any one again. Presently tea
cups were brought in for the folks
who had been drinking wine and the
tmea1 proceeded much more rapidly
and pleasantly than before. l fan
Icied that my hostess was little stiff
for awhile, but tried my best to
make them have good time, and she
seemed to be feeling all right when
we left. They insisted on sending us
home in chairs, and before we left
the hostess told the teachers that the
bride wanted them to teach her the
proper etiquette for the wedding.
felt that l had been very rude, but
could only pray that some good would
come of it. You can imagine my sur
prise when day or two later mes
senger came up to the school bring
ing very pretty wicker travelling bag
as present for me from the hostess.
Well, pray for her and me, that the ac-
uuaintance thus formed may ripen In.
to friendship that may lead her and
others of her class into the Christ
life, full and free"
Yesterday the wedding came off. 1t
was not christian, but there were no
idolatrous rites of any kind in con-
|nection with it and it was indeed
long step in advance of the usual
|heathen wedding. There We're num-
ber of very pretty things about 1T.
Pink paper chrysanthemums were CIV
en- to all of the several hundred guests
The bride, wore a dress OF the most
delicate pink satin, embroidered IN
the very softest shade OF blue. The
four bridesmaids were dressed in gray
|silk and carried bouquets OF pink
peach blossoms. The ceremony lasted
for an hour and a half or rather the
program, for both the boys school and
the girls school sang and also the gov
ernment school. The boys school or
|chestra played and there were a num-
ber Of little speeches, besides all the
affixing of seals to the wedding GER
|tificate, and the endless thanking OF
the brides clan, the grooms clan ana
the middle man. the master OF GER
emonies,' the guests, etc.
Last night we had the wedding sup
per. The magistrate insisted on CIV
ing foreign supper, and asked the
foreign ladies' to plan it for him. He
wanted the supper to cost $l.6O per
plate but the ladies told him that they
felt it wrong to spend so much mon
ey in that way and that supper many
times more elaborate could be pre-.
pared for $1.0O per guest. He told
them to do it in their own way. 1t
was certainly the most elaborate meal
/ have ever eaten. The most striking
feature of it was young pig, roasted
whole, with a baked apple in his
mouth. 1t certainly did look gorgeous
from a gastronomic standpoint. There
were about thirty guests and some
had never eaten foreign food before,
and we're bored over it as foreigners
sometimes are over Chinese food, or
as you doubtless are over this lengthy
recital.
Your good letters of November 11th
and 22d came in two days ago. was
so glad to have the letter written
peace day. That was certainly great
day for the world. ,
Give my love to all the brothers and
sisters and babies. God bless you all.
Your own loving Mamie.