The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1926-03-13
VIEWS ON CHINESE POPULACE
By bril- F. ADAMS


with older married women, or to
the shops, or she has been able to
snatch a few moments to pass out.
into the streets to enjoy the crowd
ing, jostling, shutting sight of
endless streams Of rickshas drawn
by sweating man, stately camels
swaying through the narrow
streets, rumbling carts with solid
wooden iron-tired wheels studded
with bolts. Perhaps affording
now and then a glimpse of some
bride going stoically to her fate,
or probably there viii pass long
struggling funeral procession. In
front of which, are the bearers of
#emblems, two by two at a good
distant apart, following these are
trumpeters with great wooden
bell-mouthed trumpets with two
men to each. Then comes the
booming drums. Next is the paid
mourners in green and gold with
red tassled hats, following these is
the family all dressed in white
mourning and then the immense
coffin with from eighteen to
eighty bearers. Behind these
comes the effigies: the favorite
of the deceased, the effigy of his
favorite horse, his favorite potted
flower, his favorite wife, dressed
in paper effigy, which is to be
burned upon his funeral pyre. She
has seen these and the detach-
ments of soldiers, police, and the
street sprinklers, beggars, chain
gangs, convicts and their large
group of guards, the long chains
of carts with merchandise, the
loads of salt, which is revenue
from the different provinces and
carloads Of "sam Shin 1.-THE native
gin), carts loaded with silver
coins without single man to
guard them except the driver.
Occasionally bleating herds of
sheep with black faces and great
flat circular tails, droves of pigs,
baskets of fowls and here and
there drifting along with the
crowd is that curious affair, the
Chinese travelling kitchen. Per-
haps she has at lucky times had
a copper coin handy that she
could hail the man carrying the
portable kitchen over his shoulder
and go through the delights of
mixing, seasoning, shaping and
baking, right there at the front
door, a little tasty dish. OF course,
she also saw the different trades
men, the travelling barber shop
and the meat peddlers, and the
priests, and on special occasions
she has felt the exciting thrill of
fear at the sight of foreign
devip Foreign soldiers of the
different legations). But now
these days are over. Years ago
in her babyhood she was married
to some baby boy whom she had
never seen and now the time has
come when she is to be actually
united to him. Sourness is what
she receives from all the family,
who have to furnish the dowry,
without which the sweetest little
flower Of Chinese maidenhood
would be "short change to her
lord). If by chance she does
happen to surprise in someone a
lock that is not unkind, it is only
a share of moody satisfaction
that a burden is about to be re-
leased. How can she help but
shrink in terror from marriage to
a man unknown to her? Probably
he is beast, insane, deceased or
criminali Fer any change must
be for the better. A little more
freedom; to mix in society? Oh,
no. But with other married wo-
men where society is unknown.
There will be new and interesting
things, at least, someone whom
she can order about in her own
apartments. She has loved her
dolls of course, but if she is only
wife number two, or three, or yet
more distant, she need not look
forward for living doll some
day to wash and dress and love
and to feel the soft breathing
upon her breast and moving gent
" within her arms. BY the callous
Chinese customs, her baby, her
little other self is not her own,