The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1929-08-16
CHINA'S NEW WOMEN
From the Old Order
of Things and Very Much
Up-tO-date.

C. P. o. Box No. 1924,
Shanghai, China,
June 9th, 1929.
Dear Editor:
Here comes a letter from this
land of intrigue, graft, warfare,
famine, suffering, chaos, to tell you
and the readers of your excellent
paper about China's new woman
who has share in the "goings-on."
If woman in China, twenty years
ago, had been given Rip Van
Wrinkle sleep, she would be more
surprised than he was, should she
awake today. Then women had to
stay indoors and work something
like domestic animals. Or, If of
better family, be cooped up at home
and stay there. She was allowed to
be seen only by her husband or
brothers.
Now what a change! The mod
ern Chinese young women skip
around the streets with a spring,
grace and freedom that's quite re-
freshing when one remembers the
women formerly hobbling along on
bound feet supported by amahs.
Now girls bob, single, or perman-
emit wave their hair. That's a sign
of freedom! They ride bicycles,
play tennis, basketball and engage
in other athletics. Formerly the
q
Now one often sees the young ladies
walking very affectionately arm in
arm with their 'fbest boys" and the
young people often do the arranging.
THE dress used to be the most
modest bf any nationality. Now
women Are often seen with short
and very low-necked frocks.
gsaats5-dssp s5Sras1tinsss- Itiey 4
are seen with the most up-to-date
p-beyond-the-knee short frocks and
flimsy silk hose and very high
heeled shoes. Indeed the Chinese
girls are quite amusing flappers
shocking sometimes =
so much so that the officials have
felt it necessary to issue proclama-
lions commanding them to dress
modestly. The girls have even
learned to flirt in the most up-to-
date way. That's freedom! They
dance in the latest style. They ride
horses, astride, with boots and rid
ing breeches. That's English, you
know"
Once the ideal for girls was that
they be able to do beautiful needle
work at home. Now they are doing
other things. They are clerks in
stores. Some are typists and
stenographers. Some are bankers.
They play the organ or piano or
other musical instruments. Some
are becoming movie artists or
actresses. Some are lawyers and
judges and doctors. are teachers
and kindergarteners. They even
become soldiers and sometimes they
become Generals secretaries! Wo-
men also become street-corner poll
ticians and scream the Revolution
airy platitudes such as, Down with
Imperialism" "Give the people
freedom" to beat the most jealous
men Revolutionaries. Rarely do
you see meetings for propaganda or
riots without seeing girls or women
taking active part in them, urging
on the riots. l am glad to say that
some few of them are taking part in
the Red Cross work in relieving the
suffering of those wounded in battle. |
Women, too, occupy places of in
fiuence in the government in Nank-
ing. Once women's faces lacked |
all hope and ambition, and there
are still great hosts of women who |
are the same drudges at home, or |
worse in great factories. But |
among the younger generations they |
have ambition-ambition that car
ries them to extremes.
I'm glad to say that there are
many modest, motherly women who
have gone through our mission
schools who are making nice, clean,
beautiful Christian homes, where the
children are brought up we'll, and
taught to be good, useful members
of society; children of whom they
and missions can be proud and
thankful. One can not expect great
things from nation in which the
people have been brought up for
ages in filth, physical and moral;
but a new generation is coming on
born anew in the church of Christ
and in these clean Christian homes
We are expecting much for China
from such.