70
Notices of China, No. V.
FEC.
of mourning. An interdict to the same effect is laid upon the whole empire when the emperor dies.
Marriage among the poor is more simple. They often purchase for a small sum, a little girl whom they train up to be their son's wife, when he is of a suitable age, and in that case the expenses are very much reduced. On the other hand, poor parents, who have a daughter already affianced, whom they find it difficult to maintain, send her with ceremony to the parents of her intended husband, who are obliged to receive and support her.
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The 12th, 13th and 14th days of the Chinese moon, are holidays, consecrated to the worship of the genii or spirits, to whom the people address themselves praying for health and riches, the only blessings, alas! which these poor idolaters know or desire. At these times, in villages, where there are persons that have been married in the course of the year, the inhabitants, men and women, join together on one of these days, and go by night to visit the new wife, who, shut up in the house from which she cannot go out, as yet knows nobody in the place of her confinement.
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The young woman receives her visitors standing by her bed, with her husband at her side. The men enter first, and carefully scruti- nize her, but no one can say a word. She too is silent, but her husband being the speaker on the occasion, makes a pompous pane- gyric upon his wife, especially upon her external perfections, calling their attention to her pretty little feet, her beautiful hands, &c., &c. Meantime they are going and coming incessantly, and from their eager appearance, one might take them for people going to see rare beasts shut up in a menagerie. As fast as they retire, they are regal- ed with a cup of tea and a pipe of tobacco. After the men have satisfied their curiosity, then comes the women's turn. The husband withdraws, and leaves them the open field with his young wife. They notice her person with the closest scrutiny from head to foot, and afterwards every article of her apparel. She must take good heed not to be abashed, and to be very discreet in her words, for her per- son, her conversation, her carriage, everything about her is noticed, remembered, and very soon divulged and maliciously exaggerated. Every defect which they can discover becomes the common topic of conversation for a long time, among those of her sex, so that we may say that her reputation for life turns upon her discretion at that time, and besides, however grave and reserved may be her manner, how- ever wise her words, however accomplished her
the person, tongues -of jealous women will always find matter for their censures.
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