Page:Illustrations of China and Its People vol. I. 2ed edition.pdf/46

 as it may. unmarried women have very little freedom. To choose future husbands for themselves is a foreign and barbarous custom, and never to be even dreamt of among them : and when the marriage is over they are more slaves than their bondwomen.

Before the wedding takes place, the parties most interested in the contract have little or nothing to do with the arrangements ; all is settled for them by their respective parents or guardians.

There is no period of courtship to distract a lover from his business. It is the Astrologer who has to be consulted. He for a small consideration, pronounces that the couple are suitable, investigates their horoscopes, and fixes the wedding day. Then the blushing bride (alas, she paints !) is arrayed for the ceremony, and earned from her fathers house to the bridal sedan. At the threshold she is held over the flames of a fire, to dispel as they explained to us, any lurking devilry that might mar her future happiness. The marriage presents are paraded through the street a band of music accompanies the litter, and away goes the bride to wed some one, no matter whom, selected by the taste of her parents. Dreary and uninteresting from beginning to end is a Chinese marriage ceremony and m too many eases it must lead to a lifetime of disappointment and tears. In China, as in other parts of the world lathes prefer if they can, to get a glimpse of their intended partners. This may be done if circumstances are favourable but frequently they never see their lord and master, until the day when they are united to him for ever. One can readily fancy that, at such times, the first sight of an ill-favoured face will create a sad feeling of disgust and disappointment.

Filial piety has a strong hold upon the people, and it is esteemed a high virtue to bear m dutiful silence such bitter crosses as these. Let us hope that the time is not distant when these women will be allowed the free use of their natural feet to aid them in the search for husbands. I can fancy I hear some lady saying, " What of their dress The photograph only wants colour to answer the question. The prevailing colour of the dress. A bride wound as soon do without pain, as wed in blue. Blue is the hue of mourning in China-true it aught betoken her mood before the ceremony is ovef, when her blighted hopes are buried in her bosom. Still the fair interrogant will say Do the creatures never dress in white ? " No, sad to relate ; they would as soon think of breakfasting on the dust of their ancestors as dressing in graveclothes for their wedding ; it is only when bereft of their husbands that they wear white robes.

I will now briefly dispose of the bridegroom by saying, that for the marriage ceremony he is at liberty to wear the robes of a mandarin, thus showing the high esteem in which the relationship imposed by marriage is held by the State or it may be, to denote the absolute power which from the day of marriage is vested m the husband as head of the household. He, too, wears red, in the form of a bridal scarf thrown over the shoulder. I must not omit to notice the bride's cap, with its sprays of pearls that veil her face.

It is customary for the poorer members of society to hire their bridal dresses from a costumer, whose business it is to furnish the paraphernalia for wedding and other ceremonies.