Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 5 1887.djvu/234

226 period such as the child's marriage. This is called "eating the long fast." In some cases they promise that he shall be dedicated to the service of Buddha, and his head is in consequence kept clean-shaved. Should the device, however, prove successful, and the child become strong and healthy, the parents, unwilling to lose him, will purchase a boy to take his place, and the child's queue is then allowed to grow.

The romantic side of marriage—the theme of so many "Western poets, play-writers, and actors—is to our ideas almost entirely wanting in China. There, marriage takes the form of a bargain, the preliminaries to which are conducted by what are known as go-betweens. The bride and bridegroom have but little to say as to their engagement, which is contracted on their behalf by their parents or guardians. In most cases they can only know by hearsay the kind of person they are destined to marry. Marriage contracts are frequently entered into before the birth of the children, in which case, should both be boys or both girls, the engagement naturally falls to the ground. This is also the case in the event of one proving to be a leper. It is considered dishonourable to a girl of ten years of age to be still disengaged: at fourteen or fifteen she may not leave the house, and retires from the presence of strangers. The juristical idea of marriage would appear to be a double manumission enforced by no positive law, and, until concluded, involving no rights of the two manumitted as against the manumittors, but involving moral duties to carry the agreement to manumit into effect as between the two manumittors.

No such thing as a marriage contract is considered necessary in China, where neither the State nor any of the religions interest themselves in the forms or ceremonies enacted: but it would appear that from long custom the following three ceremonies have come to be regarded as essential:—1. Consent of the parents or senior male representatives; 2. Acceptance of the marriage-presents by the family of the bride; 3. Formal transfer or bringing home of the bride.

The great disability to marriage between two parties is consan-