Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 5 1887.djvu/239

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Resuming the account of the proceedings during betrothal, it appears that two or three months before marriage the fortune-teller is consulted in order that a lucky day may be chosen, and soon after this has been decided presents are sent by the family of the bridegroom to that of the bride, consisting of clothes, bracelets, hairpins, and fruits. A sheet of red paper is also sent to the bride, stating the day and hour fixed upon for the performance of the marriage ceremony, thus allowing her time to make the necessary preparations. A month or two before marriage, a sheet of red paper, having on the top a dragon and a phoenix, is sent to her. Down one side of the paper is written K’in tsò, together with the eight characters, and great luck; while down the other is written Kw’ar tsò, together with the eight characters of the bride, and great luck. With the presents above enumerated are also sent some tens of dollars, some gilt flowers for the hair, and an ornament for the head representing a dragon and a phoenix surrounding a male and female shoe. This is called "harmonious conjunction till old age." The bride returns a present consisting of a purse, a fan-case, hat, and boots. She also sends a purse containing a piece of sweetmeat called heung t’ong, lotus-nuts, lin Asz, an ingot (ting) of silver, and one covered with gold; the idea being that they will assuredly (ting) be as sweet to each other as sugar, and for successive (lin) generation produce noble sons (kw’ai tz.) The day before the marriage the parents of the bride send a bed, 10 chairs, 3 tables, 2 mosquito-curtains, 2 bed-covers, 6 or 8 boxes, 6 cupboards, lamps, teacups, a water-bubble pipe, &c. If the family be a very wealthy one, a slave-girl accompanies the bride, together with several hundred cash; and, in some cases, a field or a house is given as her marriage portion. If during his earlier years the bridegroom have suffered from ill-heath, and have consequently been committed to an idol for protection, the Taoist priests are now called in to thank the gods for preserving him to his present age, while the idol is informed that his services are no longer required. If the family be wealthy, about 140 dollars will be spent on this ceremony. A pig is killed, and fowls and fish prepared. The pig is taken up by its legs by the