Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 13.pdf/40

 The Legal Position of Women in China. design to marry are or are not diseased, in firm, aged, or under age, and whether they are the children of their parents by blood or by adoption. If either of the families then object the proceedings shall be carried no further; if they approve, they shall then, in conjunction with the negotiators of the marriage (if such there be), draw up the mar riage articles and determine the amount of the marriage presents. If, after the woman is thus regularly affianced by the recognition of the marriage articles, or by a personal in terview and agreement between the families, the family of the intended bride shall regret having entered into the contract and refuse to execute it, the person among them who had authority to give her away shall be pun ished with fifty blows, and the marriage shall be completed according to the original con tract: although the marriage articles should not have been drawn up in writing the ac ceptance of marriage presents shall be suffi cient evidence of the agreement between the parties. (Ta Tsing Leu Lee, being the Fundamental Laws, etc., of China. By Sir G. S. Staunton, p. 108.) In practice each party after seeing the family-trees consults a fortune-teller; if the oracles prophesy good concerning the match the bridegroom pre pares two large cards on which are written the particulars of the engagement, on one he pastes a paper dragon, and keeps it; the other, on which is a phoenix, he sends to the lady. (These rare creatures are the emblems of conjugal fidelity.) After this, more valu able presents pass between the households. When the happy day comes, the bride, sur rounded by her friends, starts from her father's house in a sedan chair for her future home; when half-way she is met by the bridegroom's friends who escort her the rest of the road. The escort includes a band of music: gay lanterns, torches, umbrellas and fans add to the scene. An orange tree laden with golden fruit, emblematic of a large family; a goose and a gander, symbolic of conjugal fidelity, and a dolphin, meaning worldly prosperity, are generally introduced

into the procession. The color of all the par aphernalia is red, the hue of rejoicing. It is etiquette for every one to give way to the cortege, and in fact the penal code severely punishes any one who does not. Before leaving her home the bride does kow-tow to her father and mother, drinks a large cup of wine, and kneeling listens to harangues from her parents on the new state of life on which she is now entering, and her duties therein. On alighting she is led with her head covered into the presence of her husband-that-is-to-be; silently they sit down side by side and each tries to get on a part of the other's dress; whoever wins in this dumb trial of skill will rule the house. After this they adjourn to the family altar and there worship heaven and earth and their ancestors. A glass of wine is then drunk together, and then for the first time the man sees the face of his chosen fair. This ends the ceremony; feasting and rejoicing among the friends follow. The bride at the wedding feast must pros trate herself before her parents-in-law, to whom she gives wine. The mother-in-law, in her turn, presents the bride with a cup of wine. Three days after marriage a grand visit of ceremony is paid to the young wife's parents; servants laden with presents accom pany the newly wedded pair. Sometimes when the bride arrives at her intended's house a curious ceremony takes place; she is presented with a tray contain ing rice and betel nuts; she prostrates her self at the feet of her future lord to denote her complete submission to his will: then she unveils herself to his gaze for the first time. If any one marries while his or her parents are in prison charged with a capital crime, he or she incurs a penalty of eighty blows; if, however, the marriage takes place at the request of the parents no punishment is im posed, provided the usual feasts and enter tainments are omitted. The Chinese strictly punish marriage with in certain prohibited degrees. There are only