IV. " CELESTIAL" LADIES.

WHILE

HILE not professing to know very much about the domestic life of the very wealthy Chinese, I have learned quite sufficient to know that there has of late years been much written upon this subject which is unfounded and misleading. Of course with the rich and affluent in the Empire, polygamy is the order of their life.

The first wife of a Chinese gentleman of means is rarely seen by strangers, and leads a very secluded life, passing her time in working embroidery, which she generally excels in; reading, and, if highly educated, writing finished verses, and on certain days visiting the neighbouring temple to propitiate the gods.

The minor wives, however, often lead anything but an opulent life-sometimes a miserable one; it much depends on the first wife, upon whom they are supposed to wait, and whose word, to them, is law. If she is a kind-hearted and humble-minded woman, all goes well, and they are a happy, sisterly family. But even then, as with us, petty jealousies and disagreements are very apt for a time to ruffle the calmness of the best regulated and most united families, causing periods of unhappiness and discontent.

Although, according to Chinese law, a husband has almost absolute control over his wife, and is even vested, under specific circumstances, with power of life and death over her; and although he may have his wife punished with a hundred blows for merely striking him, there is remarkably little wife-beating among them as a rule, the men being a very inoffensive, well-behaved set who, on the other hand, often put up with a great deal of sound

scolding delivered with as harsh a tongue as could well be found. in any part of the world.

Judging from what I have seen and heard during a residence of seven years in China, I consider that, generally speaking, the women are decidedly faithful and thrifty, and, being excellent wives, are happy and are well treated by their husbands who are abstemious, hardworking men who know how to appreciate the manifold blessings of a good home.

Of course there are exceptions to the rule; but I must remark in their favour, that they rarely-very rarely-get intoxicated, or any the worse for liquor. Whereas half the misery among the middle and lower classes in England is caused by drunken wives or husbands, generally the latter, who on receipt of their weekly salaries, remain out carousing half the night, and then return home, penniless and brutalized with drink, to punish their hardworking, anxious wives.

Among my numerous friends and acquaintances in Shanghai was a Mr. E——, who resided in Hongkew, and whose wife was a Chinese lady of good family, by whom he had several very pretty children.

One afternoon, during a visit there, Mrs. E-- introduced me to a charming young Soochow lady, named Wang Sêou Jâe, a distant relative of hers, and an orphan, whose mother had recently died, leaving her a considerable sum of money-about $ 15,000 —in trust of an aunt who was supposed to act as her guardian until she should marry or arrive at a certain age.

Sêou Jâe was not only young, but a beauty of the most rare type, peculiar to the women of Soochow, who are famed throughout the Far East for their comeliness, and was a tropical flower that one could very imperfectly imagine, and then only associate with unrealistic dreams of sea-divided shores. Her complexion was very fair, her nose straight and delicate, and her mouth small and firm, yet betraying a tenderness which was most discernible in her large expressive eyes. Having received a good education, she spoke English fluently, and-like many of her own country-people, was studious almost beyond her age, and very intelligent.

After our introduction I frequently had the pleasure of meeting

her at Mr. E's house; and she always made good company with her bright and fascinating ways, and amused me immensely with her quaint booklore and legends. She told them in such a convincing and descriptive manner that my mind became almost peopled with familiar spirits.

It is needless to say that, in spite of her nationality, I became very attached to her; and it was evident to me that my esteem was reciprocated. She was too pure-minded and straightforward to try and conceal her regard, which was manifested in her own modest manner. After a time she would never sit beside me, but always, according to the custom of her country, a little behind my chair, deferentially, and ready to serve me. So that I was obliged to turn half round to converse with her, and it made me feel most impolite.

In the quiet summer evenings, we used to wander hand in hand about through the gardens--her female attendant or, amah, following at a respectful distance behind, or seated ourselves near the river, and listened to the ecstatic music of Chevalier Vela's band which played during the long tropical evenings when "all the world and his wife" were out enjoying the freshness of the gentle breezes that came stealing up from the distant sea. *

I shall never forget those summer rambles in the evening with poor little Sêou Jâe. I used not to trouble myself much about the future then, but was quite happy and contented to let my

* I do not wish the reader for one moment to imagine that it is customary in China for ladies, young or old, married or single, to walk with gentlemen, even with their husbands, brothers or other relatives. The Chinese-especially those of the upper classes, usually keep their women-folk in strict seclusion. Miss Wang Sêou Jâe must therefore be looked upon rather as an exception to the general rule. She had been educated at an English school, mixing from her childhood with Europeans. Being left an orphan at an early age she adopted the more civilized customs of her companions as well as their religion. Of course Western civilization is slowly working beneficial changes in the domestic life of the Chinese; and in many Christian households the women enjoy-if not as much freedom as those of western nations--quite as much respect. The revolting habit of binding the feet of female children in order to make them unnaturally small-resulting in their total disfigurement and causing the leg to wither away to a more stump-is gradually being discontinued by a few of the most enlightened people. AUTHOR.