CHINESE MARRIAGES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 76, 21 July 1914, Page 7

CHINESE MARRIAGES.

THE OLD AND THE NEW. Reports tho Manawatu Standard:: Mr Joe Thompson, a well-known Pal-1 morstQiuan who has been for soraej time connected with the China Inland Mission, in a letter to his par- 1 ents, gives some interesting particulars of the change that is taking' place in the customs of the j Empire through the promulgation of' Christian beliefs. Describing Chinese marriages, he says:—The one I attended was a very quiet affair, and both were Christians. A Chinese wedding is a religions ceremony. The betrothal, which usually takes place!

any time after the girl is thirteen, is the legal function, and is managed entirely by the parents. It is a common practice among the poorer classes to take a baby girl and rear her with a 'view to making her the wife of one of the sons. The reason for this is economy, as a bride generally costs from £8 to £l2. Part of this money is used for the bridal outfit, hut the parents expect to make a profit! Tho pitiable thing about such weddings in China is that neither of the parties most interested have any say in the matter. There is no escape, as breaking a betrothal is considered almost as bad as divorce. Tho natural result oi this system is that there is no love in the home, and the women mostly are stupid and spiritless. How can it be otherwise when, in many cases, the husband and wife never see each other until their wedding day!

To go back to the wedding which I attended. I am glad to say that in this case a happier condition prevailed. Both bride and bridegroom were bright young Christians, who had known each other for years. The wedding was as usual managed' by 'the parents, but it was very "evident the young couple were fond of each other. The girl was seventeen and the young man 22. The arrival of each guest was greeted with the clash of cymbals and the beating of drums. ■The ceremony was very short. Two chairs were placed side by side covered with a rug. The bride and bridegroom took their sents and the service commenced in Chinese, with the hymn "The Voice that Breamed o'er Eden." Then a prayer and reading of t\vo r short addresses, after which

both knelt facing the pastor and promised by a nod of the head to love, honor and cherish, and in the case of the wife to obey. After this another hymn and the ceremony is over. The bride then retires to her room, to spend the rest of the day there, and the groom mingles with the guests. I cannot attempt to describe the bride's dress, enough to say that it was yellow and scarlet, and she woro

a wonderful head-dress! Then follows the feast of fat things, which 1 must confess I did not enjoy at. all. The number of guests wa s between forty and fifty persons.