THE CHINESE WOMAN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 23, 20 February 1909, Page 3

THE CHINESE WOMAN.

Much lias ibeen saiil for again* tlmt remarkable woman, the Dowager Empress of China, but of one at leas I of her actions there seems to .be iio divi siou of opinion, and that is the wovl ■she did for her own sex. j From time immemorial tile Cliinesi

woman has born a mere cypher. W" un .important is she that when a man lias .only daughters he says lie has no chit dren, and very often tte.v are not evci: given tJie dignity of names, but art simply called lirstborn, second-born, ami so on. She has no individuality at all She. belongs iirst to her father, \yho marries her to the highest bidder without thinking of consulting tier wishes; and then she becomes the property of

her husband, and liis family, so that if she is left a widow they can resell her; or else the control of her rests with her soils. At no time of her life «m she inherit property or enjoy any of the privileges that "beloiig to woman even in the least advanced European conntries. That -is the state of things as they have existed for many centuries . in China, but the wave of advance anil

freedom which is washing round the world Jias reached the Far Last, and Chinese women are waking up to tlic knowledge that they have been treated like beasts of the field instead of human liuings, and are adding t'heir voices tc I the women's chorus resounding throughI out the two hemispheres demanding jus-

lice and freedom. Already the education of Chinese girls is going forward rapidlyj and bids is due in no smal. measure to the old Dow&ger-Einipress She always cultivated tile society ol foreign women, and while treating them with hospitality, she received much information from lier visitors with regari. to women's position in other lands. Ii: her shrewdness she picked out the use ful and valuable points, with the result that the women oT China are now begin ning to enjoy tile privileges of educa tiou so long denied them. Schools ioi girls have recently been established with foreigners, especially Japanese, a> teachers; and tlrcy are crowded witl pupils. Many of the Chinese women arc not satisfied with the education to b( received in their own country, and liavi jono to study in European universities ivhence they will in time return to lead .11 their native liifld. The result of this advance in educa iOll is inevitable, and now the womei ire clamoring for justice in other things mrticnlarlv 'with regard to marriage I'he Code of Mail contains two separati aws for limn and women. "Widower: 11-0 ibldd'en to remarry after having ac omplished witli consecrated fires tin uneral ceremony of a wife who h ; v Hod, but a willow is instructed quiti ithcrwise. ''A virtuous woman who do ires to obtain the same abode of felieit; is her liusiband must do nothing wihici niav displease him, either during life o after death. After losing her husbani let her not pronounce the name of an; other mail/' These unjust laws are very resented bv the modern Chinese woman ,'ind two books recently published, "Tin lilglit of the Chinese! Woman in U" (Choice of a and ''The Ger.in of l'Viuinisni," have been received witl .much favor, and shown results in tin fact of a ninnlier of wonieji in Cantoi leaving their "husbands and refusing an; longer to live in marital slavery. The; were brought before tile magistrate am imiiishrd by imprisonment, it is true still they have taken the lirst step. They are also beginning to take i keen interest in the political linings ii their country, ami quite recently toi Ihousuud woim'ii of all classes assem'iiei at. a public meeting, to erpress the. svniipatli.v witli ilio hoyooll of (ho anese. Such an action would hav seemed! impossible in China a few year ayo, but it is a very eloquent and sub sfantial proof that after centuries u (slumbering in slavery the Chinese womai is awake and ready fur the fHi\. I ney .Morning, erald.