THE SELLING OF GIRLS IN CHINA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3175, 29 October 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE SELLING OF GIRLS IN CHINA.

The selling of girls into slavery is practised everywhere thioughout China, and is even tolerated in the colony of Homrkonsr. Poverty or deformity is the causo of infanticide, but it is neither poverty nor opium smoking that drives a man into felling his daughters .is slaves, for people of very comfortable circumstances often part with a female child for a consideration. She becomes the absolute property of her buyer, who usually makes her a housohold drudere. The maids seen following the chairs of wealthy ladies are almost always slaves. In all olasses of society wives are bought, and this, perhaps, makes the selling of women into slavery seem less dreadful. The price of a healthy woman from 16 to 18 years of aire is about loOdol. From 18 to 20 she sells for about 200dol, and declines in price after that age. The price of girls has risen within the last ten years for some unaccountable

reason, and nowadays a large familv of boys are frequently a cause of pecuniary embarrassment The young Chinaman does not stop to ask "Is marriage a failure ?" but wants to know when his father can affoid to buy him a wife. In order to avoid the expense of purchasing a full-growr. girl, many a thrifty mother, settles the matter of marriage for her son while he is yet in his cradle. A wife may he bought in the infantile state for about sdoU and one frequently sees a woman nursing her son and his tiny betrothed at her breast, or carrying tbe pair about on her back. In the case of there being no saleable infants in the district, reoourse is hadjto the baby dealers, who purchase for cash a few comely infants from parents who would rather sell them than kill them. These merchants call uoon their customers with their human stock tucked into baskets slims* across their shoulder. The prospective purchaser pinches their little arms and legs to see if their flesh is solid and looks over their other " points " warily, and selects her future, daughter-in-law, and thus the little wife literally goes through life by the side of h3r lord.

Although girls on the whole are undesirable, it is a good thing to have a oertain number, forwhen theyhecomeof marrinsreable ago their purchase price buys wives for their brothers. But on account of the custom of foot-binding, it is a groat expense to r iiso them, for they are unable to aid in their own support. This ancient nustom is practised by all except the lower olasses. In some of the native papers articlrl appear from time to time attacking it, but like everything else Chinese it has come to stay. The ancestors did it, and that is the very best reason to a Chinaman's mind why he should continue it. Among the middleclass people the process differs from that of the wealthy With the latter tbe feet are first bound when the girls are very young, often mere infants. With the former the binding straps are not applied until the viotim has reached 10 or 12 years of age, and not nearly so much pain is experienced by them as is endured jy their aristocratic sisters. Thick, narrow bands of cotton cloth, woven for the purpose, are wound tightly around the foot. The toes sro turned under tbe sole, and tbe yielding parts are crushed together, out the anatomical construction and length of the foot remiins unchanged, and the general contour is about the same. In order to make the foot apoear shorter, a high heel

of wood painted scarlet is placed under the instep, something 1 after the plan of a French dancer's boot, a short flounce of cloth is bound across to hide the deception, I and the whole is encased in a daintily embroidered slipper. When a wo-nan reaches an age when she cares more for utility than she does for appearanco the feet are unbound, and after a little use become verv serviceable members. It would be a disgrace for a younsr woman to have large feet, and any selfrespecting I Chinaman would rather kill his daughter in babyhood than be obliged to bring her up to the shame of laigefootedness.