Sulphur Bath.—Rowdy Behaviour.—Fight in Boat.—Imprisonment for letting to Foreigners.—Book-keeper in Foreign Employ beaten.—Customs Regulations.—Kimberley Legacy.—Happy Consul.—Unjust
Likin
Charges.—Foreigners massacred.—Official Responsibility
Missing Bride.—Wedding Reception.—Proxy Marriage.—Servants' Weddings.—Love for Wives.—Killing a Husband.—Wifely Affection.—Chinese Babies.—Securing a Funeral.
In China a bride usually rides in a richly embroidered red sedan-chair, decorated with flowers, and hired for the occasion. Not long ago in Canton city a man hired a chair to carry his bride to his homestead in the suburbs. The distance was great, and the hour late. When the four chair-coolies and the lantern-bearers arrived at their destination, the chair containing the bride was deposited outside the doorway to wait the auspicious hour selected for opening the door to admit the bride, and the coolies adjourned to an opium-den; and as they had travelled a long way and were tired, they soon fell asleep. How long they dozed they knew not; but on awakening, they returned, and found the bridal chair outside the doorway. They came to the not unnatural conclusion that the bride had already entered the household, and that the chair was left there for them to take back to the city. Since they had all received their pay in advance, they did not stop to make further inquiries, but hurried home with the 185chair, put it in a loft, and, rolling themselves up in their beds, slept the sleep of the just. In the meantime the bridegroom heard the bridal party arrive, but had to wait the stroke of the auspicious hour before welcoming the bride. At last the candles were lit, incense-sticks were lighted, the new rice and viands for entertaining the bride were served, the parents-in-law put on their best suits, and so did the bridegroom, and with much pomp and ceremony the door was thrown 186wide open; but as far as the lantern's light would reach, lo! there was not a trace of the bridal chair, or bride, nor a single soul to be seen. Great was their consternation, and it became greater still as they concluded that bandits must have kidnapped the bride, and would hold her for ransom. The district officer was aroused, the case was reported to the village justice of the peace, and search parties were sent out in every direction. The bridegroom, though distracted, had sense enough to rush to the city and make inquiries of the chair-bearers. The coolies were dumbfounded, and explained what they had done. Together they climbed to the loft, opened the door of the chair, and found the demure-looking bride, long imprisoned and half-starved, but still appearing to her best advantage in her beautiful bridal gown. The bride appeared to have known that she was being carried backwards and forwards; but could not protest, because it is the custom for brides not to open their lips till the marriage ceremony is performed. Hence all the trouble.
在中國，新娘通常乘坐一頂華麗刺繡的紅色轎子，上面裝飾著鮮花，並專門為這個場合租用。不久前，在廣州市，一名男子租了一頂轎子，將新娘送到郊區的家中。距離很遠，時間已經很晚。當四名轎夫和提燈者到達目的地時，他們將載著新娘的轎子放在門口，等待迎接新娘的吉時，而轎夫們則去了鴉片館；由於他們走了很遠的路，感到疲倦，很快就睡著了。他們不知道睡了多久；但醒來後，他們回來，發現新娘的轎子仍在門口。他們得出了新娘已經進入家中的自然結論，認為轎子是留給他們帶回城裡的。由於他們已經提前收到了報酬，他們沒有停下來進一步詢問，而是匆匆帶著轎子回到城裡，把它放在閣樓上，然後捲起身子睡了個安穩覺。
同時，新郎聽到了婚禮隊伍的到來，但必須等待吉時來臨才能迎接新娘。終於，蠟燭點燃了，香點燃了，迎接新娘的新米和菜餚準備好了，公婆穿上了最好的衣服，新郎也穿上了，在許多儀式和禮儀中，門被大大打開了；但在燈光所及的地方，卻沒有看到轎子、新娘，甚至一個人影。大家大為震驚，更進一步認為新娘被強盜劫持，並會被勒索贖金。地區官員被驚動，案件被報告給村裡的治安官，搜尋隊伍向各個方向派出。雖然新郎心煩意亂，但還有足夠的理智趕到城裡詢問轎夫們。轎夫們驚呆了，解釋了他們的所作所為。一起爬上閣樓，打開轎子的門，發現了被長時間關押和半餓著的嬌羞的新娘，但她仍然穿著美麗的新娘禮服，顯得光彩照人。新娘似乎知道自己被來回搬運；但不能抗議，因為習俗規定新娘在婚禮儀式完成前不能開口說話。這就是所有麻煩的原因。
WEDDING PROCESSION. Lent by Scotch Presbyterian Mission.
This little story, taken almost verbatim from a Chinese newspaper, shows how far a bride's silence is carried. During all the days of reception after the wedding she is supposed to stand up to receive each incoming guest, who may make what remarks he pleases, even of the most personal nature, but never a word may she say; whilst attendant maids pull back her skirts to show how small her feet are, etc.
At one wedding I saw the poor bride grow so painfully crimson under the comments of a very young man, 187that I took for granted he must be some rude younger brother, and without thinking said so, and found I had done quite the right thing; for the youth—who was no relation at all—incontinently fled, feeling he had over-stepped the bounds of propriety. Besides not speaking, the bride is supposed not to eat. At the only wedding-feast I have attended—I have been to several receptions—the unfortunate bride and bridegroom had to kneel and touch the ground with their foreheads so often, that even if well nourished one wondered how they could live through it. The bride had to serve all the ladies with wine, the bridegroom to go round the men's tables and do likewise. When the size of the bride's feet is further considered, and the weight of the jewellery in her hair, one wonders a little in what frame of mind the poor bride ultimately approaches her groom. It must certainly be in an absolutely exhausted condition of body.
這個小故事幾乎是從中國報紙上逐字摘錄下來的，展示了新娘的沉默被要求到何種程度。在婚後的接待期間，新娘應該站起來迎接每一位來賓，無論來賓做出什麼樣的評論，即使是最個人化的，新娘也不能說一句話；同時，侍女們會拉起她的裙子，展示她的腳有多小，等等。
在一次婚禮上，我看到可憐的新娘在一個非常年輕的男子評論下變得如此痛苦地臉紅，我理所當然地認為他一定是某個粗魯的弟弟，隨口說了這話，結果發現我做了完全正確的事情；因為這位青年——他根本不是親戚——立即逃跑了，覺得自己超出了禮儀的界限。除了不說話，新娘也應該不吃東西。在我參加的唯一一場婚宴上——我參加過幾次接待會——可憐的新娘和新郎不得不跪下並用額頭觸地如此多次，即使營養充足，也讓人懷疑他們如何能撐過去。新娘還得為所有女士們倒酒，新郎則要在男賓的桌邊來回走動並同樣倒酒。考慮到新娘的腳有多小以及她頭髮上的珠寶有多重，人們不禁會想，可憐的新娘最終以什麼樣的心情接近她的新郎。她的身體狀況肯定是完全筋疲力盡了。
An amusing matrimonial incident may be worth repeating here. A young fellow was to be married on a certain lucky date; but his business having taken him away just before the event, he found it impossible to get back in time. He wrote to his parents, begging them to get the ceremony postponed. To this suggestion many objections were raised by relatives and friends and invited guests, and a strong despatch was forthwith prepared, peremptorily commanding his attendance on the original date. Again the bridegroom pleaded business, and said that he really could not come, whereupon the incensed father straightway took 188his departure for regions unknown, leaving the mother to do as she liked in the matter. The latter was a woman of original ideas, and, finding herself thus left alone, resolved, for the honour of the family, to resort to strategy. Giving out that the bridegroom had actually returned, but would not be visible until the day of the marriage, she cleverly dressed in male attire a buxom daughter, who is said to have been at all times very like her brother, and made her act the part of happy man throughout the ceremonial. When the latter was finished and the deception was disclosed or discovered, the hymeneal party is said to have broken up in fits of laughter, and in praise of the mother whose genius had evolved so satisfactory a method of overcoming a serious domestic difficulty. The proxy marriage will, it is said, hold good, and, nolens volens, the son is now regarded by his family and friends as a married man.
有一則有趣的婚姻插曲值得在此重述。一個年輕小夥子要在某個吉日結婚，但由於生意在婚禮前夕將他帶走，他發現自己無法按時趕回來。他寫信給父母，懇求他們將婚禮延期。這一提議遭到親戚朋友和受邀賓客的諸多反對，於是立即準備了一封強烈的信函，命令他按原定日期參加婚禮。新郎再次以生意為由表示他真的不能來，於是惱怒的父親立刻離家出走，前往未知之地，留下母親自行決定此事。這位母親是一個有創意的人，發現自己被單獨留下後，為了家族的榮譽，決定採取策略。她宣稱新郎已經回來，但直到婚禮當天才會露面，她巧妙地將一位豐滿的女兒裝扮成男性，這位女兒據說一直與她的兄弟非常相像，並讓她在整個儀式中扮演幸福的新郎。儀式結束後，當欺騙行為被揭露或被發現時，婚禮一行人據說都笑得前仰後合，並讚揚這位母親的天才，她巧妙地解決了一個嚴重的家庭困難。據說這場代理婚姻會被認可，無論新郎願意與否，他現在都被家人和朋友視為已婚男子。
When one of our many cooks once wanted a wife, he discussed the matter in very businesslike style with my husband. "I can get a wife in Szechuan for ten dollars," he said. "But, then, I can know nothing about her family and habits, as I could if I took a wife from Hupeh"—his own province. "It is true there I should have to pay more. But here all the women drink wine and smoke, and many of them smoke opium. And you never can know the truth beforehand. Now, if I find after marriage that the woman I have chosen smokes opium, there will be my ten dollars gone, and nothing to show for them. I shall wait189till I can go home to my own province. Aren't you going that way soon, master? Promise you will take me when you do." However, after all these wise sayings, he was over-persuaded by the account he heard of some woman, married her, and was, I think, very fortunate in her, but that the poor creature died of some painful internal disease two years afterwards.