Chinese horrors and persecutions of the Christians; containing a full account of the great insurrection in China; atrocities of the "Boxers" ..together with the complete history of China down to the present time .. . as this fixture isarranged, the bridegrooms father sends giftsof wine and mutton to the lady. Etiquitte requires it that the groomsmanshould ask the brides father to name theday, and that he should in his turn beg thatthe brides future father-in-law should decidethe point. This is the cue for the grooms-man to produce from his sleeve the letter ofwhich he is the bearer, announcing
Chinese horrors and persecutions of the Christians; containing a full account of the great insurrection in China; atrocities of the "Boxers" ..together with the complete history of China down to the present time .. . as this fixture isarranged, the bridegrooms father sends giftsof wine and mutton to the lady. Etiquitte requires it that the groomsmanshould ask the brides father to name theday, and that he should in his turn beg thatthe brides future father-in-law should decidethe point. This is the cue for the grooms-man to produce from his sleeve the letter ofwhich he is the bearer, announcing the luckydate, which is already well known to all con-cerned. To this the host replies in stiltedterms, expressing his concurrence, but addinghis regret at having to part with his insig-nificant daughter so soon. For some days before the date fixed thebride assumes all the panoply of woe, and 202 CHINA: PAST AND PRESENT. weeps and wails without ceasing. On theday immediately preceding the wedding hertrousseau and household furniture are sentto her future home, and though the trunksare always locked, cases have been known inwhich the bridegrooms female relatives,being unable to restrain their curiosity, have. EMBROIDERED CHINESE SCREEN, picked the locks to examine the dresses ofthe bride. On the eventful day the bridegroom eithergoes himself, attended by a procession offriends and musicians, with flying bannersbearing felicitous mottoes, to carry away hisbride, or sends his faithful friend similarly attended. In many parts of the country thisceremony takes place in the evening, and isa mere formality, whereas in others, as willbe presently shown, it retains more of itsoriginal significance. On entering the brides house the bride-groom is received by his father-in-law, whoconducts him to the centralhall, and there offers hima goblet of wine, from whichthe visitor pours out a liba-tion to the emblematic geesein token of his nuptial fi-delity, accompanying theaction with a deep re
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