Part 11

The case of Miss W. was quite different. She and her fiancé had met and fallen in love in the good old-fashioned way. They were married by the bride’s father, an Episcopal clergyman, who, being tall and well-favoured, made a rather imposing figure in his priestly robe. After he had walked in and taken his place inside the chancel, a church warden to the strains of Lohengrin’s Wedding March ushered up the aisle with due ceremony the groom and best man. That done, they were left standing for fully ten minutes. The wedding march was played and re-played, the party at the altar shifted and turned while the audience craned their necks till they were sore in an effort to catch a glimpse of the incoming bride. What was the matter? Was she sick? Was she panic-stricken? Had an accident befallen the wedding dress? None of these calamities had overtaken the girl, who was dressed and ready to follow her fiancé into the church. But ancient marriage customs in China prescribe that a bride must be sent for again and again by the groom before, with tears and great reluctance, she is at last persuaded to leave her home. Although this was a modern wedding, it would not do to disregard wholly the time-honoured practice, hence a proper interval was allowed to elapse before the bride made her appearance. During the ceremony outbursts of laughter several times proceeded from the Chinese guests, many of whom had evidently never witnessed a Christian wedding and to whom the plighting of the troth and other passages were highly amusing. The bridal couple was not in the least disturbed by these demonstrations any more than when the warden from time to time stepped forward and taking one or the other by the arm, turned them around, or jerked them into proper position. Soon after the conclusion of the ceremony the bride retired and removed her veil, which was doubtless an uncomfortable if stylish appurtenance of which she was very glad to be rid.

Sometimes embarrassing situations are created because the young people are attracted to modern ways while their forbears much prefer the old. This happened recently when a law student just back from America married the girl to whom he had been betrothed before he left home. The bride wore a white satin gown with slit hobble skirt and fish-tail train, veil, kid gloves, slippers, and carried a shower bouquet. All was as modern as it was possible to have it, but at the last moment the groom was thrown into a state of great perturbation because of the refusal of his parents and their old-fashioned friends to attend the wedding. In his desire to have every arrangement conform to Western ideas he had omitted to send conveyances for his relatives, according to immemorial Chinese custom, and they were so incensed by the omission they refused to stir from their homes, although abundantly able to hire carriages or sedan-chairs as they might prefer. At the last moment, with the greatest difficulty, a sufficient number of vehicles was found and hurried off to bring the families to the wedding, but so offended were they that it required the utmost persuasion to induce them to come.

A Shanghai bride not long ago was taken to task by her friends for daring to show a glad countenance. “Don’t you know it is a bride’s duty to be sad and cry? Instead of that you look really happy,” they cried. “I _am_ happy, and why shouldn’t I look so?” she replied with fervour. But the high-water mark of self-assertion was reached when a Shanghai maid, the daughter of wealthy parents, declared that her acceptance of her suitor depended on whether he was willing to shave off his beard, to which demand he promptly and meekly acceded. Truly the order of things changeth in old China!

Shanghai has something of which no other city in China can boast, and that is a Nuptial Hall. Contracting parties who wish a modern wedding but have not homes suited for it may rent this building. It contains a guest hall, banquet room, and bed chambers, all nicely furnished. Here the newly wedded pair can remain if they choose, for a few days of their honeymoon or arrange for automobile or carriage to take them away at once.

Occasionally a clash occurs between customs past and present which results in tragedy. A while ago a youth and maiden, both teaching in a government school in Shanghai, fell deeply in love. The girl’s father heard of it but objected to his daughter’s marrying because she was the mainstay of the family, and he argued that filial duty required her to continue their support although perfectly competent to shoulder the burden himself. Taking her one day in a small boat to the middle of a deep stream near their home, he demanded of the girl that she give up her lover. When she loyally clung to him her inhuman parent threw her overboard and let her drown before his eyes. A few years ago a deed like this would have attracted little attention. “The girl belonged to her father and it is nobody’s business what he did to her,” would have been the popular verdict. But it is not so in Shanghai to-day. The papers were full of the awful crime, the broken-hearted lover carried the case to the Chinese Court, and so great a stir was made that no one will dare to repeat such an act, at least openly.

It can not be said that Shanghai has progressed beyond the stage of polygamy. Under the old régime, for a man to take one or many “secondary wives,” as they were called, was a well-nigh universal practice, but it has died out among the younger, educated classes and before long will be forever relegated to the past in the treaty ports. The women themselves are rising up in defence of one another. An interesting instance is that of a man who left a young wife of six months in Shanghai and disappeared for several years. When he came back, bringing a new wife with him, he repudiated the first. Her condition was very pitiful. Being at last turned out on the street by her husband’s relatives after the death of her child, she went to learn tailoring in a Singer Sewing Machine shop. It was at this juncture that the Chinese Woman’s Co-operative Association, composed of some of the leading women in Shanghai, espoused her cause. They distributed broadcast a circular which read: “The legitimate wife of ---- is too poor to engage a lawyer. We therefore ask those who sympathize with her to come to her assistance and see that she has justice, otherwise our two hundred million sisters will ever remain under the yoke of the other sex.” This resulted in the case being carried into the court and a fine imposed on the offender of eighty days’ imprisonment, pitifully inadequate yet a move in the right direction, and a victory for the band of progressive women.

Funeral ceremonies are undergoing a radical change in Shanghai though not so rapidly as marriage customs. Ancient observances are still held sacred by the majority, and through the streets trail the old-time funeral processions. Some are pathetic in their simplicity, a cheap unadorned coffin swinging from bamboo poles resting on the shoulders of coolies striding rapidly forward followed by a few mourners on wheelbarrows or in ricshas. Others are the long processions of the well-to-do, grotesquely spectacular. First come coolies in a straggling irregular line holding aloft tawdry banners and lanterns, after them priests, bands (often two, a Chinese and a foreign string band), paper images to be burned at the vault and trays of cooked food to be left there, the sedan-chair of the deceased and the carriage he may or may not have owned, quite empty save for a crayon portrait of him standing upright on the seat in the midst of wreaths of flowers and palm leaves, and finally the catafalque concealed under a crimson satin cover and surmounted by an imitation crane which is believed to carry heavenward the released spirit. Behind the coffin, borne by perspiring, hired coolies, the very lowest down in the social scale, for only such can be induced to act as pall-bearers, walk the adult sons as chief mourners. They are robed in white cotton with a strip of sackcloth as a head band or a sackcloth helmet. A sheet, spread out to form the three sides of a square and carried by coolies, furnishes a screen inside of which the men march. Following them in carriages are the widow, the daughters, and other relatives and friends. Even this is a strange mixture of old and present day usages, for formerly there were no carriages, no brass band, and above all no palm leaves, which in a non-Christian funeral are of course devoid of religious significance. Between the wholly modern funeral and one of this description there are varying degrees of transition. Often a hearse is used whose blackness is hidden under a wealth of bright blossoms covering sides as well as top, so that it has more the appearance of a gala trap than a conveyance for the dead. The Chinese have an inherent objection to sombre effects at a funeral, the mourners wearing white and the draperies being of the brightest colours.

A curious incident occurred recently which is a striking illustration of the way in which old and new customs may be said to elbow one another in their struggle for supremacy. A tired foreigner trying to sleep was disturbed by a persistent clatter of metal instruments and medley of voices close by. Finally in desperation he got up and looked out on the street, determined to locate the noise and if possible put a stop to it. It was summer weather and through the open windows of a neighbouring Chinese house he found himself the half unconscious observer of a strange scene. On the bed lay an old woman, evidently very sick, while a Chinese doctor and several assistants were running about the room with Chinese rattles and whistles, frightening away the evil spirit that had caused the malady. At last he was chased to the court below, where a pause was made, and the impudent intruder politely asked what his wishes might be. Replying that he desired to visit a neighbouring village he was told he could go, whereupon the relieved family shut and bolted the outer door after paying the doctor a fat fee for his services. This all took place under the very shadow of a group of the most up-to-date Municipal hospitals in Shanghai.

One of the hopeful signs of these later days in China is the changing attitude of the people toward physical exercise, for it means better health and better morals for the nation. Not long ago, really only a very few years, round shoulders were by every one highly commended, in the women as indicating modesty and in the men scholarly habits. A girl who held herself erect, with well developed chest, would have been set down at once as bold and forward, and not only that, but any kind of physical exertion was regarded by the upper classes, young and old alike, as coolie’s work and quite beneath their dignity. Some Chinese girls were watching a game of tennis for the first time, when one turned to her companion with a puzzled expression and the remark, “Can’t they get coolies to do that work for them?” Several Englishmen living in the western part of the city were in the habit of rising early every morning for a tramp in the country. The Chinese in the neighbourhood who saw them start out day after day were told the men walked for the pleasure of it, but they shook their heads incredulously, “We know they mean to worship at some secret shrine, for no one in his senses would work so hard if he didn’t have to” A couple of foreigners were crossing Garden Bridge when a troop of Chinese youths went rushing past with foot-balls tucked under their arms. Said the gentleman laughingly to his companion, “You wouldn’t have seen that a short time ago in Shanghai.” “Why? Because the boys were not playing ball?” “Yes, and neither would they have done such an unmannerly thing as to run. Just now they were so interested in the coming ball game they forgot all about appearances.”

In the spring of 1915 Shanghai witnessed a unique spectacle, something that will go down in history, and deservedly, as one of the great events in the life of the city. It was the Second Far Eastern Olympiad, the first having been held the year before in Manila. The Municipal Council turned over Shanghai’s finest park for the games, and the Young Men’s Christian Association fitted it up with the necessary accessories. No one who was there will ever forget that week. Many foreigners were present, but they were almost lost among the crowds of Chinese, for this was a distinctly Chinese celebration, just as it was meant to be. The élite Chinese turned out as well as the common people, men and women, young and old. Wide-eyed and tense, they watched their countrymen contest with crack players from Japan and the Philippines, and cheered tremendously when again and again the Chinese “won out.” It was good to look upon these lusty youths, who instead of cultivating long finger nails and cramping their chests after the manner of the old-time Chinese scholars, were clad in gymnasium tights, vaulting, running, swimming, batting, while their sires and grandsires forgot themselves and their traditions so far as to urge them on with shouts of approval.

Shortly afterward, under the auspices of the Young Women’s Christian Association, several hundred girls from mission and private schools gave a physical exhibition of their own. This was not open to the public, guests being admitted by ticket and only a few gentlemen invited. Some of the girls wore modified gymnasium suits, but most appeared in their ordinary school clothes. It was all-important that the conservatives should not be shocked, who were none too friendly to the idea of physical training for their daughters. Mothers, grandmothers, and aunts, their prejudice partly overcome by their curiosity, sat around in crowds on the borders of the grassy campus viewing the exercises, first with indifference, then interest, and at last, genuine enthusiasm. The leader was a young Chinese woman who received her training in Boston. These two events marked a new era in the physical development of Young China and the ravages of tuberculosis have received a check, while good, hard, honest work is understood, by athletes at least, as something not to be shunned as a disgrace.

XI

A TYPICAL SHANGHAI WEDDING

It was the day before the wedding. Downstairs in the home of the fiancé all was bustle and excitement. The marriage dowry, that for weeks had been collecting, was being made ready to carry over to the house of the groom’s father. Articles large and small, useful, and ornamental were scattered everywhere.

First, and most important of all, there was the trousseau. Each suit consisted of three pieces--trousers, skirt, and jacket--made of the same material. They were carefully folded and piled one on top of another in the regulation bridal trunks, which are moderate sized wooden boxes covered with glossy red or brown oilcloth. Though the family was greatly rushed, still as relatives and friends dropped in to watch the proceedings and offer congratulations, the more elaborate costumes were taken out with ill-concealed pride and held up for inspection. And they were worth seeing! Silks, brocaded satins, crêpes, gauzes, ranging in colour from the palest hues of pink, green, blue, and violet, down to rich crimson, dark grey, brown, and even black, lay together in bewildering profusion. Some were delicate as sea-foam, others handsome but quiet, while the splendidly embroidered ones might well have rejoiced the heart of a princess. The jewels were arranged to show off to the best advantage in numerous small glass-covered cases. They presented a dazzling array--bracelets, rings, buckles, necklaces, hair ornaments. Diamonds, rubies, pearls, sapphires, shone resplendent, but jade was the principal stone.

The bride’s wardrobe, however, though of absorbing interest, was only one portion of her dowry. The rest of the outfit blocked the way in every direction. The usual sets of graded wooden tubs, pails, and chests with conspicuous brass locks occupied the entire side of one room. These were painted either a rich red or brown and highly polished. On the other side of the room the most conspicuous object was a couch or divan weighed down under a huge pile of quilts. No Chinese girl goes to her husband’s home without a collection of bed-coverings. Though differing greatly in number and elegance, always they are of bright colours and folded lengthwise with exquisite neatness. In this case most of the quilts were of the costliest materials, flowered silks, figured satins, with a few gay prints and soft cashmeres for summer use.

In an adjoining apartment was a set of bedroom furniture in carved teakwood, wardrobe, table, chairs, and washstand. The ornate brass bed was of foreign make. The silk curtains and silver ornaments with which it was later to be hung, were temporarily reposing in one of the many chests. Embossed silver teasets of Chinese pattern, silver and ivory chopsticks, foreign glass finger bowls, gaudy native silver wine cups, bonbon dishes, jewelry cases, hand-painted scrolls, silk banners, later to be converted into gowns for the bride, these were but a few of the riches lavished on the girl sitting apart in an upper chamber, shy, half afraid, wholly expectant.

The list of attractions on this great occasion would be incomplete were mention not made of the trays of edibles, fruits, fancy cakes, and confections of marvellous variety, intended as a gift from the bride’s parents to the family of the groom. On the evening of the wedding day the groom’s parents will return the compliment by sending to the bride’s home a sumptuous repast consisting of cakes, fruit, cooked fowls, fish, and one, possibly three or four, roasted pigs. After roasting the pig is coated over with sesame oil, which hardens when exposed to the air and imparts an appetizing gloss to the skin. The animal is carried through the streets by coolies in a red tray suspended from poles, to the admiration of all onlookers and the despair of the hungry. On arriving at its destination, the upper part of the head, and the tail, with a thin slice of meat attached to it, are cut away and returned to the donors. This is done to insure the uninterrupted bliss of the young couple, since the head and tail of the pig represent the beginning and end of happiness in the lives of the newly wed.

It was no light contract to get such a generous marriage dowry conveyed safely from one home to the other. Early in the morning preparations began, yet by three in the afternoon the procession had not started. People were flying to and fro. Coolie bearers with long bamboo poles stood around in every one’s way, talking in loud shrill tones. In a side room sat a scholarly mandarin writing Chinese characters on slips of red paper. These were pasted vertically across each chest beside the lock and served the double purpose of announcing the name of the bride and adding to the safety of the contents of the chest in transit, since it could not be opened without tearing the paper. The quilts were fastened securely to the couch on which they lay by an ornamental network of red cord. Smaller articles, placed on box-shaped trays, were in like manner made secure from pilfering fingers. Red paper cards, red ribbon and flowers figured prominently as decorations. As one by one the pieces were made ready they were taken to the street and fastened by ropes to the coolies’ carrying poles. When the long procession was complete and awaiting the order to start, a gayer scene could scarcely be imagined. The bride’s entire dowry, excepting her trousseau, was in full view of curious eyes, that all spectators along the route might be duly impressed with the family wealth. Leading off were two closed carriages (a short time ago they would have been sedan chairs), in each of which sat in state two gentlemen “go-betweens,” whose particular mission at this time was to convey the cases containing the jewels to the home of the groom. But alas for human pride and ambition! Just at the critical moment, when the coachman had whipped the horses into action, the coolies raised the poles to their shoulders, and a tremor undulated down the whole line--a few drops of rain fell. Then such a scurrying of feet ensued as servants rushed into the house for pieces of oiled cloth to protect perishable treasures! So it was with eclipsed glory that the parade eventually started on its way, to the vast disappointment of all concerned.

On the day of the wedding the centre of interest was transferred from the bride’s home to that of the groom. He lived in a three-story mansion, becoming the rank of his father, who was a high official holding a responsible government position. At the gate of the compound, or grounds, were stationed several Chinese policemen whose chief business was to keep the motley crowd outside from encroaching on the premises. But either they were unequal to their task, or what is more likely, condoned the intrusion of the ragamuffins, for more and more of the nondescript element drifted past the sentinels, till the yard in front was well filled. The arched gateway and main entrance to the dwelling were decorated with flowers and greens, while along the wide veranda was suspended a row of mammoth lanterns, gorgeous with crimson silk trimmings and tassels. At one end of the veranda hung strings of firecrackers, yards and yards in length, lending an added splash of colour to the picture. The house was built around the four sides of a glass-covered court, with galleries on the second and third stories from which the rooms opened. Two bands were stationed in the court, one Chinese and the other Filipino, the latter a contingent from the Municipal Band of the International Settlement. The contrast between them was ludicrous. The Filipinos in fresh uniforms with shining instruments sat erect before their leader and played with spirit. The ten or a dozen Chinese were of all ages, their rags showing beneath faded red jackets and in their hands a collection of indescribable instruments on which from time to time they blew, pounded and pulled, to the evident enjoyment of all the guests but the few suffering foreigners present. Beyond the court was the reception hall. As it was entirely open in front, its magnificence caught and held the gaze immediately on entering the front door. The walls were ablaze with crimson satin banners, while crimson satin covered the chairs and tables, every piece of it, like the banners, elegantly embroidered. Wedding decorations are rented for the occasion as it would cost a small fortune to buy them. The ground floor was mainly given up to the men, who sat around in the ante-rooms, in social groups, sipping tea and wine, and smoking.