Ladies' Column.

Otago Witness, Issue 1540, 14 May 1881, Page 27

Ladies' Column.

The world was tad— the garden was a wild; > • And man, the Hermit sighed— till woman smiled. — GiMPBEMi

MARRRIAGE CUSTOMS IN CHINA.

Marriage in China is obligatory ; the ceremony Is uncommonly simple. The lady is, in truth,, put up to the higheßt bidder, who, however, is not allowed to see her face until she, is bought and paid for, when he is permitted to take her away, locked up in a sort of sedan chair. If she does not come up to his expectations he may return her to her parents* but must sacrifice the .purchasemoney. If, on the contrary, he likes his bargain, he calls in the friends and relations (who accompany the bride in the chair), and the couple eat and drink together, exchanging cups, after which they proßtrate themselves before thefr parents, and are then considered man and Wife. ' . , The laws of China afford little protection to women, however, whether married or single ; and the smallest offences are visited with the greatest severity. Wives are subjected to the most degrading servitude, , those of the higher and middle classes being condemned to such " seclusion as may be termed imprisonment^ while the lower classes bear all the brunt of the most laborious work, and their idle husbands look on. All' the, nobler feelings of women are crushed from childhood. A few accomplishments' are taug'ht'to those high in ratok, but they cannot be, said to be e,d,uc^ted, the daughters of mandarins learning only to sing and dance,* though painting and embroidery may be done by^ladies well born. The cruel practice of contracting the feet of ladies of high -rank- is too well known to be enlarged upen, but I must remark that I have some shoes by me made for full-grown Chinese ladies which would scarcely go upon the feet of an English baby. But the more these poor women are oripled the more they are admired, their hobbling being considered the perfection of motion, while to arrive at' beauty they must allow their finger-nails to grow twelve inches in length. The men of China have as many wives as they can purchase ; they may also beat them if they please, but the thickness of the stick with which they do so 1b settled for them by the law, as well* as the number of blows they may administer for every offence. In this respect, perhaps, our own lower classes might with advantage be similarly tied down, especially as every infringement of the law is severely punished. To make themselves more attractive the Chinese women .dress very gaudily, though without taste; and those of high position 1 slain their teeth vith tobacco or betel nut, which renders them yellow or green. . Divorce is common among the Chinese ; so common that a man may, get rid ef his wives at pleasure without assigning any reason for it, and women who h-vve given the days of their youth to their husbands constantly find themselves, in their old age, cast off, and left to die of starvation. — Land and Water. Society and Fashion Gossip. Winter walking dresses should be made just to oover the ankles. » ' ' Seal brown plush cloaks, with a fur border, are bo rich and handsome as to be mistaken for real seal garments. ' Oysters, lobsters, miniature newspapers, letter envelopes, bootjacks, &c, are the latest and ugliest scarf pins and brooohes. The first complete translation of the.Bible in English was printed in 1532. A perfect . copy of it was sold iv 1838 for £350. At the Sydney fancy ball at the Garden Palace, ladies donned the costumes of pages, hunters, and oourlers, and gentlemen appeared in female characters. A year or so ago an ulster was one of the ugliest garments possible, and now 't is one of the most becoming to a good figure, and more worn than ever, even when the weather is not rainy.

Plußh gloves are worn, and plußh petticoats, lined with silk, which are very luxurious and oomfortable— in fac'j, everything suitable or unsuitable that can be, h made from this most popular material. For slight mourning there are white kid gloveß embroidered with black jdt, and black gloves wiih ateal baads : this embroidery is used in floral designs, and continued from the back of the hand along the outside of the arm.

Damp Beds. — The introduction, of a oleaa dry glass tumbler into a bed, is a tolerably sure test as to the condition of a bed. If it is fit to sleep in, the glass will only look a little cloudy ; if damp, the glass will have drops on it. Sleep in flannel in all dou btful oases. Some very elegant embroideries, which are now sold in strips, are worked in silk or beads upon satin, and are very fashionable fcr trimming both petticoats and dresses, being used with good effect upon the dark woollen costume?. Pale lemon colour and brown, pale' and dark royal blue, amethyst and deep violet, seal-brown<and gold, pale coral and deepest crimson, cream and maroon, myrtle and seagreen, are all good combinations, as also cinnamon and yellow pottery shades for dress fabrics. • The backs of sofa cushions are now frequently coveied with fir ; the front is of plush, with the monogram or crest worked in gold thread in one corner, and a little I spray or bouquet of flowers in another oorner. The back may be of any shorthaired fur, but ermine is the most fashionable kind. Walking dresses now have sleeves made so tight that they have to be buttoned or laced from the elbow to wrist, and long, loose, black kid gloves without buttons are worn over the said sleeves as far as the elbow. I saw some of the new gants on two Sydney ladies last week, and, as their arms were plump and rouud, the effect was very pleasing. There !is a lady at Saratoga, .who wears a Urge diamond ring on- each of her eight fingerß whenever she is seen, whether at breakfast ; or by gaslight. She also, wears diamonds. in her hair, large i solitaires in her earß, and bracelets and pins set with these rare jewels. She is suspected of also having anklets clasped with diamonds, as well as shoe buckles. A useful little box for holding trinkets, rlogs, &0., is made of card-board, square in shape, and covered with blue satin. The top and sideß embroidered with a pattern worked in light coloured silks, the inside lined with blue silk, wadded and quilted. A ruche of blu6 satin ribbon rpund the cover and. lower part of the box, and blue satia ribbon bows at the corners. After five-and-twenty, light brown hair frequently becomes darker and looses gradually !the brightness which is its great beauty. Champagne is a good wash, but will not affect the colour ; soda will help to keep it light, if used constantly, but will make' it exceedingly brittle ; borax cleanses the hair, but is also rather drying. Sayings About WomenWrinkles disfigure a woman less than ill nature. — Dupuy. Woman is an idol that man worships, until he throws it down. Women love always ; when earth slips from them they take refuge in heaven. The whisper of a beautiful woman can be heard further than the loudest call of duty. There is no torture that a woman would not suffer to enhance her beauty.—Montaigne. Of all things that man possesses, women alone take pleasure in being possessed.— Matherbe. Before promising a- woman to love only her, one should have seen them all, or should see only her. We cenßure the inconstancy of women when we are the victims. We find it charming when we are the objects. ; We meet in society many beautiful and attractive women whom we think would make excellent wives—for our friends. , Woman among savages is a beast of burden ; in Asia, she is a piece of furniture ; in Europe, Bhe is a spoiled child. — Senac de Meilhan. The highest mark of esteem a woman can give a aian is to ask his friendship ;' and the most signal proof of her indifference is to offer him hers. At 20 man is less a lover of womau than of women. He is more in love with the sex than .with the individual, however charming she may be. It is not easy to be a widow ; one must reassume all the modesty of girlhood, without being allowed to feign its ignorance. — Madame de Girardin. Men are so fearful of wounding a woman's, vanity that they rarely remember that she may by some possibility possess a grain of common sense. — Miss Braddon. Women of the world never use harsh expressions, when condemning their rivals. Like the savage, they hurl elegant arrows, ornamented with feathers of purple and azure, but with poisoned points.