CHINESE WOMEN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1901, 1 June 1892, Page 6

CHINESE WOMEN.

How Chinese women were expected to behave themselves 2,000 years ago is set forth in an ancient Chinese work in 313 chapters, of which samples have been translated into English by Miss A. C, Safford. According to this voluminous manual, the first duty of a Chinese wife in those primitive times was to "reverence her husband as heaven." If his life is in danger she must not hesitate to die for him. Among the many little stories told in the book is one of a peasant, who, during a severe famine, was seized one day by some starving soldiers, who intended to make a meal of him, His wife pleaded for him. "My husband is very lean," she said ; "he will scarcely be a mouthful for you. I am fleshy and of dark complexion, and they say that the flesh of such persons is excellent eating." The hungry soldiers, we are told, were convinced by this sound argument, and ate her instead of her husband. As to deportment, " in the presence of her parents or parents-in-law, a woman may not sneeze or cough, neither stretch, yawn, or 101 l about when tired, nor may she presume to stare at them. She should wear a happy face and a mild, pleasant deportment in serving them, in order to soothe them." The wife of a certain Liv Kung-tseh comes in for a large share of praise, simply because " for three years after her mairiage nobody had ever seen her smile."