Cleveland High School - Beacon Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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own bedroom, in her new home: she then takes it out and puts it on the K'ang. This is done to secure peace, Ping being the first of two char- acters meaning apple, and also the first of two characters meaning peace. When the bride arrives at the groom's house, a string of firecrackers are set off to scare the evil spirits. The chair is carried through the court yard, over a hs'p'em or fire basin containing glowing charcoal. After the chair arrives in the public room, the groom shoots three pointless arrows under the chair to scare the evil spirits away. The chair, from which the carrying rods have been removed, is placed in the middle room, and set down by the bride's bedroom door. Two matrons assist the bride to get out. As she alights she steps on a horse's saddle inside the door of her room, under which two apples have been placed. The apples are put into one of her hands and a gilded vase in the other. The bride and groom, and the two attendants go before a white paper tablet, representing heaven and earth, to worship. She is then led to her bedroom, and set on her K'ang or bed, and the groom sits down too, at the more honorable place at the left, and she at the right. The groom uncovers her face by lifting the red kerchief that has covered her face till now. A gilded pot of wine and two cups are then brought in. A little wine is poured in each one, and one is given to the bride and one to the groom. The groom takes a sip, gives it to one of the attendants, who pours a little in the cup of the bride, and a little from her cup into his. Then they sip from the mixed wine. This is called I wan youam, viz., to make a perfect circle. After the ceremony, a brass basin is brought in and placed upside down on the K'ang near them. Underneath this are put the two apples and a small box, the characters for this being Ping ho, meaning harmony Before the bride left her own home, thirty-two meat dumplings Cchu po pol were prepared. These are taken to the bride's new home and cooked for the groom and bride. These are placed on the upturned basin, instead of a table. Thus the first meal is eaten in harmony. The bride may not get down from the K'ang until the members of her own family come. Before seeing the guests the newlyweds go before the household gods, and finally before the mother and father of the groom, and then they receive their guests. At eight o'clock in the morning of the third day, the guests are again invited. The ceremony of emptying the Gold and Silver precious vase is performed. The bride and groom sit on the K'ang, tailor fashion. A 23

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aff MW, W ,MM W AW carriage in Citizen When a young woman in China gets married, her mother goes to the door with her, and says these words, You are going to your home, you must be respectful, you must be careful, and obey your husband. A married woman in China is known by her hair. In some parts of the country, the night before the wedding, some friends of the bride trim the hair on her forehead. Two threads are twisted and rolled over the forehead with the fingers. The twist of the threads pull out the fine fringe of hair around the forehead, giving it a square appearance. The bride must have her hair trimmed regularly to keep the shape correct. Some of the women today have given up this custom and use the wedding ring as we in the western nations do. V Meanwhile in the groom's home, the courtyard is made ready for the guest. High up on all sides of the awning that covers the yard, windows are covered with red bats and red joy characters. On the wedding morning, a richly embroidered sedan chair is brought to the groom's home, to await the time when the sedan bearers, accom- panied by musicians, drums, and gongs, go to get the bride. Before the chair leaves the groom's home, all the gods are worshipped and incense is burned and the chair searched for evil spirits. The mis- tress of ceremonies takes care of this procedure. She must be married, her husband still living, and must be a mother. She goes over the chair with a light and mirror so that the evil spirits may catch sight of them- selves and run off in fright. The chair is then sent to the bride's home. The groom goes by car, or carriage, to the house of his parents-in-law to be, and kowtows to them. The groom's family sends trays of fruit and food to the bride's family as a gift. In Peking, a married woman attendant usually goes to get the bride, riding in a green embroidered sedan chair. She takes with her the red flowered, lavishly trimmed bridal robe that is put on the bride just before she steps into the bridal chair, and a red kerchief is put on ,her head at the same time. The robe may be the property of the groom's family or borrowed for the occasion. The robe is only worn till the ceremony is over. The bride, dressed in her gay garments, awaits the chair. As she enters it, an apple is given her, and she takes one bite and leaves the rest behind. The bite of apple is kept in her mouth until she arrives in her 22

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matron of a prosperous family empties the vase. Whoever has the most in their laps will have the most wealth and happiness. On the fourth, sixth, eighth, and tenth day after the wedding the bride goes to her father's house and worships the gods. In the first month after the marriage the bride goes every morning and salutes her parents-in-law with a ching An, a bow, which means greeting of peace. She also salutes them before each meal. After the first month it is her duty, as the newest bride in the family, to wait on her senior's guest. If the mother-in-law is harsh and tyranni- cal she can make the bride's life miserable, for the daughter-in-law should be submissive to her regardless of treatment. BERVERLY BRIGGS -- T6'l WL Czina mam Go west, thou adventurous heart, west to the land Where the dawn comes up like thunder to herald another day. Brook the wide ocean deep on wings that shine silver in the sky. Descend to the good black earth that appears to turn green when the seedlings raise their leaves to the sky. Come to the land of wisdom and partake of its simple grace. There see a people of simple taste who never seem to hurry. Heal the land of its scarring wounds of war, comfort children born in poverty, and lift a nation from its helpless disgrace. Then come all you who are brave and gather round Homer Lea's grave 3 thus he will know that his race has come to finish the work he had begun. Then go to the land to work and play, thus spoil the Japanese conqueror's plan to live in feudal splendor plundering the weakened sur- rounding lands. Let those who rant and rave about the grave white man's burden, let them speak to a stone-deaf ear for they themselves are to propriety slaves. Then settle on the land and converse with the people as man to man. Remember, your goal is first to make friends and establish a mutual trusty for that is the way to peace on earth, to men of good-will. Above all, you must belong to the landg for, as everyone knows, the seed of' democ- racy is always planted in a soil of friendship with a spade of trust. BILL CREASON - Term Five. QQMWQWWSW 24