Mary Baldwin College - Bluestocking Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

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The Mary Bahhi ' in Seminary. 23 water was puini)e(l into tlie fields, wliere men, women and children were working knee-deep in the mud. After two or three days of such travelling, Mr. Wood and his wife found themselves within the walls of a large city. Having decided to remain there several days, they, through their interpreter, obtained the possesion of a landing where their boat might be fastened. Early in the morning, they set out, full of curiosity and expectation, to see the sights of the city. They soon came ro an open space before a large temple. The tiled roof, orna- mented with figures of different animals and with idols, sloped down to the four corners, upon each of which was a bell, ar- ranged so as to be rung by the blowing of the wind. Three large doors stood open, as if giving an invitation to all passers- by to come in. Mr. and Mrs. Wood entered, but they were immediately invited to withdraw by a ma n, whose shaved head and yellow robe showed him to be a priest ; but the sight of a piece of silver in Mr. Wood ' s hand made him forget his religious scruples, and with a smiling face he showed them through the holy place. In the center of the room was a large figure of Buddha, who was represented as sitting with the palms of his hands and the soles of his feet turned heavenward. His head was covered with snail shells, for according to tradition, Buddha was once seated in the hot sun meditating, and the snails, fear- ing that the pious man might be injured by this exposure, covered his head with their shells. Around the walls, idols of every size and description — all hideously ugly — were arranged in rows. Before them were frames, upon which candles and incense were fastened, al.so stools for the use of the worshippers. Every now and then a sacred bird flew down upon the rafters, scattering much dust and dirt, which had been accu- mulating there for ages. The air was so ladened with the fumes of incense that Mr. and Mrs. Wood soon withdrew. On reaching the open air, their fatigue left them, and they looked about for new sights of interest. Soon their guide pulled them aside, and, pointing to a crowd coming up the street, explained in his broken English that one piece-ee

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22 The Anmial of he who was taking his bridal tour with the dainty little person standing by his side. Yes, dear, but I am afraid that some of the travelling will be hard for you. Oh, that doesn ' t make any difference, we will have a good time anyway. Gradually the evening shades hid the land from their view, and the chilling breeze compelled the passengers to withdraw to the brilliantly lighted saloon. The next morning, all was hurry and confusion. The great vessel majestically neared the wharf, and the gang-way was lowered. Then came a hasty leave-taking of their fellow passengers and Mr. and Mrs. Wood found themselves on the wharf in the midst of a crowd of white and yellow faces. With difficulty, Mr. Wood found his trunks and passed them through the Custom House. Having decided not to spend their time in the port but in the interior, Mr. Wood secured the services of an interpreter, who soon hired a boat for them. The boat was divided into four parts. In the prow, which like most Chinese boats was square instead of pointed, was a deck large enough for five or six persons to sit com- fortably without fear of falling into the water. Opening upon the deck was a small room, whose ceiling was not quite high enough for a person to stand erect. Two broad seats on either side of the room left only enough space to serve as a passage between the deck and the central cabin. This cabin was ar- ranged for a sitting-room, bed-room, dining-room, and parlor. The furniture although rather scanty, was very suitable, as it consisted of a seat, somewhat larger than a single bed, a table and one stool. On two sides of the room were three small windows, and in the back was a tiny door leading out on a deck, where the boatmen ate, slept, and worked. With great interest, the two travellers studied all these details, and, having acquainted themselves with their sur- roundings, they whiled away their time by looking out of the windows. The extreme flatness of the country impressed them. But their attention was attracted especially by the sight of the peasants carrying their burdens on the ends of poles ; and of the buffalo patiently turning the wheel by which

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24 The Annual of boy and one piece-ee girl were going to be married. This was evidently something of interest, judging from the number of people. The procession was headed by a man carrying a large red umbrella. Following him, were men bearing red banners ; and others dragging bamboo poles, almost five feet long. Next came the band playing a melody (?) which sounded like the efforts of a beginner in music playing on a violin which is out of tune. Behind the band, walked men carrying the wed- ding presents ; and last but not least was the large, red sedan chair, in which the bride was securely shut up to prevent her being seen by the curious crowd. The house of the groom happened to be just across the street from the place where Mr. and Mrs. Wood were stand- ing. As it seemed to be a public affair, they determined to .see what they could. As soon as the bride ' s chair was passed over a pan of burning charcoal to drive the evil spirits away, the crowd passed into the house, the two foreigners following. They went through a large, bare room, with a dirty brick floor, and crossed an open court before they reached the nuptial hall. Here, they saw a strange sight. On two sides o f the room were rows of chairs, separated by small tea-tables. At the farther end of the room was a long table on which were some small dishes containing a few delicacies. A large picture of the God of Marriage hung over this table. In the center of the room, a red mat was placed, upon which the bride and groom stood. The groom was at- tired in garments of silk, and, being the son of a rich man, he had tried to show his wealth by the variety of colors which he wore — red, yellow, green, purple, and pink. The bride was dressed entirely in red, and wore a thick red veil cover- ing a crown of gilt paper flowers, and hanging down below her waist. A strip of red silk was extended from the hand of the bride to that of the groom. At the command of the Master of Ceremonies, they bowed to the four points of the compass, prayed to the God of Happiness, and worshipped their an- cestors. After this, they were led to the table. The bride, not being allowed to raise her veil, could not eat ; the groom tasted a few dainties.