96 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



for divorce required. If a husband is not pleased with the wife, he 

 can sell or trade her ojl. If the wife is not satisfied, she can drown 

 herself. The so-called slavery of women in Chinese communities 

 in this country is simply the lawful marriage arrangement of that 

 country. It sometimes transpires that women bought as wives 

 are treated as merchandise, which they really are as a matter of 

 fact, and are subjected to immoral and degrading uses. This is 

 especially the case in this country, where the women are few in 

 comparison to the number of men of that race. In China women 

 are treated with perhaps as much consideration as in other coun- 

 tries, .They are not accorded full recognition as the equal in 

 rights with man, but there are those even in our own country 

 who declare that this is true of our women also. In China 

 they are not treated as being personally responsible for 

 their position in society, and are guarded with a more jealous 

 care than with us. Here, a wife or daughter, growing weary of 

 the restraints of the home, may go to another city, change her 

 name, and enter upon a life of entire freedom from all restraints 

 with impunity. With them it is impossible. Women there sus- 

 tain more the position of domestic animals, which have a material 

 value, and, if they stray from home, some one is interested in look- 

 ing after them, much as an estrayed horse or ox. It is a matter 

 of fact that, from whatever cause, there is not to be found in 

 Chinese cities the class of abandoned and immoral women as in 

 all European and American cities. The laws of the land forbid 

 them, and their laws are more strictly enforced in this regard than 

 in any other country I know anything about. Polygamous mar- 

 riages and the concubinage system j^revail, however, and, while 

 this may be as bad as the other, it is not so apparent and obtrusive 

 upon the public notice as are the Whitechapels of London or New 

 York. But, view it as one may, it is apparent that the condi- 

 tion of Chinese women is far from what Confucius thought it 

 should be. 



Third Relation: Parent and Child. — In this relation the 

 greatest stress is placed upon filial obedience. Under the patri- 

 archal family economy, the eldest male living is the acknowl- 

 edged head of every family, even though the family, as it often 

 does, contains three and four generations. The father of the 

 family is the established authority on all matters of policy in 

 business and otherwise, yet each son owes special allegiance to 

 his own father. ISTor is this duty ended with the death of the 

 father, but is perpetual. Once a year the grave must be visited 

 and the little mound rebuilt and kept in repair by the dutiful 

 son. The wine and food that are left by the grave in connection 

 with this ceremony of rebuilding graves are not a part of Confu- 

 cianism, but the point of contact with Taouism. This custom of 



