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Show "llio .- ritJjj; A CHINESE WEDDING; , the Thk following descriptfdri' is givci Lion, letter, tent to the Paris' i'Alrit, by i with respondent at Shanghai i l'l Was I add invited to attend the wedding ofay n bj Chinetf, n relative tof a high fncctii jbut f Shanghai, Voi ore aware pet junip that iPIygauiy 4s not sanctioned h the laws of China; no mall can hnvo than one legitimate wife, but he tuny "Np, M many of what are tailed liltk wiv are his means enable him to keep . The lence tlotl of these inferior wives Is little b than slavery. All the females of th 1 me per-classes are kept in complete si-ch yvu till their marriage, which Is inrarlablj ' I tied by their pareiitt,nnd generally" tbr I he' the metllnm of a mci-jln,or kind of fr intty matrimonial agent, whoo professic owt- coiuidered icry reicctubld. This a fust make all the preliminary inquiries res c to lug the. fortune and itosfliou of the ; 'git tics, and then consults n 'soothsayer i menl the advisability of the mutch. This that ton casts the nativity of the young cb liood and if he declares tho stars to lie p turn- tlous, the future brido nnd bridefjooti i on introduced to each other In' the pre inco of their fatuillcl, but tho lady is ah mat- closely veiled till after their marriage that emony is performed, r I, To return to' the Wcddlog I have citm witnessed. On arriving at the rHd of of tho bridegroom's fut her' I found -oil cntj family ntscmbled in the ancestral hal lers, dpartmeilt eoiifccratcd to religious I hat. vals When all the company hod nrri was tho niei-jin, who appeared to uct us tress of the ccremonlcii, requested line head af the family to take hih pl.ic nil nu elevated teat at the end of the r lant and orderol tho bridegnwm to be it lovo duced. The young man on entering s ;gar ed the company with great rcsjieet, :om prostrated lfuinell on tho floor. Ou .scz ing, in obedience to his father's on f Itlic yonth approached the table In ell," middle of the rootit, took np a gloi wine, spilt a fow drops of It, and di leer off the rest ut ono draught. He knelt on the floor and listened to u ! that speech from, ids father, acknowledge! that bowing to show his retpcot andobedlc ine When ttia father ceased speaking, he iertJ and, accompanied by bis friends am & Ulners, went to fetch his bride. A tiela stepped Into a palanqnln which was , in-at tho d,oor, art ttstonUhlng coucei , ' . ."Tr'"" 1 ii'iMi'i ' ". ''i'1.'..-!1 ' .', T ht gongs and jura-at InttratTMnMirOffaPtJiwd cki. of began, accompanied by load cxwo!oi.bf Iin ,& firewdrki. This deafening noteewa'S kept father up till w,b.Techcd! the ky' Tfslwe, iy my- where everybody nlfgbted aI 8tirtd'tc Boy, courVjard. At soon, at the brkkgf eotta'n ed; nt arriyal had been formaliy nnnowccd. kL' ser.rpe fuihor-in:law, leading tho brido by.the n,-jt, hand, cumri dut,to receive lilta. l'iai know peAcd to bo in a favorable position', for" a'ider- seeing the lady, who or a Is Steals ef snbwd blue ;ilkt' ornqmcofed wltl colored ; cm-t cm-t stop broidery,'. She had on alio, I pccclyed, rne ns "bracelets " and necklace. Iter IiVad SIistcI was 'covered by a tcII, bnt I couldW-; couldW-; I tingulsh .'her features, ' and pklnlyf taw e per- that her checks hnd bwa paWed white, ami her Hps tinted with carIue, , d the After a short jirnyer the bride, wa-t.tor.-bne of ducted o her iMlanqbrn, the brtd'ejtbont entered his, and the wh cavaKaab'was ko my toon in inovcrnti A thfl btWo enwsed Mbert the threshold,, thwewas pHother ,eful nao; I outburst of gongs.trumpctsnitd.fireweTks. .urJ. llctrpaUnqniu advanced' Wthe fel of Jtm the UinMcinns and tt crowd of pcrtowe Tift' rfe$hnton ;- Oa relirtifng - v -AVben herr futoro. homo, the and ht hMx)ml jOw B i knej.t down In; the 8acetiMr,t.Whr I"1 the mairiflgecon'trnct Was read; tho boeo ". who then performed the WlIg'loBa iHirt'or Iho taie of ceremony,, whIcli'termlatcJvftUk')fhycV 't? ae repeated in" chorus, by all present? . Tft ncwjynarrjfcdcbnplgitifrq then ceedctcd j' I a, col- tb the, imptial chamber; to fccctejthejr. ; f n,,!,,(r' frteu'ds. -The day, concluded with a grand pM tq banqnttT ie'firtC'act.ot'the'-newlyimar' ,winCj rlcdcbupK, at tabl waa to dritit, out'ieT hand ty0 samcctip.., The btlde'mtrely touched; Wnj.a; it with her lips, tho bridegrootH then drank & also off the contents and brbke the ,cop, At ' Cn, & tcf partaking of, a great variety of dithes, .W"J.H the company wlthdrtw and! I Tefuihed . '1 home well pleased with' what 1: bed fceri, but; ttunned and. stupified by the horrid odscc din, which hod nailed my ears, wllbtl)Ql, . ow!!y( litllo respite, for o many hbors."i'x-futur hbors."i'x-futur hangi. - v |