ent, as binding as a marriage certificate, had
been signed by the two families, and Everlasting Pearl's parents had
returned it to Mr. and Mrs. Hsue. The girl of thirteen had her future
settled for her before she had any idea of what such a future might
mean. Her little girl-friends teased her, but there was an added
respect in their treatment of her. She dimly realised that somehow she
had risen in their estimation and that of others. The change was
rather a pleasant one, the new clothes were a welcome addition to her
scanty wardrobe, and she was too young to worry about the future.

[Illustration: Writing the engagement document. As binding as a
marriage certificate.]

[1] The Eight Cyclical Characters appertaining to the hour of a
person's birth.

CHAPTER V

MARRIAGE--PART I

Again we pass over a few years. Everlasting Pearl had now reached the
age of seventeen, and her future husband was twenty-nine years old;
therefore the day of the wedding was drawing near. The intervening
years between engagement and marriage had been busy ones. Little by
little the trousseau had been prepared, and was all ready. A lucky
day, the third of the eleventh moon, had been chosen for the
approaching wedding; and already, a few days before that date, some of
the guests began to arrive, each one bringing a present of some
garment, or hair flowers, shoes, etc. for the bride. A present of 120
lbs. of pork, 60 lbs. of fish, 12 chickens, and a good supply of
expensive vegetables had been sent by the young man, and the guests,
with many of whom luxuries were rare, set themselves to enjoy the good
things.

The evening before the wedding the middleman arrived with the bridal
chair, which was covered all around with red cloth, and embroidered in
gay colours. Now the feasting began in real earnest. The pipers
struck up their usual melody, and with each hour the excitement grew.

The following morning the trousseau had to be packed, but the bride had
nothing to do with it. She did not rise from her bed at all. Her
breakfast was brought to her by one of her relatives, and she was
exhorted to eat heartily, as that would be her last meal till the
following morning. Towards dinner-time she was coaxed to get up, but
she persistently refused to do so, and began bemoaning her fate, in
having to leave her parents and her own home to go to strangers. Every
now and again the mother joined in the wailing, and the relatives