Among the most curious of all these institutions is the Golden Orchid Society, the girl-members of which swear never to marry, and not only threaten, but positively commit suicide upon any attempt at coercion.  At one time this society became such a serious menace that the authorities were compelled to adopt severe measures of repression.

Another old-established society is that of the Vegetarians, who eat no meat and neither smoke nor drink.  From their seemingly harmless ranks it is said that the Boxers of 1900 were largely recruited.

For nearly twenty-five centuries the Chinese have looked to Confucius for their morals.  Various religions have appealed to the spiritual side of the Chinese mind, and Buddhism has obtained an ascendancy which will not be easily displaced; but through all this long lapse of time the morality of China has been under the guidance of their great teacher, Confucius (551-479 B.C.), affectionately known to them as the “uncrowned king,” and recently raised to the rank of a god.

His doctrines, in the form sometimes of maxims, sometimes of answers to eager inquirers, were brought together after his death—­we do not know exactly how soon—­and have influenced first and last an enormous proportion of the human race.  Confucius taught man’s duty to his neighbour; he taught virtue for virtue’s sake, and not for the hope of reward or fear of punishment; he taught loyalty to the sovereign as the foundation stone of national prosperity, and filial piety as the basis of all happiness in the life of the people.  As a simple human moralist he saw clearly the limitations of humanity, and refused to teach his disciples to return good for evil, as suggested by the Old Philosopher, declaring without hesitation that evil should be met by justice.  The first systematic writer of Chinese history, who died about 80 B.C., expressed himself on the position and influence of Confucius in terms which have been accepted as accurate for twenty centuries past:  “Countless are the princes and prophets that the world has seen in its time—­glorious in life, forgotten in death.  But Confucius, though only a humble member of the cotton-clothed masses, remains with us after numerous generations.  He is the model for such as would be wise.  By all, from the Son of Heaven down to the meanest student, the supremacy of his principles is freely and fully admitted.  He may indeed be pronounced the divinest of men.”

The Son of Heaven is of course the Emperor, who is supposed to be God’s chosen representative on earth, and responsible for the right conduct and well-being of all committed to his care.  Once every year he proceeds in state to the Temple of Heaven at Peking; and after the due performance of sacrificial worship he enters alone the central raised building with circular blue-tiled roof, and there places himself in communication with the Supreme Being, submitting for approval or otherwise his stewardship during the preceding twelve