The Chinese woman often, in mature life, wields enormous influence over the family, males included, and is a kind of private Empress Dowager.  A man knows, says the proverb, but a woman knows better.  As a widow in early life, her lot is not quite so pleasant.  It is not thought desirable for widows to remarry; but if she remains single, she becomes “a rudderless boat;” round which gathers much calumny.  Many young women brave public opinion, and enter into second nuptials.  If they are bent upon remarrying, runs the saying, they can no more be prevented than the sky can be prevented from raining.

The days of “golden lilies,” as the artificially small feet of Chinese women are called, are generally believed to date from the tenth century A.D., though some writers have endeavoured to place the custom many centuries earlier.  It must always be carefully remembered that Manchu women—­the women of the dynasty which has ruled since 1644—­do not compress their feet.  Consequently, the empresses of modern times have feet of the natural size; neither is the practice in force among the Hakkas, a race said to have migrated from the north of China to the south in the thirteenth century; nor among the hill tribes; nor among the boating population of Canton and elsewhere.  Small feet are thus in no way associated with aristocracy or gentleness of birth; neither is there any foundation for the generally received opinion that the Chinese lame their women in this way to keep them from gadding about.  Small-footed women may be seen carrying quite heavy burdens, and even working in the fields; not to mention that many are employed as nurses for small children.  Another explanation is that women with bound feet bear finer children and stronger; but the real reason lies in another direction, quite beyond the scope of this book.  The question of charm may be taken into consideration, for any Chinaman will bear witness to the seductive effect of a gaily-dressed girl picking her way on tiny feet some three inches in length, her swaying movements and delightful appearance of instability conveying a general sense of delicate grace quite beyond expression in words.

The lady of the tenth century, to whom the origin of small feet is ascribed, wished to make her own feet like two new moons; but whether she actually bound them, as at the present day, is purely a matter of conjecture.  The modern style of binding inflicts great pain for a long time upon the little girls who have to endure it.  They become very shy on the subject, and will on no account show their bare feet, though Manchu women and others with full-sized feet frequently walk about unshod, and the boat-girls at Canton and elsewhere never seem to wear shoes or stockings at all.