第7章

Indeedladies\'dress，insteadofaffordingprotectionsometimesendangerstheirlives。Thefollowingextractfromthe\"LondonTimes\"—— andthefactscannotbedoubted——isawarningtothefairsex。 \"ThestronggalewhichsweptoverBradfordresultedinanextraordinaryaccidentbywhichagirllostherlife。 MaryBailey，aged16，thedaughterofanelectrician，whoisapupilattheHansonSecondarySchool，wasintheschoolyardwhenshewassuddenlyliftedupintotheairbyaviolentgustofwindwhichgotunderherclothesconvertingthemintoasortofparachute。 Afterbeingcarriedtoaheightestimatedbyspectatorsat20feet，sheturnedoverintheairandfelltothegroundstrikingtheconcretedflooroftheyardwithgreatforce。Shewasterriblyinjuredanddiedhalfanhourlater。\"HadthepoorgirlbeenwearingChineseclothingthisterribleoccurrencecouldnothavehappened；herlifewouldnothavebeensacrificedtofashion。 Astothesecondpoint，comfort，Idonotbelievethatthewearerofafashionablecostumeiseithercomfortableorcontented。Iwillsaynothingoftheunnecessarygarmentswhichtheaveragewomanaffects，butletusseewhatcanbesaidforthetightcorsetbindingthewaist。 Sofarfrombeingcomfortableitmustbemostinconvenient，asortofperpetualpenanceanditiscertainlyinjurioustothehealth。 Ifeelconfidentthatphysicianswillsupportmeinmybeliefthatthedeath-rateamongAmericanwomenwouldbelessifcorsetandothertightlacingwereabolished。Ihaveknownofinstanceswheretightlacingfortheballroomhascausedthedeathofenceintewomen。 Astothethirdobject，decency，IamnotconvincedthattheAmericandressfulfilsthisobject。WhenIsayAmericandress，IincludealsotheclothingwornbyEuropeansforbotharepracticallythesame。 Itmaybeamatterofeducation，butfromtheOrientalpointofviewwewouldpreferthatladies\'dressesshouldbewornmoreloosely，sothatthefigureshouldbelessprominent。IamawarethatthisisaviewwhichmyAmericanfriendsdonotshare。Itisverycuriousthatwhatisconsideredasindecentinonecountryisthoughttobequiteproperinanother。DuringthehotsummersintheProvinceofKiangsutheworkingwomenavoidtheinconveniencesandchillsofperspirationbygoingabouttheirworkwithnothingontheupperpartoftheirbodies，exceptachestprotectortocoverthebreasts；inWesterncountrieswomenwouldneverthinkofdoingthis，evenduringaseasonofextremeheat； yettheydonotobject，eveninthedepthofwinter，touncoveringtheirshouldersaslowaspossiblewhenattendingadinner-party，aball，orthetheater。IrememberthecaseofaChineserice-pounderinHongkongwhowasarrestedandtakentothePoliceCourtonachargeofindecency。 Toenablehimtodohisworkbetterhehaddispensedwithallhisclothingexceptingaloincloth；forthishewassentencedtopayafineof$2，or，indefaultofpaymenttobeimprisonedforaweek。 TheEnglishMagistrate，inimposingthefine，lecturedhimseverely，remarkingthatinacivilizedcommunitysuchprimitivemannerscouldnotbetolerated，astheywerebothbarbarousandindecent。 Whenhesaidthisdidhethinkofthewaythewomenofhiscountrydresswhentheygotoaball？ Itmustberememberedthatmodestyiswhollyamatterofconventionalityandcustom。Competentobservershavetestifiedthatsavageswhohavebeenaccustomedtonudityalltheirlivesarecoveredwithshamewhenmadetoputonclothingforthefirsttime。 Theyexhibitasmuchconfusionasacivilizedpersonwouldifcompelledtostripnakedinpublic。Inthewordsofacompetentauthorityonthissubject:\"Thefactsappeartoprovethatthefeelingofshame，farfrombeingthecauseofman\'scoveringhisbodyis，onthecontrary，aresultofthiscustom；andthatthecovering，ifnotusedasaprotectionfromtheclimate，owesitsorigin，atleastinmanycases，tothedesireofmenandwomentomakethemselvesattractive。\" Strangeasitmayseem，itisneverthelesstrue，thatafigurepartiallycladappearsmoreindecentthanonethatisperfectlynude。 Thefourthobjectofclothesisornament，butornamentsshouldbeharmless，notonlytothewearer，butalsotootherpeople；yetfromthefollowingparagraph，copiedfromoneofthedailynewspapers，itdoesnotappearthattheyare。 \"London，May7。Thedeathofagirlfromblood-poisoningcausedbyahatpinpenetratinghernosewasinquiredintoatStockport，Cheshire，yesterday。 ThedeceasedwasMaryElizabethThornton，agedtwenty-four，daughterofaStockporttradesman。ThefathersaidthatonSaturdayevening，April20，hisdaughterwasspeakingtoafriend，Mrs。Pickford，outsidetheshop。 OnthefollowingMondayshecomplainedofhernosebeingsore。 Nextdaysheagaincomplainedandsaid，\"Itmustbethehatpin。\" WhiletalkingtoMrs。Pickford，sheexplained，Mrs。Pickford\'sbabystumbledonthefootpath。Theybothstoopedtopickitup，andahatpininMrs。Pickford\'shatcaughtherinthenostril。 HisdaughtergraduallygotworseanddiedonSaturdaylast。Mrs。Pickford，wifeofapapermerchant，saidthatsomeminutesafterthedeceasedhadpickedupthechildshesaid，\"Doyouknow，Iscratchedmynoseonyourhatpin？\"Mrs。Pickfordwaswearingthehatpinincourt。 Itprojectedtwoinchesfromthehatandwasabouttwelveinchesinlength。 Dr。HowieSmithsaidthatsepticinflammationwassetupasaresultofthewound，andtravellingtothebraincausedmeningitis。 Thecoronersaidthatnotmanycasescamebeforecoronersinwhichdeathwasdirectlytraceabletothehatpinbuttheremustbeaverylargenumberofcasesinwhichthehatpincausedinjury，insomecaseslossofsight。Itwasnouncommonsighttoseethesedeadlyweaponsprotrudingthreeorfourinchesfromthehat。 InHamburgwomenwerecompelledbystatutetoputshieldsorprotectorsonthepointsofhatpins。InEnglandnothinghadbeendone，butthiscaseshowedthatitwashightimesomethingwasdone。 Ifwomeninsistedonwearinghatpinstheyshouldtakeprecautionofwearingalsoashieldorprotectorwhichwouldpreventtheminflictinginjuryonotherpeople。Thejuryreturnedaverdictofaccidentaldeath，andexpressedtheiropinionthatlonghatpinsoughttobedoneawaywithortheirpointsprotected。\" Towearjewels，necklacesofbrilliants，preciousstonesandpearls，orribbonswithbrilliantsroundthehairisapleasingcustomandaprettysight。Buttoseealadywearingalonggowntrailingonthegrounddoesnotimpressmeasbeingelegant，thoughIunderstandtheladiesinEuropeandAmericathinkotherwise。Itwouldalmostseemasiftheirconceptionsofbeautydependedonthelengthoftheirskirts。 Inaballroomonesometimesfindsitverydifficultnottotreadontheladies\'skirts，andonceremonialoccasionseachladyhastwopageboystoholdupthetrainofherdress。ItisimpossibletoteachanOrientaltoappreciatethissortofthing。Certainlyskirtswhicharenotmadeeitherforutilityorcomfort，andwhichfashionchanges，addnothingtothewearer\'sbeauty；especiallydoesthisremarkapplytothe\"hobbleskirt\"，withitsimpedimenttofreemovementofthelegs。 Theungainly\"hobbleskirt\"compelsthewearertowalkcarefullyandwithshortsteps，andwhenshedancesshehastoliftupherdress。 Nowthelatestfashionseemstobethe\"slashedskirt\"which，however，hastheadvantageofkeepingthelowerhemoftheskirtclean。 Doubtlessthis，inturn，willgiveplacetoothernovelties。 AChineselady，DoctorYaMei-kin，whohasbeeneducatedinAmerica，adoptedwhiletheretheAmericanattire，butassoonasshereturnedtoChinasheresumedherownnativedress。Letushearwhatshehastosayonthissubject。SpeakingofWesterncivilizationshesaid: \"Ifwekeepourownmodeoflifeitisnotforthesakeofblindconservatism。 WearemorelogicalinourwaysthantheaverageEuropeanimagines。 Iwearforinstancethis`ao\'dressasyousee，cutinonepieceandallowingthelimbsfreeplay——becauseitismanifestlyamorerationalandcomfortableattirethanyourfashionableskirtfromParis。 OntheotherhandwearereadytoassimilatesuchnotionsfromtheWestaswillreallyprovebeneficialtous。\"Beautyisamatterofeducation: whenyouhavebecomeaccustomedtoanything，howeverquaintorqueer，youwillnotthinkitsoafterawhile。WhenIfirstwentabroadandsawyounggirlsgoingaboutinthestreetswiththeirhairfallinglooseovertheirshoulders，Iwasalittleshocked。Ithoughthowcarelesstheirparentsmustbetoallowtheirgirlstogooutinthatuntidystate。 Later，findingthatitwasthefashion，Ichangedmymind，untilbydegreesIcametothinkthatitlookedquitenice； thusdoconventionalityandcustomchangeone\'sopinions。 Butitshouldberememberedthatnocustomorconventionalitywhichsanctionsthedistortingofnature，orwhichinterfereswiththefreeexerciseofanymemberofthebody，caneverbecalledbeautiful。 IthasalwaysbeenagreatwondertomethatAmericanandEuropeanladieswhoarebynomeansslowtohelpforwardanymovementforreform，havetakennoactivestepstoimprovetheuncouthandinjuriousstyleoftheirownclothes。Howcantheyexpecttobegrantedtheprivilegesofmenuntiltheyshowtheirsuperioritybyfreeingthemselvesfromtheenthrallmentoftheconventionalitiesoffashion？ Men\'sdressisbynomeanssuperiortothewomen\'s。Itissotightthatitcausesthewearertosufferfromtheheatmuchmorethanisnecessary，andIamcertainthatmanycasesofsunstrokehavebeenchieflyduetotightclothing。ImustadmirethecourageofDr。MaryWalker，anAmericanlady，whohasadoptedman\'scostume，butIwonderthat，withhersingularindependenceandingenuityshehasnotintroducedabetterformofdress，insteadofslavishlyadoptingthegarbofthemen。 Ispeakfromexperience。WhenIwasalawstudentinEngland，indeferencetotheopinionofmyEnglishfriends，IdiscardedChineseclothesinfavoroftheEuropeandress，butIsoonfounditveryuncomfortable。 Inthewinteritwasnotwarmenough，butinsummeritwastoowarmbecauseitwassotight。ThenIhadtroublewiththeshoes。 Theygavemethemostdistressingcorns。When，onreturningtoChina，Iresumedmyownnationalcostumemycornsdisappeared，andIhadnomorecolds。IdonotcontendthattheChinesedressisperfect，butIhavenohesitationinaffirmingthatitismorecomfortableand，accordingtomyviews，verymuchprettierthantheAmericanfashions。 ItissuperiortoanyotherkindofdressthatIhaveknown。 Toappreciatethebenefitstobederivedfromcomfortableclothing，youhavetowearitforawhile。Dressshouldnotrestrainthefreemovementofeverypartofthebody，neithershoulditbesotightastohinderinanywaythefreecirculationoftheblood，ortointerferewiththeprocessofevaporationthroughtheskin。 IcannotunderstandwhyAmericans，whoarecorrectandcautiousaboutmostthings，aresoverycarelessoftheirownpersonalcomfortinthematterofclothing。Isanythingmoreimportantthanthatwhichconcernstheirhealthandcomfort？Whyshouldtheycontinuewearingclotheswhichretardtheirmovements，andwhicharesoinconvenientthattheyexposethewearerstoconstantriskanddanger？ Howcantheyconsistentlycallthemselvesindependentwhiletheyservilelyfollowthemandatesofthedressmakerswhoperiodicallymakemoneybyinventingnewfashionsnecessitatingnewclothes？BraveAmericans，wakeup!Assertyourfreedom! Itwouldbeverybold，andindeedimpertinent，onmyparttosuggesttomyAmericanfriendsthattheyshouldadopttheChinesecostume。 Ithasmuchtorecommendit，butImustcandidlyconfessthatitmightbeimproved。Whynotconveneaninternationalcongresstodecideastothebestformofdressformenandwomen？ Maleandfemaledelegatesfromallovertheworldmightbeinvited，andsamplesofallkindsofcostumesexhibited。Outofthemallletthosewhichareconsideredthebestformenandmostsuitableforwomenberecommended，withsuchimprovementsasthecongressmaydeemnecessary。 Theadvantagesofauniversaluniformityofcostumeswouldbefar-reaching。 Therewouldbenofurtheroccasionforanyonetolookaskanceatanother，ashasfrequentlyhappenedwhensomestrangerhasbeenseenwearingwhatwasconsideredanuncomelyorunsuitablegarb； universaluniformityofcostumewouldalsotendtodrawpeopleclosertogether，andtomakethemmorefriendly。Uniformsandbadgespromotebrotherhood。IhaveenoughfaithintheAmericanpeopletobelievethatmyhumblesuggestionwillreceivetheirfavorableconsiderationandthatinduetimeitwillbecarriedintoeffect。 Chapter11。AmericanversusChineseCivilizationThisisabigsubject。Itsexhaustivetreatmentwouldrequirealargevolume。 InalittlechaptersuchasthisIhavenointentionofdoingmorethantocastaglanceatitscuffbuttonsandsomeofthefrillsonitsshirt。 Thosewhowantathesismustlookelsewhere。 NowwhatisCivilization？AccordingtoWebsteritis\"theactofcivilizingorthestateofbeingcivilized；nationalculture；refinement。\" \"Civilizationbeganwiththedomesticationofanimals，\" saysAlfredRussellWallace，butwhetherfortheanimalthatwasdomesticatedorforthemandomesticatingitisnotclear。Inawaytheremarkprobablyappliestoboth，forthecommencementofculture，orthebeginningofcivilization，wasourreclamationfromasavagestate。 Burkesays:\"Ourmanners，ourcivilization，andallthegoodthingsconnectedwithmannersandcivilizationhaveinthisEuropeanworldofoursdependedforagesupontwoprinciples——thespiritofagentleman，andthespiritofreligion。\"Weoftenhearpeople，especiallyWesterners，callingthemselves\"highlycivilized\"，andtosomeextenttheyhavegoodgroundsfortheirclaim，butdotheyreallymanifestthequalificationsmentionedbyBurke？Aretheyindeedso\"highlycivilized\"astobeinallrespectsworthyparagonstotheso-calledsemi-civilizednations？Havenotsomeoftheirpoliciesbeensuchascanbecharacterizedonlyascrookedandselfishactionswhichlesscivilizedpeopleswouldnothavethoughtof？ Ibelievethateverydisinterestedreaderwillbeabletosupplyconfirmatoryillustrationsforhimself，butIwillenforcethepointbygivingafewChineseidealsofatrulycivilizedman: \"Heguardshisbodyasifholdingjade\"；i。e。，hewillnotcontaminatehimselfwithmentalormoralfilth。 \"Hedoesnotgratifyhisappetite，norinhisdwellingplacedoesheseekease\"；i。e。，heusesthephysicalwithoutbeingsubmergedbyit。 \"Withoutweaponshewillnotattackatiger，norwillhedaretocrossariverwithoutaboat\"；inotherwordshewillneverruinhimselfandhisfamilybypurelyspeculativepractices。 Hewill\"sendcharcoalinasnowstorm，buthewillnotaddflowerstoembroidery\"，meaningthatherenderstimelyassistancewhennecessary，butdoesnotcurryfavorbypresentstothosewhodonotneedthem。 Ourmosthonoredheroesaresaidtohavemadetheirvirtue\"brilliant\" andoneofthemengravedonhisbath-tubtheaxiom—— \"Ifyoucanrenovateyourselfoneday，dosofromdaytoday。 Lettherebedailyrenovation。\"Ouridealfortheruleristhattheregulationofthestatemustcommencewithhisregulationofhimself。 Itistoooftenforgottenthatcivilization，likereligion，originallycamefromtheEast。LongbeforeEuropeandAmericawerecivilized，yeawhiletheywerestillinastateofbarbarism，therewerenationsintheEast，includingChina，superiortotheminmanners，ineducation，andingovernment；possessedofaliteratureequaltoany，andofartsandsciencestotallyunknownintheWest。 Self-preservationandself-interestmakeallmenrestless，andsoEasternpeoplesgraduallymovedtotheWesttakingtheirknowledgewiththem；Westernpeoplewhocameintoclosecontactwiththemlearnedtheircivilization。ThisfusionofEastandWestwasthebeginningofWesterncivilization。 AChineseproverbcomparesapupilwhoexcelshisteachertothecolorgreen，whichoriginateswithbluebutissuperiortoit。ThismayaptlybeappliedtoWesterners，fortheyoriginallylearnedliterature，science，andotherartsfromtheEast；buttheyhaveprovenaptpupilsandhaveexcelledtheiroldmasters。IwishIcouldfindanapothegmconcerningaformermasterwhowentbacktoschoolandsurpassedhiscleverpupil。 Thenon-existenceofsuchamaximprobablyindicatesthatnosuchcasehasasyetoccurred，butthatbynomeansprovesthatitneverwill。 ComingnowtoparticularsIwouldsaythatoneofthedistinguishingfeaturesintheAmericanpeoplewhichImuchadmireistheirearnestnessandperseverance。Whentheydecidetotakeupanything，whetheritbeaninventionortheinvestigationofadifficultproblem，theydisplayindomitableperseveranceandpatience。Mr。Edison，forexample，sleeps，itissaid，inhisfactoryandisinaccessiblefordayswhenhehasaproblemtosolve，frequentlyevenforgettingfoodandsleep。 IcanonlycomparehimtooursageConfucius，who，hearingacharmingpieceofmusicwhichhewantedtostudy，becamesoengrossedinitthatformanydaysheforgottoeat，whileforthreemonthshedidnotknowthetasteofmeat。 Thedauntlesscourageoftheaviators，notonlyinAmerica，butinEuropealso，isawonderfulthing。\"Thetolloftheair\"，intheshapeoffatalaccidentsfromaviation，mountsintothehundreds，andyetmenareundeterredinthepursuitoftheirinvestigations。 Withsuchintrepidity，perseverance，andgenius，itismerelyaquestionoftime，andIhopeitwillnotbelong，whentheartofflying，eitherbyaeroplanesorairships，willbeperfectlysafe。 WhenthattimearrivesImeantomakeanairtriptoAmerica，andIanticipatepleasuresfromthenovelexperiencesuchasIdonotgetfromtravellingbylandorsea。 TheremarkablegeniusfororganizationobservableanywhereinAmericaarousesthevisitor\'senthusiasticadmiration。Onevisitsamercantileofficewhereanumberofmenareworkingatdifferentdesksinalargeroom，andmarvelsatthequietandsystematicmannerinwhichtheyperformtheirtasks；oronegoestoabigbankandisamazedatthelargenumberofcustomersevergoinginandcomingout。 Itisdifficulttocalculatetheenormousamountofbusinesstransactedeveryhour，yetallisdonewithperfectorganizationandaproperdivisionoflabor，sothatanyinformationrequiredisfurnishedbythemanagerorbyaclerk，atamoment\'snotice。 Ihaveoftenbeenintheseplaces，andthecalm，quiet，earnestwayinwhichtheemployeesperformedtheirtaskswasbeyondpraise。 Itshowedthattheheadswhoorganizedandweredirectingtheinstitutionshadafirmgraspofmultiplexdetails。 WeChinesehaveareputationforbeinggoodbusinessmen。 Wheninbusinessonourownaccount，orinpartnershipwithafewfriends，wesucceedmarvelouslywell；butwehaveyetmuchtolearnregardinglargeconcernssuchascorporationsorjointstockcompanies。 Thisisnottobewonderedat，forjointstockcompaniesandcorporationsasconductedintheWestwereunknowninChinabeforetheadventofforeignmerchantsinourmidst。SincethenafewjointstockcompanieshavebeenstartedinHongkong，Shanghai，andotherports； thesehavebeencarriedonbyChineseexclusively，butthemanagershavenotasyetmasteredthesystematicWesternmethodsofconductingsuchconcerns。 Evenunpractisedandinexperteyescanseegreatroomforimprovementinthemanagementofthesebusinesses。Here，Imustadmit，theJapaneseareaheadofus。Take，forinstance，theYokohamaSpecieBank: ithasapaid-upcapitalofYen30，000，000andhasbranchesandagenciesnotonlyinalltheimportanttownsinJapan，butalsoindifferentportsinChina，London，NewYork，SanFrancisco，Honolulu，Bombay，Calcuttaandotherplaces。Itisconductedinthelatestandmostapprovedscientificfashion；itsreportsandaccounts，publishedhalf-yearly，revealtheexactstateoftheconcern\'sfinancialpositionandincidentallyshowthatitmakesenormousprofits。True，severalChinesebanksofaprivateorofficialnaturehavebeenestablished，andsomeofthemhavebeendoingafairbusiness，butcandorcompelsmetosaythattheyarenotconductedasscientificallyasistheYokohamaSpecieBank，ormostAmericanbanks。CorporationsandjointstockcompaniesarestillintheirinfancyinChina；butChinesemerchantsandbankers，profitingbythemistakesofthepast，willdoubtlessgraduallyimprovetheirsystems，sothatinthefuturetherewillbelessandlesscausetofindfaultwiththem。 OnesystemwhichhasbeeninvoguewithinthelasttenortwentyyearsinAmerica，andwhichhaslatelyfiguredmuchinthelimelight，isthatof\"Trusts\"。Here，again，itisonlytheingenuityofAmericanswhichcouldhavebroughtthesystemtosuchgiganticproportionsastomakeitpossibleforittowieldanimmenseinfluenceovertrade，notonlyinAmericabutinothercountriesalso。ThemainobjectoftheTrustseemstobetocombineseveralcompaniesunderonedirection，soastoeconomizeexpenses，regulateproductionandthepriceofcommoditiesbydestroyingcompetition。Itsadvocatesdeclaretheirpolicytobeproductiveofgoodtotheworld，inasmuchasitsecuresregularsuppliesofcommoditiesofthebestkindatfairandreasonableprices。 Ontheotherhand，itsopponentscontendthatTrustsareinjurioustotherealinterestsofthepublic，assmallcompaniescannotcompetewiththem，andwithouthealthycompetitiontheconsumeralwayssuffers。 WhereexpertsdifferitwereperhapswiserformenottoexpressanopinionlestIshouldshownomorewisdomthantheboywhoarguedthatlobsterswereblackandnotredbecausehehadoftenseenthemswimmingaboutontheseashore，butwasconfutedbyhisfriendwhosaidheknewtheywereredandnotblackforhehadseenthemonhisfather\'sdinnertable。 Thefact，however，whichremainsindisputable，istheimmensepowerofwealth。 Nooneboycottsmoney。Itissomethingnooneseemstogetenoughof。 Ihaveneverheardthatmulti-millionaireslikeCarnegieorRockefellereverexpressedregretsatnotbeingpoor，eventhoughtheyseemmoreeagertogivemoneyawaythantomakeit。MostpeopleinAmericaaredesirousformoney，andrusheverydaytotheirbusinesswithnootherthoughtthantoaccumulateitquickly。Theirloveofmoneyleavesthemscarcelytimetoeat，todrink，ortosleep；wakingorsleepingtheythinkofnothingelse。 Wealthistheirgoalandwhentheyreachittheywillprobablybestillunsatisfied。TheChineseare，ofcourse，notaversetowealth。 Theycanenjoythejinglingcoinasmuchasanyone，butmoneyisnottheironlythought。Theycarryontheirbusinesscalmlyandquietly，andtheyareverypatient。ItrusttheywillalwaysretainthesehabitsandneverfeelanytemptationtoimitatetheAmericansintheirmadchaseaftermoney。 Thereis，however，oneAmericancharacteristicmycountrymenmightlearnwithprofit，andthatistherecognitionofthefactthatpunctualityisthesoulofbusiness。Americansknowthis； itisonecauseoftheirsuccess。MakeanappointmentwithanAmericanandyouwillfindhiminhisofficeattheappointedtime。 Everythingtobedonebyhimduringthecourseofthedayhasitsfixedhour，andhenceheisabletoaccomplishagreateramountofworkinagiventimethanmanyothers。Chinese，unfortunately，havenoadequateconceptionsofthevalueoftime。Thisisdue，perhaps，toourmodeofreckoning。 IntheWestadayisdividedintotwenty-fourhours，andeachhourintosixtyminutes，butinChinaithasbeenforcenturiesthecustomtodividedayandnightintotwelve(shih)\"periods\"oftwohourseach，sothatanappointmentisnotmadeforaparticularminute，asinAmerica，butforoneorotherofthesetwo-hourperiods。 Thishascreatedingrainedhabitsofunpunctualitywhichclocksandwatchesandcontactwithforeignersareslowtoremove。Thetime-keepingrailwayis，however，workingarevolution，especiallyinplaceswherethereisonlyonetrainaday，andamanwhomissesthathastowaitforthemorrowbeforehecanresumehisjourney。 Someyearsagoaluncheon——\"tiffin\"wecallitinChina—— wasgiveninmyhonorataPekingrestaurantbyacoupleoffriends； thehourwasfixedatnoonsharp。Iarrivedonthestrokeoftwelve，butfoundthatnotonlywerenoneofthegueststhere，butthateventhehoststhemselveswereabsent。AsIhadseveralengagementsIdidnotwait，butIorderedafewdishesandatewhatIrequired。 NoneofthehostshadmadetheirappearancebythetimeIhadfinished，soIleftwitharequesttothewaiterthathewouldconveymythanks。 Knowingtheunpunctualityofourpeople，theconvenersofapublicmeetingwilloftentelltheChinesethatitwillbeginanhourortwobeforethesettime，whereasforeignersarenotifiedoftheexacthour。 NotbeingawareofthisdeviceIonceattendedaconferenceattheappointedtime，onlytofindthatIhadtowaitforoveranhour。 IprotestedthatinfutureIshouldbetreatedasaforeignerinthisregard。 AscivilizedpeoplehavealwaysfounditnecessarytowearclothesIoughtnottoomitareferencetothemhere，butinviewofwhathasalreadybeensaidinthepreviouschapterIshallatthisjuncturecontentmyselfwithquotingMrs。M。S。G。Nichols，anEnglishladywhohaswrittenonthissubject。Shecharacterizestheclothingofmenasunbeautiful，butsheprincipallydevotesherattentiontothedressofwomen。 Iquotethefollowingfromherbook:*\"Therelationofawoman\'sdresstoherhealthisseldomconsidered，stilllessisitcontemplatedastoitseffectuponthehealthofherchildren；yeteveryonemustseethatallthatconcernsthemothersofourraceisimportant。 Theclothingofwomanshouldberegardedineveryaspectifwewishtoseeitseffectuponherhealth，andconsequentlyuponthehealthofheroffspring。 Theusualwayistoconsiderthebeautyorfashionofdressfirst，itscomfortandhealthfulnessafterward，ifatall。 Wemustreversethismethod。First，use，thenbeauty，flowingfrom，orinharmonywith，use。Thatisthetruelawoflife\"(p。14)。 Onpage23shecontinues:\"Agreatdealmoreclothingiswornbywomeninsomeoffashion\'sphasesthanisneededforwarmth，andmostlyintheformofheavyskirtsdraggingdownuponthehips。 Theheavytrailingskirtsalsoareburdensuponthespine。 Suchevilsofwomen\'sclothes，especiallyinviewofmaternity，canhardlybeover-estimated。Thepainsandperilsthatattendbirthareheightened，ifnotcaused，byimproperclothing。 Thenervesofthespineandthematernalsystemofnervesbecomediseasedtogether。\"Andonpage32shewrites: \"WhenIfirstwenttoaneveningpartyinafashionabletown，Iwasshockedatseeingladieswithlowdresses，andIcannotevennowliketoseeaman，justlycalledarake，lookingatthehalf-exposedbosomofalady。Thereisnodoubtthattoomuchclothingisanevil，aswellastoolittle；butclothingthatsweltersorleavesuswithacoldarebothlesserevilsthantheexposureofesotericcharmstostirthealreadyheatedbloodofthe`roue\'。Whatwehavetodo，asfarasfashionandthepublicopinionitformswillallow，istosuitourclothingtoourclimate，andtobetrulymodestandhealthfulinourattire。\"Mrs。Nichols，speakingfromherownexperience，hasnaturallydevotedherbooklargelytoacondemnationofwoman\'sdress，butman\'sdressaswornintheWestisjustasbad。Thedreadfulhighcollarandtightclotheswhicharedonnedalltheyearround，irrespectiveoftheweather，mustbeveryuncomfortable。 Menwearnearlythesamekindofclothingatallseasonsoftheyear。 Thatmightbetoleratedinthefrigidortemperatezones，butshouldnotthestylebechangedinthetropicalheatofsummercommontotheEasterncountries？Ididnotnoticethatmenmademuchdifferenceintheirdressinsummer；Ihaveseenthem，whenthethermometerwasrangingbetween80and90，wearingasingletshirt，waistcoatandcoat。 Thecoatmaynothavebeenasthickasthatworninwinter，stillitwasmadeofserge，woolorsomesimilarlyunsuitablestuff。 Howeverhottheweathermightbeitwasseldomthatanyonewastobeseenonthestreetwithoutacoat。Nowonderwefrequentlyhearofdeathsfromsunstrokeorheat，afatalityalmostunknownamongtheChinese。**—— *\"TheClothesQuestionConsideredinitsRelationtoBeauty，ComfortandHealth\"，byMrs。M。S。G。Nichols。 PublishedinLondon，32FopstoneRoad，Earl\'sCourt，S。W。 **TherehavebeenafewcasesofChineseworkmenwhothroughcarelessnesshaveexposedthemselvesbyworkinginthesun；butsuchcasesarerare—— Chinesedresschangeswiththeseasons，varyingfromthethickestfurtothelightestgauze。Inwinterwewearfurorgarmentslinedwithcottonwadding；inspringwedonalighterfurorsomeotherthinnergarment； insummerweusesilk，gauzeorgrasscloth，accordingtotheweather。 Ourfashionsaresetbytheweather；notbythearbitrarydecreesofdressmakersandtailorsfromPekingorelsewhere。 ThenumberofdeathsinAmericaandinEuropeeveryyear，resultingfromfollowingthefashionmust，Ifear，beconsiderable，althoughofcoursenodoctorwoulddareinhisdeathcertificatetoassignunsuitableclothingasthecauseofthedeceaseofapatient。 Eveninthematterofdressing，andinthistwentiethcentury，\"mightisright\"。Intheopinionofanimpartialobserverthedressofmanisqueer，andthatofwoman，uncouth； butasallnationsinEuropeandAmericaarewearingthesamekindofdress，mightyConventionalityisextendingitsinfluence，sothatevensomenativesoftheEasthavediscardedtheirnationaldressinfavoroftheuglierWesternattire。Ifthenewlyadopteddresswere，ifnobetterthan，atleastequalto，theoldoneinbeautyandcomfort，itmightbesanctionedforthesakeofuniformity，assuggestedinthepreviouschapter；butwhenitisotherwisewhyshouldweimitate？ Whyshouldtheworldassumeadepressingmonotonyofcostume？ Whyshouldweallownature\'sdiversitiestodisappear？ FormerlyaChinesestudentwhenreturningfromEuropeorAmericaatonceresumedhisnationaldress，forifhedaredtocontinuetofavortheWesterngarbhewaslookeduponasa\"half-foreigndevil\"。 SincetheestablishmentoftheChineseRepublicin1911，thissentimenthasentirelychanged，andtheinelegantforeigndressisnolongerconsideredfantastic；onthecontraryithasbecomeafashion，notonlyincitieswhereforeignersarenumerous，butevenininteriortownsandvillageswheretheyareseldomseen。 Chineseladies，liketheirJapanesesisters，havenotyet，totheircreditbeitsaid，becomeobsessedbythisnewfashion，whichshowsthattheyhavemorecommonsensethansomemen。 Ihave，however，seenafewyoungandfoolishgirlsimitatingtheforeigndressofWesternwomen。IndeedthiscrazeforWesternfashionhasevencaughtholdofourlegislatorsinPeking，who，havingfallenunderthespellofclothes，insolemnconclavedecidedthatthefrockcoat，withthetall-tophat，shouldinfuturebetheofficialuniform； andtheswallow-tailcoatwithawhiteshirtfronttheeveningdressinChina。 IneedhardlysaythatthisactionofthePekingParliamentarouseduniversalsurpriseandindignation。Howcouldthescholarsandgentryoftheinterior，whereforeigntailorsareunknown，beexpectedtodressinfrockcoatsatformalceremonies，ortoattendpublicentertainmentsinswallow-tails？Publicmeetingswereheldtodiscussthesubject，andthenewstyleofdresswascondemnedasunsuitable。Atthesametimeitwasthoughtbymanythatthepresentdressesofmenandwomenleavemuchroomforimprovement。ItshouldbementionedthatassoonasitwasknownthatthedressuniformwasunderdiscussioninParliament，thesilk，hatandothertradesguilds，imitatingthehabitsofthewide-worldwhichalwayseverywhereconsidersselffirst，fearingthatthecontemplatedchangeindressmightinjuriouslyaffecttheirrespectiveinterests，sentdelegatestoPekingto\"lobby\"themembersto\"goslow\"andnottointroducetooradicalchanges。 Theresultwasthatinadditiontothetwoformsofdressabovementioned，twomorepatternswereauthorized，oneforman\'sordinarywearandtheotherforwomen，bothfollowingChinesestyles，butalltobemadeofhome-manufacturedmaterial。Thiswastosoothetheruffledfeelingsofthemanufacturersandtraders，forinpurchasingaforeignsuitsomeofthematerialsatleast，ifnotall，mustbeofforeignoriginorforeignmake。 DuringarecentvisittoPekingIprotestedagainstthisnovelfashion，andsubmittedamemorandumtoPresidentYuanwitharequestthatitshouldbetransmittedtoParliament。Mysuggestionisthatthefrock-coatandevening-dressregulationshouldbeoptional，andthattheChinesedressuniformassketchedbymeinmymemorandumshouldbeadoptedasanalternative。Iaminhopesthatmysuggestionwillbefavorablyconsidered。ThepointIhavetakenisthatChinesediplomatsandotherswhogoabroadshould，inordertoavoidcuriosity，andforthesakeofuniformity，adoptWesterndress，andthatthosewhoareathome，iftheyprefertheuglychange，shouldbeatlibertytoadoptit，butthatitshouldnotbecompulsoryonotherswhoobjecttosufferingfromcoldinwinter，ortobeingliabletosunstrokeinsummer。