Alter reverentially reading the Imperial of Kebruary, 1¥UZ, commanding the gentry and notables of the lana to earnesuy exhort their womenfolk to abstain from the unnatural custom of foot-binding, 1, Yuan Shih-kui, am tilled with admiration at the must righteous and most just words of the brilliant edict and 1 join most willingly in also exhorting the gentry and people of our country to listen on several grounds, which are as follows:
L—In the classic on the preservation and filial piety these are the words: "The body, hair, and skin ving come from our parents we should not to destroy or injure any of them." Nowadays the women of our land have their feet bound from their most tender years, and up to their age of womanhood they are constantly suffering from the severest pains oven to the point in some cases where the Bones and joints fall off and the flesh shrinks thereby making walking extremely difficult for the victims. The women and maidens of China are therefore mostly weakly and thin and given to many complaints of the body. In'a word, to try to follow, the fashion and so injure and misshape the limbs handed down by our parents; to forget the natural instine's of love and affection for our children and ruthlessly force our daughters to suffer a hundred kinds of cruel trestment—are these the acts of righteous men? Therefore I say that for the sake of preserving the body we must stop the baneful custom of binding the fect.
SAWVith reference to the doctrine of edan cating and nourishing one's children, the women of ancient times paid most attention to the precepts of their mothers. At the present day the sciences of the East and West which lead to the strengthening of a country all give due, importance to the practice of educating females, making women the of men. In China, however, we feet of women, weaken them. and upon them. Their chief aim to beautify Uemselves to please us, but th take no care to open their minds nor do they pay any attention to strengthen the body, not understanding what is the meaning of preservation and educate jon of the i body. If we therefore desire to understand such things our first duty will be to put away from us bad customs. Thus I say that if we desire to preserve and educate our children we must first, do away with the Daneful custom of foot-binding.
3.—To produce good and healthy mothers we must "be careful of their educate and physical condition when—young, and then we may expect them to bring forth healthy" children of strong physique and well-informed minds. The women of to-day with their bound feet and weak bodies bear children whose very methods of walking show weakness. The education of children is neglected in their tender years and so this. goes on belittling our race and causing other misfortunes to our people. Tt is most important therefore to pay earnest attention to the treatment of our young to bring out their talents and al ies: hence T say that to produce good and healthy mothers we must first do away with the baneful custom of foohindi 4.—The minds of men and women amenest those who study for professions are akin.
For instance, in special studies, such as in agriculture, medicine, physics, and invention and the like, women have been found to excel men in them. The women of our land are at present bound as to their feet;, they are isolated in the deep recesses of their homes, as it were, bound hand and feet, with intellects stunted and dependent for nourishment and care upon their husbands. The women of our higher classes are skilled only with their needles, with perhaps a smattering knowledge of writing and quoting poetry. Neither of these accomplishments is of any intrinsic use. If we, however, loosen our women's feet and make them feel easy and comfortable as to their bodies and Timbs, teach them a profession so that they could take care of themselves, our women can then take up modern studies and modern sciences all of which will be of great value to our country and Government, and prosperity will be added by them to their homes. Hence I say that if we wish to have our women study professions we must first do away with the baneful habit of binding the feet.
These words are addressed to women who have their feet bound. while the subject of the baneful effects of foot-binding has also been earnestly and strongly dilated upon by other people. T therefore have also specially drawn up the pros and cons of the subject with the object of pointing out the sin of foothinding: and it is my sincere hope and desire that the gentry and notables of the Tand will do their nimest in assisting the Throne in the wark of exhorting their womenfolk to do away with this evil custom.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.