A Tribute to the, Late Mrs. Archibald Little I can distinctly recall my feelings when nearly half a century ago lay si wake of a sultry summer night listening to the pitiful wail of a small Chinese girl in the agony. of foot-binding.
Now in this more enlightened age the cruel practice has been abolished and we see the little girls and women, instead of painfully hobbling about their houses with seldom an opportunity of enjoying life, nimbly tripping along our streets, dancing, playing lawn tangis and enjoying other girlish games and recreations.
This emancipation has done more than most. people realize to revolutionize China—more in fact than the "Three Principles" one hears 30 much about. The Chinese girls and mothers are now able to take their proper places in their, schools and homes with the result that the present day youth is a very different product from his predecessor.
'My memory also recalls the bitter opposition which members of the. Anti-Footbinding Society had for face -Ingrained custom and prejudice of centuries had to be uprooted and' public opinion reconstructed, One seldom saw a Chinese girl with natural feet except of the coolie class. Now, however, women with bound feet are even more rare than. men with queues and they do not lose caste either.
Members of the Anti-Footbinding. Society were often met by the ro tort that Chinese bound feet were no worse than European tight waists. Tt is satisfactory to note that, both evils have been abolished with untold advantage to the women of East and: West.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.