Why is it that an educated Chinese man to-day would wish to have someone help him arrange a marriage when he now has the right to make his own? The answer is a simple one. He does not know how! Marriage in old China was a contract between two families, The law of the empire said, "In all cases the grandparents oF parents shall be deemed to be the principals in a contract of marriage, these are dead the nearest relative shall be deemed the principal." Con= sent of the bride or bridegroom was "of even necessary. Is it surprising then that a young man or woman of tocday "has scanty. background to know how to proceed in getting a suitable partner?
The old system of parental choice had built around it protecting walls to insure justice to all parties concerned. It is true that this was primarily for the protection of the families, but it is reasonable to ose that usually thie benefitted the individuals too. A. closer study of the method of betrothal will thow this system worked.
Betrothal corresponded to, the foreign term of "engagement." and Yet it stood for much more! Its implications were more serious, for it wwolved not only individuals but "also the families the marriage partners. When a family hada son or daughter for whom they wished to make a marriage arrangement, a professional go: atween was called in. The import= ance of this man is given poetically in some lines coming down from the Chou dynasty:
In hewing the wood for an axe handle, how do. you proceed? Without another axe, it can not be done. proceed marrying a wife, how do you without' go-between it can not be
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.