Freedom's Journal/1827/03/16/Varieties

Advantage of Choosing a Wife by Proxy.—Among other observations, we took occasion to inquire, whether the practice of the elders and eldresses (of the sect of the Moravians) in selecting a partner for a young man who wish ed to marry, was not sometimes attended with serious inconveniences. But they seemed to have no doubt, that this regulation, produced more happy marriages, than would be effected by leaving the parties to choose for themselves. A lively and sensible person, with whose conversation we were particularly pleased, took occasion to give us his own experience on the subject. He expressed him self to the following effect. "When I wished to change my situation in life, I applied to one of our elders, and communicated the matter to him. He asked me whether I had any particular young woman in view; I replied in the negative, and that I wished my superiors to choose for me. Pleased with my answer and the confidence reposed in them, he assured me that the greatest care should be taken to select for me a partner, who would be, in every respect, proper for me. The elders and eldresses consulted together; and, after a suitable tinic, fixed on a young woman, whose disposition and qualifications were correspondent to any own, and which they thought were adapted to make me happy. We were introduced to each other in the presence of our superiors. The interview was favorable: we became mutually attached; and in a short time we were married. The event has perfectly answered our most sanguine hopes. I probably should not have chosen so, happily, if left to decide for myself; but I am certain I could not have made a better choice." He concluded his observations with a degree of animation and satisfaction, which precluded all doubt of the truth of his assertions.—Memoirs of Lindley Murray.

The Egg Trade.—Few people have any idea of the extent to which the trade in Eggs is carried on, as an article of export and ina port. A friend of ours recently conversed with an Irish gentleman in this town, who had come here for the purpose of selling some of that "surplus produce" of grain which, according to one of our statesmen, is the cause of Irish starvation, and who is also engaged in the egg traffic. Ile stated to our friend that he generally ships from ten to fifteen crates per week of this merchandise" from Dublin to Liverpool, each crate containing 7000 eggs. The trade in this article has greatly increased, it seems, within the last two or three years; and in the last year there have been sent from Dublin to England not less than 100 crates, or 700,000 eggs per week! Liverpool and Manchester, particularly the latter, are great consumers of the article. The general price in Dublin is five shillings per hundred, but the hundred, it must be remembered, is calculated according to a sort of Irish arithmetic, and in plain English amounts to 124; the odds being probably a sort of allowance for breakage and chance of overkeeping. It thus appears that 1400 per week, or something better than 70000%. per annum, is expended in Dublin in eggs for exportation alone! It would not be a very past matter to calculate the number of eggs consumed in Dublin itself, seeing that good Catholics look upon egg-eating as fasting, and taking into consideration the number of Catholics, and the quantum of fast days which their church enjoins. The eggs are collected from the country all round Dublin; but are principally brought from the province of Connaught, where, probably the housewives are more expert in the rearing of fowls than in any other part. There is also a considerable trade in this article from Belfast. The eggs are packed in straw, which is laid a foot thick at the bottom of the crate; upon this is placed a layer of eggs, then a layer of straw, and so on until the crate is filled. But there eggs are not all consumed in Manchester and Liverpool; the latter supplies Birmingham, and the former sends to the "hard-fisted artisans of Sheffield" a portion of Connaught's surplus produce.—Kendal Chronicle.

Chinese Fashions.—It is well known, that in China a ridiculous custom prevails, of rendering the feet of their females so small, that they can with difficulty support their bodies. This is deemed a principal part of their beauty; and no swathing or compression is omitted, when they are young, to give them this fancied accomplishment. Every woman of fashion, and every woman who wishes to be reckoned handsome, must have her feet so small, that they could easily enter the shoe of a child of six years of age. The great toe is the only one left to act with freedom; the rest are doubled down under the foot, in their tenderest infancy, and restrained by tight bandages, till they unite with and are buried in the sole. I have inspected a model of a Chinese lady's foot, exactly of this description, which I was assured was taken from life. The length was only two inches and three-fourths; the breadth of the base of the heel seven-eighths of an inch; the breadth of the broadest part of the foot, one and one-fourth of an inch; and the diameter of the ankle, three inches above the heel, one and seven-eighths of an inch. Gentil assures us, that the women, in the northern parts of China, employ every art to diminish their eyes. For this purpose, the girls, instructed by their mothers, extend their eye-lids continually, with the view of making their eyes oblong and small. These properties, in the estimation of the Chinese, when joined to a flat nose, and large, open, pendulous ears, constitute the perfection of beauty.—Dicks. Phil of Religion.

A widow, of the name of Rugg, having taken Sir Charles Price for her second husband, and being asked by a friend how she liked the charge, replied, "O, I have sold my old Rugg for a good Price."