Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 August 1890 — VESTALS PLUNGE TO DEATH. [ARTICLE]

VESTALS PLUNGE TO DEATH.

Fair Celibates Preferred to Die Rather Than Be Wed. There is a prevailing custom in the district called Lheing-teh, in Canton Providence, among female society to form different kinds of sisterhoods, such as “All Pure” ~ Sisterhoods, “Never-to-Be-Married” Sisterhoods, &c. Each sisterhood consists of about ten young maidens who swear vows to heaven never to get married, as they regard marriages as something horrid, believing that .their married lives would be miserable and unholy: and their parents fail to prevail upon them to yield. A sad case just happened: A band of young maidens ended their existence in this world by drowning in the : Dragon River, because one of them was forced by her parents to be married. She was engaged in her childhood before she joined the Sisterhood. When her parents had made all the necessary arrangements for her marriage she reported the affair to the other members of the Sisterhood, who at once agreed to die for her cause if she remained constant to her sworn vows to be single and virtuous. Should she violate the laws of the Sisterhood and yield to her parents her life was to be most unpleasant by the other members, and she would be taunted as a worthless being. She consulted with them as to the best mode of escaping this marriage, and they all agreed to die with her if she would plan to run away from her parents on the night of toe marriage. As there... were many Mends to watch her movements it was almost impossible for her escape; so she attempted her life by swallowing a gold ring; but any serious consequence that might have resulted was prevented by the administration of a powerful emetic. By bribing the female servants she was taken one night to her sisters under the cover of darkness. The sisters at once joined with her to terminate their lives by jumping into the Dragon River, with its swift currents, which rapidly carried them off. This kind of tragedy is not uncommon in (his part of the land.