m generation to generation. But younger sons and women had
no share in these fortunes, except by the whims and favor of the
"Man-Dins" (Mandarins), as these inheritors were known.

These Man-Dins formed a distinct class of the population, and numbered
about five percent of it. It was distinct from the Ku-Li (coolie) or
common people, and from the "Ki-Ling" or aristocracy composed of those
more energetic men (at least mentally more energetic) who were the
active or retired executive heads of the various industrial,
educational, military or political administrations.

A man might, if he so chose, transfer part of his credit to a woman
favorite, which then remained hers for life or until she used it up, and
of course, the prime object of most women, whether as wives, or
favorites, was to beguile a settlement of this sort out of some wealthy
man.

When successful in this, and upon reassuming her freedom, a woman ranked
socially and economically with the Man-Dins. But on her death, whatever
remained of her credit was transferred to the Imperial fund.

When one considers that the Hans, from the days of their exodus from
Mongolia and their conquest of America, had never held any ideal of
monogamy, and the fact that marriage was but a temporary formality which
could be terminated on official notice by either party, and that after
all it gave a woman no real rights or prerogatives that could not be
terminated at the whim of her husband, and established her as nothing
but the favorite of his harem, if he had an income large enough to keep
one, or the most definitely acknowledged of his favorites if he hadn't,
it is easy to see that no such thing as a real family life existed among
them.

Free women roamed the corridors of the city, pathetically importuning
marriage, and wives spent most of the time they were not under their
husbands' watchful eyes in flirtatious attempts to provide themselves
with better prospects for their next marriages.

* * * * *

Naturally the biggest problem of the community was that of stimulating
the birth rate. The system of special credits to mothers had begun
centuries before, but had not been very efficacious until women had been
deprived of all other earning power, and even at the time of which I
write it was only partially successful, in spite of the heavy bounties
for children. It was difficult to make the bounties sufficiently
attractive to lure the women fro