The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-02-04


Il Rise warbling to the sun,
: Nightngales chant as the day grows dim,
II Galy gllstens the humming- bird.
Through the coral notes of that great hymn
| Can little wren be heardp
Herbs will sweeten the bleak hillside
Where flowers can never grow;
| Through winter frosts the worm Will niue,
And sing above the snow.
And God accepts with tender love,
Their service true and sweet,
Can nightingales or roses give
An Offering more completet
I
Interesting Facts About the Late Emperor and
| Empress Of China.
We haveheretotore given particulars
of the marriage and death OF the Emper.
or OF China, and still later the telegraphic
announcement that the Empess had
committed suicide. 1t is a sad ending
of a short married Life commenced with
so much pomp. Alute, the Empress, was
| the daughter of Tschung-Tschi, director
in the Peking Academy of Sciences;
granddaughter OF Sai-Shang-a, well
known at ono time as an official OF
high rank, occupying positions Of great
trust, and much honored by the govern
ment. Failing, however, at one time to
put down a rebellion in one OF the prov
inces when he was commander-in-cnief,
Sai-Shang-a was stripped OF all his OH
ces, though sixty years OF age. After
his grand daughter became Empress and
his daughter, Alute's aunt, one OF the mi
nor wives, it was thought he would be
restored TO favor, but he never has been !;
however, the Emperor gave him an in.
come sufficient to support him in becom-
Ing style, The following are interesting
particulars in regard to the marriage of
Alute and the Emperor. which took place
October 16, JS72:
Preparations for the great event were
vigorously pushed forward under the di-
rection of Pripce Kung, an Uncle OF the
young Emperor, and PRESIDENT OF the
Council of State. The streets leading
from the BRIDES palace to the principal
entrance of the imperial castle were
closed for carriages in September. There
is no such thing as pavement in Peking;
the streets are generally tull OF ruts, and
in very bad conditions; the roadway
along the route to be followed by the pro-
cession was raised one foot higher, with
good earth, rolled, fiEttened, and made
perfectly smooth. About week before
The marriage the portals OF the palace,
more es pecially those OF the above-men-
toned principal entrance, were richly
decorated win many-c0lored ribbons
and rosettes.
The square in front of the castle, and
the inner courts, tor a distance OF Il mile,
were covered with layers OF soft cocoa
mating, thirty feet wide, for the use OF
Inc bridal procession. A peculiar de-
scription OF roller, OF enormous weight,
| was used to bring the surface of the new-
ly-made road to dead level, so that the
Imperial BRIDE might not suffer the slight
est Inconvenience while being transport
ed in her palanquin. Sixteen carefully
| ftrttt A Iat tlyn
weeks in carrying palanquin contain
ing u saucer brlmful of wafer from the
palace OF the Imperial bride to the castle,
and so perfect had they become tnat they
could perform the journey, with much
| more than the required rapIdity, without
spilling drop OF water.
| The rousseau of the bride was furnish
| cd by the Emperor, for Alute's FAMILY,
though at one time wealthy, mad been re-
duced to poverty by the confiscation OF
| Sai-Shang-Is estates.
| But this was managed with great deli
| cacy. The different articles composing
the trousseau were at first discreetly
conveyed to the palace OF the bride, and
from there sent to the castle, as if they
had been originally presented by the
BRIDES relatives. The early morning
| hours Of six consecutive days were de-
voted to the transporting Of these won-
dertul presents, many OF them of rare
and singular beauty, and many oil them
quite the reverse. There were eight CO.
lussal wardrobes, with double doors and
exquisite carving; one absurdly large
gilt-painted bedslead, forty cases filled
with silk and satin dresses, twenty
smaller cases containing ornamental
toilet articles, several clothes-presses,
twenty different kinds Of tables, sixty
chairs, Il collection of many-colored lam
terms, bronzes, bric-a.brac, and costly
furniture.
Two days before the wedding took
place, Chinese officials were deputized
to wait upon all foreigners, whether
there officially or otherwise, and re-
quest or command them to remain
| quietly at home on the eventful day.
Nor were the Chinese people themselves
permitted to 60 into the streets to look
upon the procession that was gotten up
in honor OF the Celestial marriage"
On the 10th day OF October, toward
noon, the streets through which the pro-
cession was to pass were closed to all
travel, and the houses and shops shut
up. One or two soldiers guarded each
| door, with the mission of firmly remind
ing those faithful subjects of the Emper-
or who might be desirous OF witnessing
the triumphal entry of the Imperial
bride, OF the extreme indiscretion of any
such attempt. AS q recompense for this
forced seclusion, they were permitted,
encouraged and commanded to show
their loyalty to the throne by decorating
the cOrnices of their houses with red silk
and Illuminating them at dark with a
certain number OF lanterns, in accord
| ance with the width of the front on the
street; besides this, the whole route
from the palace to the castle was illu-
minated by an unbroken line of lanterns,
at distances of twenty feet apart, set up
and furnished by the city authorities.
These lanterns cast q brilliant light over
the streets during the whole night long.
The programme was as follows:
10Th October, at three P. .M--Departure
of the procession from the inner courts
OF the castle, where the young Emperor
personally superintended the arrange
ments. Five or six O'Clock p. Mar
rival at the palace OF the bride. Ten
O'Clock p. .M.-Departure of the heavenly
bride in her palanquin-rcturn OF the
l