Barbour County index., 1882-05-04
The Chinese Legation.


Among the many curious and beau
tiful things now in the long drawing
room at that legation brought here by
the present Chinese minister, says a
Washington correspondent, are a num-
Der of dolls about foot high dressed
to represent accurately Chinese men
and women, and there is also intruded
among them and placed without de-
sign, in most suggestive proximity to q
woman playing upon a wind instru-
ment, a representation of the Chinese
ideal prince of the devils, which is of
solid clay, and so heavy as to be lifted
with difficulty. He is dressed in bright
red loose garments, has full whiskers
and a mustache parted to show hor.
rid leer on his lips in which his eyes
take part and which would do credit
to Mephistopheles. He is very wick
ed, but a very jolly-looking devil.
Some very old bronze and china vases
are also in this parlor and all along
the walls are scroll panels with Chi
nese characters upon them expressive
of some moral sentiment. 1t is a sim
gular coincidence that on the very day
the president held the special cabinet
meeting at which it was decided that
the anti-Chinese bill should be vetoed,
it was observed that his picture had
unintentionally been placed on a stand
between two Chinese notices, one Of
which read, "Be man." and the other,
"Be generous" which might be con-
strued rs enjOining him to have back
bone enough to veto the bill and to be
generous with the territory of the big
country over which he presides. That
day members of the legation in taking
wine with visitors proposed toast
favoring veto of that bill.
A remarkable contrast between the
habit of eastern nations in what might
be called toadying to those in power
by following the fashions set by them,
and the practice in such respects in
China, has been called to my attention.
The present emperor and empress of
China are from Mantchooria, a province
of Chinese Tartary just outside of the
great wall, where the women allow
their feet to grow to the natural size !;
so the present empress has feet of the
average size for women of her proper
tions; but the practice of compressing
the feet Of girl babies to insure small
feet when they grow up continues in
Chinese noble families, as heretofore.
In spite of the reigning dynasty of
China now being Mantchoorians, the
natives of China proper are still pro-
hibited from marrying natives of Mant-
chooria.
When first they came here, the min
lister and other gentlemen of the Chi
nese legation used always to offer tea
to their visitors, but they found so few
gentlemen who accepted it land ladies,
of course, have rarely been admitted to
call there) that they now keep upon
the center tables in their parlors de-
canters of choice wines and handsome
glasses, and salver full of assorted
cakes. Nevertheless, 1 hear of several
members of the two houses of congress
and other officials who regularly turn
down their wine glasses at dinner par
ties, declining any spirituous beverages.
1 saw Atty. Gen. Brewster and the act
ing vice president, David Davis, both
refuse wine at recent dinner party.
The latter said he had stopped wine
and tobacco over year ago, and his
health had improved in consequence.
Two gentlemen-Hon. Aleck Stephens
and Gen. Schenck-wherever they may
dine observe always the same rule as
regards food and drink which they en-
force upon themselves in private. Gen.
Schenck and his daughter were among
those who dined with the president at
his last formal dinner party. 1 asked
the former one day, when he told me he
had been dining out the previous night,
If his health suffered at all from such
pleasures, and he said: "No; because
l always eat and drink the same that
1 would do if at home. am permitted
always to take with me to a dinner
party my bottle of ginger ale, and 1
drink nothing else"