Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1883-10-25
HOW CHINA'S EMPEROR LIVES.
The BOY Who Is IIOnOred n "a Superior
Being, and Ills Home.

Being, and Ills Home.
The ruler OF the 250,000,000 people
of which the Chinese nation probably
consists is now within five years of his
majority (the age of eighteen years.,
and is an occupant, while yet minor,
of the same apartments in which lived
the emperor who preceded him on the
Dragon throne. There, says the
North China Herdld, he eats with
gold-tipped chopsticks of ivory. There
he sleeps on large Ningpo bedstead,
richly carved and Ornamented with
ivory and gold-the same on which the
noble-minded emperors Kang Hsi and
Chen Lung used TO recline after the
days fatigue last century and the CEN
tury before.
Like one of those living Buddhas
who may be seen in lamasery on the
MOngolian plateau, he is knelt to by all
his attendants and honored as n god
The seclusion in which he is kept is
far more complete than that of the
gods. The building in which the EN-
peror resides is called Yang Hsin Tien,
and is little to the west of the Ch'ien
Ching Meu in the middle of the pal
ace. At the back Of the central gate
on the south side, is the great recep-
tiOn hall. When ministers of state
and others enter for audience, at four
five or six in the morning, according
to custom, they have to 60 on foot to
the centre Of the palace over half a
mile, if they enter by the east or ives
gate; and when they get on in years
they can appreciate the emperor's ia,
vor, which then by a decree allows
them to be borne in a chair instead Of
walking.
The rooms of the emperor consist
OF seven compartments. They arepro-
videl with the diyan or k'ang, the pc
culiar institution of north China The
kangS are covered with red felt Of ma.
tive manufacture. and the floor with
European carpets. The cushions all
have embroidered on them the dragon
and the phpnix. Pretty things scat
tered through the rooms are endless in
variety, and are changed in accordance
with any wish expressed 10y the emper-
or.
The rooms are in all thirty yards
long 10y from eight TO nine yards deep,
and are divided into three separate
apartments, the throne room being the
middle one. Folding doors ten feet in
height open into each Of these apart
ments to the north and south in the
centre of each. The upper part of
these doors is in open work in which
various auspicious characters and flow
erS are carved. These doors remain
open even in winter, because during
that season a thick embroidered cur
tain of damask is hung in the doorway
which by its weight keeps its place
close to the door-posts and prevents
cold air from entering.
In summer this is replaced by cur
tain admitting the breeze on account
of being made of very thin strips of
bamboo. The silk threads used in
sewing the strips of bamboo together
are of various colorS, and passing
through the whole texture of the cur
tain from top to bottom are very agree
able to the eye. These summer and
winter curtains are rolled up to give
air to the rooms when required. The
Hoppe who lately returned from Can
ton gave the emperor present valued
at $4,000. 1t consisted Of chandeliers
holding 500 wax candles each. His
majesty had also some electrical ma
chimes and numberless foreign curiosi-
ties.
The emperor was vacCinated when an
infant, before his high destiny
was thought of, otherwise it would have
been difficult to vaccinate him, for, his
person being sacred when emperor, no
lancet can touch him. His mother,
the Princess of Ch'un, goes in to see
him once a month and kneels when she
first speaks to him, but rises
afterwards. His father does so too.
The emperor studies Chinese daily for
an hour and half, and Manchu also
for an hour and half He spends
two hours in archery and riding and in
in winter amuses himself with sledging
He has a little brother of five, whom it
may be hoped the mother takes with
her when she goes to the palace. The
teachers who instruct him kneel to him
on entering, but afterwards sit. The
emperor has eight eunuchs, who con-
stantly attend him, besides an indefinite
number for special occasions. He has
his meals alone and the eight eunuchs
wait round him, restraining him if he
takes foo much of anV one thing His