News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-11-29
A BABY OF HIGH DEGREE.
THE INFANT DAUGHTER OF THE
CHINESE MINISTER TO THE
UNITED STATES.
The Fetes that Have Been and VIII Be
Given in Her Honor.
from the National Republiean.1

RGDU6Hc0D had called to inquire about
the health of the Minister'S baby daugh-
ter. Tsu Shan Pung, First Secretary
of Legation, had said that the very
young lady was in excellent health and
spirits and was growing rapidly. Then
the reporter said he had a very delicate
question to ask, and begged the Secre-
tary not to be offended but if the in
duiry was q violation of Oriental Ell
duette to at once inform him and they
would talk about the weather or some
other harmless subject. cit is custom
arv, you know" continued the reporter,
in this country to publish quite min
ute details of the private life Of high
born babies. and
81 understand" said the Secretary,
over whose face there had crept smile
of appreciation and amusement, you
want to know about the baby's feet
Some one has said that they are already
bound. I assure you that it is no such
thing. Her feet are just like any Amer
lean baby's."
"But is it not true that the growth of
the feet of noble Chinese girls is stopped
early in life?'
Certainly it is true, just os it is true
that the waists of all high born Ameri-
can ladies are compressed, " and the Sec
rotary illustrated by COMPRISING his
own rather slender waist with his two
hands. 'To make the ladies feet small, "
he continued, sis q Chinese fashion; to
make their waists small an American
fashion. 1t is a demand Of fashion or
custom in both cases, and nothing
more"
cat what age are the feet bound?"
"When the little girl is six or seven
years old. The process is so gradual,
that, 7 think, there is no pain about it
whatever; no more than when an Ameri-
can girl binds her waist"
els there nothing peculiar, then, about
the very early life of a Chinese maiden %
'NOthing in the world She is Just
like an American baby. About two
months ago the members of the Chinese
Embassy celebrated the day when she
was a month old by a dinner at Worm
ley's. The next celebrationin her honor
| will be when she is old enough to go to
school. Then there will be another din
her. There will be no more festivities
fer her then until she is married."
"When will she be old enough to go
to school ?"
"When she is seven or eight years
old"
81 suppose you mean by going to
school that an instrlctress will be
brought into the famiIy?"
Not always. Sometimes a rich little
Chinese girl will have a gOverness in the
house, but often several wealthy families
employ a tutoress together and send
their children to her for instruction. It
is private school,"
just then there came down from the
upper regions Of the house a long, yigor-
Gus, infantile wall.
"There," said the Secretary, laughing,
''is a Chinese baby crying it good Eng
lish"
''Is she the Minister'S first chiId?"
ooh, no. He has several children at
home, but this is the first one and the
first Chinese baby born in Washington.
She is great pet for the Minister and
his wife"
"And would be of all the Embassy, 7
suppose, il she was only a boy ?"
ooh, that makes no difference. Lit
tie boys and girls are treated alike. 1t
is only when they are grown that our
etiquette requires the seclusion of the
ladies' "
The reporter inquired with much eau
ton and fear of offending why it was
that the Chinese Minister'S wife did not
receive and did not go out at all.
That, said the Secretary, els only
because she does not speak English, and
it would be highly improper, according
to our etiquette, for gentleman to
translate for her. Neither does the Min
lister speak English, and there is no one
who could translate for his wife,
How is it that the Minister cannot
speak English when you speak it so
weIl?'
- acquired the language in Hong
Kong. but the Minister is now an old
man, about sixty-one years old; never
theless he is studying the language
Returning to the more interesting sub
ject Of the ladies, the reporter suggested
that the wife of the Chinese Minister at
Paris was quite a favorite in society and
went ont very often.
THAT is" said the Secretary, ''he-
cause she has Il very charming lady
daughter, highly educated, and speak
ing European languages well. She can
translate for her mother
''Is the Minister'S wife the only Chi
nese lady here?
bassy, If they are married, must leave
their wives at home. The Minister'S
wife has two Chinese maids with her.
but there is really no room for any more
ladies in the house." said the Secretary.
laughing. He then explained that the
term Of office of the members of the En-
bassy was three years, after which they
had six months leave of absence in
which to go to China and visit their
families before returning, if they did re-
turn, which was optional with them.
The present is the second Chinese en-
bassy, and there are but two members
of it who were here with the first En-
bassy. As the Secretary said, three
years is quite long enough TO be separa~
ted from ones family. Tie scclusion OF
the Minister'S wife has not been gener-
ally understood, but the Secretary stated
that the reason given above was the only
one. She occasionally goes out riding,
but makes no calls and has no society.
The advent Of the baby must have been
q blessing to her secluded life.