Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-10-06
HOW CHINA,s EMPEROR LIVES.
The Boy who IL HOnpred rs a God and
His Home.
From the Pail Mall Budget.

same apartments in which lived the emperor
VINO preceded him on the Dragon Throne.
There, says the North China Herald, he eats
with gold-tipped chopsticks of ivory. There he
sleeps on alarge Ninpo bedstead, richly carved
and ornamented with ivory and gold-the same
on which the undetermined Emperors Kang HIS
and Chen Lung used to recline after the days
fatigue last century and the century before
Like one of those living Buddhas who NAV be
seen In lamasery on the Monaghan plateau
he Is knelt to by all his attendants and honored
as god. The seclusion in which he is kept IL
iar more complete than that of the gods. The
Dulldmg In which the emperor resides is called
Yang Hsin Tien. and is little to the west of the
CHEN Ching Meu in the middle of the palace.
At the back Of the central gate, on the south
side. is the great reception hall. When minis
tiers OF state and Others enter for an audience
at 4, or g In the morning, according to GUS
tom, they have to go on foot to the center OF
the palace over half mile, II they enter by the
east or west gate and when they get on In years
they can appreciate the emperor's favor, which
then by degree allows them to be borne in q
chair instead of walking.
The rooms of the emperor consist of seven
compartments. They are provided with the divau
or kang the peculiar institution of north China
Inc Hangs are covered with red felt of ma
1--WE manufacture, and the floor with European
carpets Phe cushions all have embroidered
on them the dragon and the phoenix. Pretty
things scattered through the rooms are endless
In variety, and are changed in accordance with
any wish expressed by the emperor.
The rooms are in all 80 yards long by from to
9yards deep, and are divided into three separate
apartments. the Throne-room being the mid
ole one Folding doors 10 feet in height open
INTO each OF these apartments to the north and
south In the center of each. The upper part OF
these doors Ia In Open-wOrk In which various
suspicious characters and flowers are carved.
Ihese doors remain open even in winter, be-
cause during that season thick embroidered
curtain OF damask is hung in the doorway.
which byits weight keeps itsplace close to the
doOr-pOsts and prevents cold air from entering O.
In summer this isreplaced by curtain admitting
the breeze on account its being made of very
thin strips OF bamboo. The silk thread used
In sewing the trips ofbamboo together are ofvari-
Gus cOlors, and passing through the whole textur
OF the curtain from top to the bottom are very
agreeable to the eye. These summer and win
ter curtains are rolled up to give air to the rooms
when required. The Hoppe who lately returned
from canton gave the emperor a present valued
at $oOOO. 1t consisted Of chandeliers holding
5OO wax candles each. His majesty has also
some electrical machines and numberless foreign
curiosites.
The emperor was vaccinated when an infant,
before his high destiny was thought of, other
wise 1t would have been difficult to vaccinate
him, for. his person being sacred when emperor,
nO1ancet can touch him. His mother the Prin-
cess OF Chun, 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
q hall, and Manchu also for an hour and a half He
spends two hours in archery and riding and in
winter amuses himself with sledgng. 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 knecl to
him on entering. but afterwards sit. The en-
peror has eight eunuchs, who constantly 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 too much of any one thing His
school room is at the back the Yang Hsin Ten.
already described, and the hall for conference
each morning with ministers is little to the
east.