Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-04-13

Washington Letter 90 ST. L0uis Globe Democrat
For man Of his years this Cheng Tsao ia
has the greatest fondness for society, and is
on the 60 continually. From New Years
Day until the 4th Of March the minister and
his interpreter made afternoon calls as stead
lily as any society woman, and the solemn old
mandarin seemed to be enjoying II quite as
much as il be was born to that sort of thing.
His nephew acts interpreter, and his celes-
tial name of Chin Chi Young becomes Mr..
Chin when he is formally addressed in socis-
ty. No one attacks the minister mouthful
Of consonants when he is spoken to- and he
is always addressed and referred to as your
excellency" and his excellency." Mr.. Chin
has the brghtest and most intelligent face,
lighted with II pair Of sparkling brown eyes,
and when be SMILES be displays a set Of beau
tifully white teeth He speaks English as
rapidly and easily is il born under our flag,
aud once IN while picks up stray idiom OF
"a piece OF slang that sounds wonderfully fun
ny coming from him. Some one asked him
yesterday, How are you, Mr.. Chin = "Oh,
| am all a No. IT, glibly responded the
young Chinaman, and a shout Of laughter
followed the reply, although it would have
been anything but funny if an American had
made such an answer. The young ladies'
make eyes at this handsome young fellow,
and If he were not always tied to the minis
ter's elbow and obliged to translate dignifed
compliments and inquiries to him all through
an entertainment, Mr. Chin's knowledge of
English and his charming manners might en-
able him to master the great American art Of
filtration.
The old Chinese minister is always a fas-
cinating study wherever he is encountered.
and though his dress, his bonnet and his long
queue speak of another civilization he fits in.
to our ways wonderfully well and enjoys him
self all the while He is said to have a score
or so of costly sandal wood and cedar boxes
containing a wardrobe valued at $50, 900.
This is rather a heavy estimate 10 put upon
all of his long -sleeved coats and narrow pet
ticoats, and as he generally wears blue satin
or brocgde garments no one can tell that he
has more than three suits to his name He
wears the Junk shoes of black satin with
thick soles of white felt that make him an
inch taller than he really is and as he stands
in a company of pretty women, with his
clasped hands lost somewhere in the folds of
his long overhanglng sleeves he Is as sleek,
fat and happy old fellow as you might wish
TO look at. He is over 60 years of age. but
enjoys perfect health, and is good for anoth-
er 30 years. His poor little wife is only nine
teen, and she might as well be in the District
jail for all that she enjoys of American life.
The little Madame lives entirely in her own
apartments, in company with a Chinese maid,
aud though the legation building holds coz-
en- secretaries or attaches, none Of them are
ever permitted TO see her Her pretty, visit
full little face can often be seen at the win
dows, but when she goes to ride she enters
the carriage from covered passage at the
side Of the house, and is about lost to sight
in the depths Of her capacious vehicle. The
most pointed hints that are given TO the min
lister as to visiting his wife are blandly ig-
nored, and society gets only himself for its
teas, dinners and receptions. At several
houses the minister is a frequent and favored
guest, and has progressed so far in acquRint-
ance as to be able TO understand great deal
without his interpreter. At state dinners at
the White House the Chinese minister can be
sociable only to his neighbors at the table by
dumb show and pantomime, and at Secretary
Frelinghuysens he would be left in the same
forlorn estate if the young ladies of the fam
lily were not so kindly interested in him.
Miss Tillie Frelinghuysen is his especial
friend, and by her rapid and vivacious talk
and gestures can make him understand and
enjoy what is going on around him. The
minister makes her gifts of his rarest tea,
and when he presents himself at their after
noon receptions he is seated at Miss Freling-
huysen's tea-table and RECALLED with decoc-
ton of his own fine tea leaves The minis
ter superintends the making of it, and when
his own special cup is poured out it is a pale
our people think of drinking it, and possess
ing a strange herb flavor that only the edu-
Gated Chinese palate can appreciate. He is
also a favored guest at Attorney General
Brewster's, and calling there one afternoon
soon after Miss Brewster's wedding he garg-
led out something in Chinese to Mr.. Chin,
which, being interpreted, was the polite in
quiry of where are the happy couple now 2"
Happy couple" is a common enough term
in our language but as the idea of that SOL
emn old mandarin, with his queer notions of
woman's sphere and position, it made the in
quiry something at which the ladies sur
rounding Mrs. Brewster laughed immoderate-
~. Besides being accredited to this govern
ment Cheng Tsao Ju is also Minister to Spain
and Peru. At these other places he is repre-
sented by charges d'afaires, and except in
in the event of a change of government, he
will not be called upon to visit either Spain
or Peru this year.