Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-02-06

fast is over he goes to his study and here
at nine O'Clock he receives such Ministers of
State as have matters to report to him.
His audiences with them often last till
twelve o'clock. AT this hour he returns to
his own room and takes his lunch This
usually consists of fish, meats, bread and
wines. He is a good eater and likes good
wine
"After lunch his Majesty spends some
time in reading the newspapers and books.
All OF the leading japanese newspapers
come to his palace and he watches
closely the current Of public opinion. Many
OF the newspapers are marked, and in the
case of the foreign papers of Japan the
most prominent articles are translated for
him. Articles in New York, London and Paris
papers, which have bearing upon japan.
are also translated and handed to him to
read, and he is especially fond of the
illustrated foreign papers. He thus keeps
posted on what is going on the world over.
After reading he takes his exercise, and
his dinner comes in the evening. Some
times the Empress dimes with him, and
sometimes the little Prince, who is the heir
to the throne, has seat at the table Both
have, however, their separate establish
ments. The dinner is served in the table
d'hote style, and with all the European ac-
compartments
What are the Emperor's favorite exer-
cisesl" asked
HE Is especially fond of horseback rid
lng," replied the chamberlain HE has
about three hundred horses in the royal
news, and he sits horse well He has a
big race-track in the grounds of the new
palace, and he is much interested in horse
breeding as well as in horse-racing He at
tends the races in Toxic and in Yokohama.
and ne, is very fond of watching his mobiles
play polo This game is often PLAYED in
SIDE OF the palace grounds, and his Majesty
often hunts deer and wild pigs on his royal
preserves. He shoots WELL but, as a rule,
he prefers to watch the others hunt"
docs he give many receptions a'' l asked.
mot many" was the reply. "He has
blg reception on New Years, at which the
diplomats and the Japanese officials are
presenb Then on the I'd of February there
IS reception IN commemoration of the
foundation of the empire. The Sd of No
vemDer IS the Emperor's birthday, and the
imperial garden party is given in the spring
and in the fall At these receptions the
guests appear as rule in European dress
and the Emperor is Saluted with bow
The Emperor has his interpreters with him
at his receptions. He speaks no language
but the Japanese, and he has given up the
study of German, which he began some
time ago. His duties of state were so great
that he had not time for it.. and he regrets
his lack IN this regard when foreign Princes
come to JAPAN
The Empress is Just about as old as her
husband. She is full head shorter than
the average American woman, has slender
figure, very straight and very dignihed.
She appreciates her position and walks like
an Empress. 1t is now more than a year
since she adopted foreign clothes, and her
| Jet-black hair is corlbed in foreign style
and foreign waterfall sits upon her shape
| ly crown. She has a fine complexion, much
lighter than the ordinary Japanese, and
she has that dropping of the lower lip
which is mark of Japanese beauty. The
| only pictures that are now procurable of
her are those in old court dress, but these
give fair idea of her features, and her
face IS decidedly aristocratic. 'She does
not says the Court Chamberlain, "paint
her lower lip nor black her teeth, as was
the former custom of Japanese wives, and
! she wears now straight bang of hair across
| her forehoad.r At present am told that
the Empress buys her clothes, as far as
| possible, in Japan. She is a thorough little
Japanese Queen, and she is anxious to do
every thing to advance her own people
"She Isl" in the words of the Court
| Chamberlain, especially interested in
| Japanese women, and she tries to promote
| their advancement in every way. She is
very charitable, and she is especially the
| patron of the Red Cross Society and of the
| Toxic Charity Hospital AT the eruption
| OF Bandaisan she sent money at once to re-
| leve the sufferers from the volcano and
she Is especially interested in the education
OF Japanese women. There is a female
| school attended by the girls of the mobiles,
which is known as the Empress school.
She watches very closely over this, and
| one OF the pictures upon its walls consists
of some poetry written by her. The Em-
press of Japan is II fine Chinese scholar,
and she is one of the best poets In the EN-
pire. Many of her poems have been set to
music, and have been used as national
songs, and quite a number of them have
been published in the Japanese news
papers,"
"Tell me something of the daily life OF
/ the EmpresS,'' said l.
She has," replied the Court Chamber
lain, "an establishment of her own, and it
is quite large one. She has her maids of
honor, her private secretaries and the ladies
OF the court to deal with. Her morning is
occupied by the reading and writing of let
| tiers. She attends to the supervision of her
! various charities through others chiefly
and in the afternoon she devotes herself to
social duties. She receives at this time the
wives of the Ministers and the Erincesses
who may cali upon her, and if they come at
the proper time these sometimes take tea
with her. She sometimes invites these
ladies to meetings to discuss matters relat-
ing to the charity hospital, aud she has a
grand marshal and chamberlaia. She is,
you know, the first Empress of the new or:
der of things, even as the Emperor is the
first Emperor. She wears but little Jew,
elry, though she has some diamond rings
and bracelets. She is a fine horseback
rider, and often takes turn on one of the
horses of the imperial stables She wears
a European riding habit and sits her horse