Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1890-05-15
THE CHINESE MINISTER.
A shrewd Old Gentleman-Acqui
ment of thc Accomplishment OF

A shrcwd Old Gentleman-Acquire.
ment of thc Accomplishment OF
Dancing.
!, / met the Chinese minister on Thursday ~
a senatorial reception, says Washington let
ter to The Omaha Zee, and listened with
pleasure to conversation In which he
INDUCED with the nephews Of one Of the sena-
tors.
"Vellee fine day." chlrped the envoy ex-
traordinary.
"Lovely," responded the young gentle
man.
'shallee welee see you at ourlee lecep.
tionl"
''oh / guess not" responded the young
man 'There will be such crush"
ooh, yessee," said the minister, "allee
Washington likee belize fullee."
Thus did the shrewd representative Of tho
Flowery Kingdom refer to the free-lsnshipg
mania of Washington society.
The Chinese minister during the past sea-
son has been throwing himself into the social
vortex with an nergy and vigor that would
do credit to a man thirty years younger.
Having watched In ecstatlc raptures the
movements of the modern waltz during the
last year, aud having been compelled TO d e.
cline the earnest requests OF scores OF ladies
to meander with them in the giddy mazes OF
the dance, the minister last December made
arrangements TO receive private instructions
in dancing, together with his translator,
LANG Shung, and couple OF other mem
bers Of the legation. Mondays and Thurs
days, with an unvarying regularity, tnese
representatives Of oriental aristrocracy conia
be found at Miss Wilson's, prespring 10 their
efforts to acquire a knowledge OF the three
and two-step waltz, and making glittering
circles of blue silk and tinsel as they whiried
around chairs and carromed against sotas IN
the apartments OF the fair dsncing.tsacher.
No more inspiring and insprltlng sight has
ever been seen in Washington than the
Chinese minister plenipoteDtiary, with his
spectaoles bobbng up and down on his nose,
clssping spasmodcally the fatr-haired Ameri-
can maiden, wildly endeayoring to elude her
train as 1t swept over the floor, and lodging
her fairy like feet as they tripped through the
mare Of the polka. As result tho Chinese
minister can now dance the two-step walts
% we'll as the average 10.yesr-old American
school-boy, while his agoniZinR contortions
in the polka would throw Mr.. Dodworth into
commissions OF merriment. He feels, how
ever. quite satisfied with bis progress, and At
one OF Mrs.. WhtDey's receptions couple OF
weeks ago paralyzed all bystanders by knock
ing over three foreign diplomates and doub-
ling up waiter with tray OF wine-glasses as
be skipped festively down the floor with his
four-inch soled shoes, bobbing serenely up
and down In the festive watt.
That Chinese minister Is not devoid OF
gratitude for the social attention paid him
may be seen by a visit to some OF the ladies'
parlors IN Washington, where, hanging on
tables, are seen the New Years gifts Of his
excellency. Like most OF his nationality, he
never allows a Chinese New Years TO pass
without giving profuse evidences OF bis re-
gard for his friends. How deeply attached he
Is to his dancing teacher may be seen from
the fact when Chinese New Year came
around this year he sent her most gor-
geously decorated pair of silk stockings,
which she now has hung on her parlor wall
with a Chinese dragon above them.