The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-28

II is not surprising that these three Mon
golian ladies attract much attention when
they appear on the streets. Their costumes,
their brown skin, pinked with paint or
health, one can hardly tell which; their
luXuriant black hair tightly coiled, their
jet black, slanting eyes are all very inter
esting. But their feet and their manner
Of walking are the novelties which chiefly
attract the crowds and bring the neighbors
to the front of their houses. Such walk
ing was never before seen in this country.
1t is painful enough 10 bring tears to the
eyes of one who loves womankind and
who is shocked by deformity. The poor
women do not walk at all. They simply
hobble along like cripples. Their feet are
mere clublike formations, bound and
stunted, and without elasticity or power
of helping he body 10 balance itself In
fact, the ladies walk like boys on stills, with
their feet far apart, one swinging around
after another to prevent topping over.
Yet the women 90 not seem 10 mind it.
Their eyes are bright, their compilations
rudy, their laughter infectious. When
Chey can they seize hold of fences or the
boxing Of shade trees to help themselves
along in their painful progress. Mrs. Che,
orally in the lead Mrs. Yin, a small, al
most dainty creatnre-if any woman can
be dainty whose hands are larger than her
feet-comes next. Mrs. Chin, who has eyes
chat might charm even an American,
brings up the rear. These ladies walk out
every fine day unattended They rarely
walk abreast, probably for fear that if an
accident happened TO one she might knock
ner companions over, all tumbling down
like row of boys building blocks.
Indeed, it Is the gossip Of the housemaids
living about Dupont Circle that just such
an accident did once befall this quaint trio,
but in all probability this is a mere over
the-back-fence fairy tale. A favorite walk
with the three ladies Is down p street past
Secretary Blaine's house to the bridge over
Rock creek, where they seat themselves on
the masonry and watch the children play
Ing near by. One day ] saw Mrs. Che pick
ND stone and endeavor 10 throw it into
the water below. 1t was with her per-
Torrance of obvious difficulty. In the first
place she found is necessary TO retain
hold OF the iron railing in STOPPING TO pick
up the stone. Then her hand was so fat
and her arm so clumsy that she was unable
TO do much more than lift the stone over
the ramparts and let il fall. So awkward
were her movements that her companions
laughed heartily at her failure, and l could
not help wondering II they had in China
jokes about the awkwardness of a woman
throwing a stone.
Ii Is said these three srstocratic ladies
for all OF them are highly born-are so !
clumsy with their fat hands that they are |
unable to dress and undress themselves, |
and that but for the nelp " their maid |
they would be quite helpless. By the way,
they have but one maid between them. the |
present minister being an economical old 1
chap, and the mystery is how they get /
along. Though he docs not like 70 spend |
money In America the new minister is pro
gressive ia good many things. he gives 4
he ladies Of his house lold much more lib
srty than any Chinese minister stationed /
here has ever before permitted. l have no
ticed, however, that while out walking
Mrs Che. Mrs Yin and Mrs. Chin never 4
70 out ~ sight OF the legation house, and 4
while they are out a man servant stands in l
front Of the legation and keeps an eye on
them. Oddly enough, this servant is an
freshman, who has been employed here for /
six or eight years; and oddly enough, 4
again, lie is exceedingly fond of his en-
ployers The minister's wife and her two
are very fond of children, and 4
many Of the children in the neighborhood /
sre fond of them. in their pockets the La