The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-09-13
LADY YANG YU'S TOILET.
IN THE BoUDOIR OF THE WIFE OF
THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR.
Her Feet Are Chicago Size-Rigors of
Monaghan Etiquette-Views of the
Wife OF an Oriental Dignitary on
the Subject of Plural Wives-She
Evidently Has Ideas Similar to
Those of Most American Women.

An interview with the wife of the
Chinese ambassador to America is not
the easiest thing in the world TO get.
1 was detailed to assault the triple
walled citadel OF Chinese etiquette, in
wade the ultimate stronghold of Orien-
tai exclusiveness and ascertain what
manner of creature the SWEETEST Chinese
lady in America might be. But at the
Palace hotel I soon learned that an in
tervie1y with her ladyship was, even for
woman, almost an impossibility; so
stringent are the Chinese customs re-
garding the exclusiveness of a woman
Of Lady Yang's social position that no
man, other than her husband a very <
near kinsmsn, is allowed to speak to
her, and Lady Yang hasn't a relative
here who can speak English. In fact,
the minister himself is an exclusive per-
son and holds no ordinary conversation
even with his own people. His cousin,
Mr.. Kwong, big. fat, important look
ing old Chinese. with a ferocious gray
mustache, conveys the minister's mes
sages TO his retinue. An American wish
ing to speak TO the minister must first
tell Mr. Chung, the interpreter, what
he wants TO say; Mr.. Chung translates
the message to Mr.. Kwong. who can't
speak a word of English, and he deliv-
ers 1t to the minister.
I told Mr.. Chung my mission. he in
terpreted 1t to Mr.. Kwong, who in
stantly disappeared, going. I thought.
to tell the lady 1 wanted to see her.
But waited and waited. and Mr.. Kwong
did not reappear.
was thinking very seriously of walk
ing in and introducing myself when
a pretty little chamber-maid came trip
ping down the hall with a lot of towels
over her arm. Immediately / begged
the towels of her. borrowed her cap and
apron and entered the minister's apart
ments.
Lady Yang. her children and three
maids were in the bedroom. She was in
long, light-blue silk dressing-gown
that was made more like a Japanese
than a Chinese garment. She was sit
ting in a chair in front of the bureau
looking in the mirror Her long black
hair was down and a maid was comb
ing it. Her three children were play
ing around her.
The eldest is a boy six years old. and
the only bit of English he attempted
to speak was "a, B, c, d. and he re-
peated the four letters over and over,
seeming to think they conveyed all he
would like TO say to me.
Lady Yang looked at me severely
as L SIOOQ talking the CnlluTeu AFTER
l had put the towels in their place, but
/ dropped on my knees and began to
play with one OF the little girls. She
really was very cute, a little dirtier
than white child in the same position
would have been, but then the Chinese
children do not wear wash materials"
as white children do.
While played with the child I looked
at the mother furtively. Her toilet was
bewildering as it progressed. The maid
brought her back and front hair over
the middle of a huge back comb that
resembled nothing so much as a deer's
antlers- 1t stuck out from her head
about five inches on either side, and
these lateral pieces were adorned with
red and green and pink artificial roses.
Her hair was coiled about the center
of the comb in a marvellous manner. A
big patch of red had been put on each
cheek and her lips painted and eye
brows blackened before 1 went in.
Lady Yang is taller than the average
Chinese woman and very thin. She
has big feet though she tries to con-
ceal that fact by wearing a sort of
square heel under the middle of her
slippers that makes her walk as awk-
wardly as the typical Chinese belle.
Her little girls feet are rot bound as
Chinese baby girls generally are.
Several of the other Chinese gentle
men have their wives with them. Mr..
Shu, who expects to be consul-general,
and Mr.. Hoo, who will probably be sec
rotary to the minister when the appoint
Dients are made in Washington, kindly
introduced me to their wives, who speak
only the Chinese language. Mr.. Shu
does not speak English, so Mr. Chung
volunteered to act as interpreter for
us Mrs. Shu does not appear to be
over sixteen years of age. She is a
bright little woman and has feet smaller
than most two-year-Old American ba-
bies have but the way she gets about
on them is marvellous.
The rigor of Chinese etiquette was
manifest during this interview. Though
Mr.. Shu was in the same room with us
acting interpreter, he addressed my
questions to Mrs. Shu to her husband,
who repeated them to his wife as though
she had not heard the interpreters
voice. She answered her husband, and
he gave her answers to Mr.. Chung, who
finally told me what she had said. 1t
was about as slow getting messages
from the spirit land.
Only once during our conversation did
she manifest any animation, and that
was when / asked If she thought a man
should, have more than one wife Her
husband dent repeat the question to
her, but answered it himself, saying that
as she had been raised in China, where
IL was customary for a man to have
several wives, she thought it was all
right: but she evidently did not, for she
shook her head most emphatically and
held up one tinger.-Luella Greea in the
FRA roiScO