The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-28
LADY YANG YU's TOILETTE.
In the Boudoir of the Wife of the
Chinese Ambassador.
From the san Francisco Examiner.

Chinese Ambassador.
From the san Francisco Examiner.
An interview with the wife Of the Chi
nese ambassador to America is not the
easiest thing in the world to get | was
detailed to assault the triple-walled cit
adel of Chinese etiquette, invade the ulti-
mate stronghold of oriental exclusiveness
and ascertain what manner of creature
the SWEETEST Chinese lady in America
might happen to be. But at the Palace
hotel | soon learned that an interview
with her ladyship was, even for a woman,
almost an impossibility; so stringent
are the Chinese customs regard
ing the eXclusiveness Of a woman of Lady
Yang's social position that no man, other
than her husl and or a very near lKins-
man, is allowed to speak to her, and Lady
Yang hasn't a relative here who can
speak English. In fact, the minister him
self as an exclusive person and holds no
ordinary conversation even with his own
people His cousin, Mr.. Kwong, a big,
fat, important looking old Chinese, with
terocious gray mustache, conveys the
minister's messages to his retinue. An
American wishing 80 speak to the minis
ter must first tell Mr. Chung. the inter-
prefer, what he wants to say Mr. Chung
translates the message to Mr.. Kwong
who can't speak a word of English and
he delivers it to the minister
told Nh Chung my mission, he inter-
preted it to Mr.. Kwong, who instantly
disappeared going, l thought, to tell the
lady / wanted to see her But / waited
and waited, and MIR. kwong did not ap-
pear.
L was thinking very seriously of walk
ing in and introducing myself when a
pretty little chamber-maid came tripping
down the hall with a lot of towels over
her arm. Immediately I begged the
towels of her, borrowed her can and
apron and entered the minister's apart
ments.
Lady Yang, her children and three
maids were in her bedroom She was in a
long, light-Eiue silk dressing-gown that
was made more like a Japanese than a
Chinese garment. She was sitting in a
chair in front of the bureau, looking in
the mirror. Her long black hair was
down and a maid was combing it, Her
three children were playing around her
The eldest is a boy six years old, and
the only bit Of English he attempted to
speak was ga, B, @, D." and he repeated
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 I
stood talking to the children after | had
put the towels IN their place, but l
dropped on my knees and began to play
with one of the little girls She is really
very cute, a little dirter than a 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 He toilet was
bewildering as it progressed. The maid
brought her back and front narrower the
middle of a huge black comb that resem-
bled nothing so much as a deer's antlers
1t struck out from her head about five
inches on either side, and these lateral
pieces were adorned with red and green
ana 9pinx artificial roses Her hair was
colled 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 eyebrows blaekened before l
went in.
Lady Yang is taller than the average
Chinese woman and very thin. She has
big feet, though she tries to conceal that
fact by wearing a sort of a square heel
under the middle of her slippers that
makes her walk as awkwardly as the
typical Chinese belle Her little girls
feet are not bound as Chinese baby girls
generally are
Several of the other Chinese gentlemen
have their wives with them. Mr. Shu
VINO expects TO De consul general, and Mr..
Hoo, who will probably be secretary to
the minister when the appointments are
made in Washington, kindly introduced
me to their wives, who speak only the
Chinese language. Mr.. Shu does not
speak English, 50 Mr. Chung volunteered
to act as interpreter for us. Mrs. Shu
does not appear to be over 16years of age.
She is bright little woman. and has feet
smaller than most 2year-old American
babies have, but the way she gets about
in them is marvellous,
The rigor of Chinese etiquette was man
ifest during this interview Though Mr.
Shu was in the same room with us acting
as interpreter, he addressed my questions
TO Mrs Lhu to her husband, who repeat
ed 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, VINO finally told
me what she had said. 1t was about as
slow as 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 didn't repeat the question to her,
but answered it himself saying that as
she had been raised in China, where it
was customary for a man to have several
wives, she thought it was all right; but
she evidently did not, for she shook her
mead most emphatically and held up one
finger