The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-11-19
MRS. LII HUNG CHANG.

lily, and by her influence kept that fam
lily in power many years. There has
been q revolution, and the queen has
fed, but il is not known where she has
taken refuge.
Lady Ii, or Mrs. Ii Hung Chang, as
We may say, is about 55 years old, but
so we'll preserved that she might pass
for 80. She is of pure Tartar blood, OF q
distinguished Mantchoorian family and
shows it in her high cheek bones and
marked features, yet she is quite hand
some, with large expressive eyes, d hap
py, genial air and winning manners.
AS a maiden she was better educated
than Chinese ladies generally, and after
marriage her husband, contrary TO all
precedent there, continued her ednca-
ton. In 1880 some missionary doctors
admitted to her society were astonished
to find that she had considerable knowl-
edge of medicine, understood the Eu-
ropean system, and in general Informal
ton was far superior to most OF the
mandarins. .-.t ....
Like her husband, she has a great adj
miration for western ways. and when
the native physicians had given her
case up as hopeless during a serious ILL
ness she sent for o male and female
physician of the American board OF for
eign missions. They restored her health
and strength, and she thereafter did all
she could to promote their work.
LII Hung Chang showed his gratitude
by fitting up a general d~ispensary In
Tien- tsin, which he presented TO the
mission, and Lady Ii established n ex-
clusively for women and put in charge
of 1t the American lady who had at
tended her. But they commended invain
with Chinese stupidity and prejudice.
The people were taught and believed that
the missionaries were prisoners, and the
riots of two years ago followed.
Lady Ii and her husband live In the
suburbs of Tien-tsin the bank OF
the Pei-Ho river in an establishment
famous for elegance and spiendor. The
yiceroy Ia one Of the richest men in Chi
ma, and his wife has full control of his
income. American and European ladies
are often her guests and speak with
rapture of the wonderful walks and
gardens, the fountains, flowers and fish
ponds, the great troops of imperial pea
cocks, the song birds, curious fishes, boz
tanic collections and ceramic ware illus.
trating Chinese art in all ages. Here
the ladies of the imperial court enjoy
themselves in v~oluptuous seclusion. But
just outside the gates and everywhere
else in. China is the awful misery.
Ninety-nine ont of every hundred Chi
nese women are pressed down almost to
the level of soulless automatons.
Even Lady Iii shufies about on mere
stumps of feet, deformed In her child.
hood like all the rest, and when she
takes the air in her magnificent gardens
has to be carried i'm a chair litter. Yet
she has a beautiful complexion, hathel
twice q day i'm oil of orange and acacia
hllocsas. 10 artistic IL her toilet md
dresses her hair in 80 different ways
Such Is China-boundless prodigality
and dainty luxury for a very few. I'm
ending toll and misery for the many.
The present empress OF China In younl
and apparently without character. Th.
aged dowager ID . woman of extraordi
mary talent. Fifty years ago she wa
Yin Ling, the pretty childfof q poor fam
lily In Canton. In q famine they sol,
her CIV ret food for the rest She becam
d slave In q wealthy family and eyentu
ally in the palace at Peking. The EN-
peror was charmed with her, she be
came one Of his auxiliary wives, and j
1854 bore him D son. A an infant tina
son became emperor. with his mothe
as regent.