Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-10-26

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household, but because the empress
doWsger, who in reality conduts most
OF the physical tests, is so hard to please.
She herself is a woman Of rare beauty,
! manifcent physique and great mental
| attachments, and she takes no interest
in asprants who are not OF the same
perfect mold.
She is indeed q hard taskmstress, so
! hard, In fact, that IL took her several
months to decide upon accepting the
present wife of her adopted son, the
| emperor, from the fact, it is said, that
I she had a freckle somewhere in the
region OF her lest ear. After great de-
| liberation, however, she was induced to
| place the young Manchu princess upon
the throne seat because in all other
branches of the department she passed
| perfectly.
THE CANDIDATES FAREWELL.
After the aspirsnt is chosen she is al
| lowed TO make a trip TO Der home and
pay a last farewell TO her parents, for
she will probably never be allowed TO
visit them again. They may come upon
certain hours of certain days to see her
at the imperial palace OF the empress
dowager, but at these interviews there
are always guards ard spies present,
and the result is hardly satisfactory,
but the lives OF girls in China are so
thoroughly unhappy at any cost that
she naturally prefers sn easy, luxurious
life In the harem 10 life at home under
impOverishmentS aud SlaViSh rules.
The news has already reached all OF
her relatives. II is carried by the i'm
perial couriers as if it were an import
ant dispatch upon matters OF state. So
when she arrives at home it is usually
TO lind il crowded with relatives, with
a throng of neigh bors blocking the door
and the road in front. They receive
her with almost the same awe as If she
were q great mandarin. Her selection
as consort Of the "Son OF Heaven" has
invested her with a kind os sacredness
similar 10 that which Oegirts the
throne.
The peoYle>on the outside make way
for her ard bow and even kCw-,Ow as
she passes. When she goes beyond the
portal her own family PROSTATE them
selves before her as If she were a Supe-
rior being. She passes TO her mothers
apartment where, after bathing, re-
freshing and redressing, she receives
her entire family circle. The festivity
lasts all day and night, and sometimes
two days. To the meantime a musical
and theatrical entertainment is given 10
the yard attached TO the house or in the
street or public square outside.
The girl usually spend a week with
l. F,1 AZ a. inn b,a
is converted into a beehive, because
when she returns she is to 20 with a
trousseau worthy Of her future station.
No expense is spared 10 cothe her in
magnificent styie. AT the same time,
to prevent unlimited extrayagauce,
there are a set of rules devised by the
board of rites which regulates her en-
tire outfit, its style, cut, the maximum
quantity, the number Of garments and
everything else pertaining TO her phar-
aphernalia This is done part
ly to prevent the creation Of
ill-will among the members OF
the harem and partly to prevent hap |
py father from running himself IN fit
ting ont his daughter. Even with this !
protection the expense is immoderate. |
Where the parents are not very well-to-
do they will pawn all they have and |
then borrow from their relatives TO |
make up the deficiency. Where they |
are very poor they appeal to their kin
dred for the necessary funds, and so |
great is the honor considered that this |
appeal is never lett unheo-@ - 1''-a-
garded.
When the time has expired the girl, |
still under the protection and escort OF |
an imperial empoye, is taken back to |
Pekin and delivered 10 the custodian oil
the prohibited city.