The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-11-01
MARITAL rSFrLrcIrY on THE THRONE.

The arried life Of the young Emperor
Cf china has not been happy Ou-. Tho
outside world knows little of what goes
on Inside the SlCTefly guarded imperial
palace at r.kin. but enough has trans
plr.l TO show that ne Emperor who
IS hot tempered and spirited, bitterly
rc-cLtc1 the manner i'm which his con
sort was thrust upon him against his
ir,hnations by the imrarIous and self
Willcd Empress DowaEer The young
Empress, Yo-ffo-NG-La. found the I'VE
years OF married life filled with dlScprd
and unhappiuess until at last, after a
violent scene with her angry spouse, she
put an end to her earthly troubles by
taking poison.
1t was IN 1859 that the Emperor mar
ried lie was then youth Of eighteen;
The selection Of his bride was governed
by the rules laid down In tho Book of
Rites. and is a tedious and elaborate
process The dynasty IS Manehu ana the
Emperor must marry one or MS -
race. For year before the ildII"'E'
was celebrated. hundreds OF idlT COM
uetitors. all daughters OF MauChu mauda-
Tins Of not less than the third rank. com
pcted for the honor or sharing the I'M
Iprial throne. After several Inspections
i'm which the beauty family influence
and intellectual attainments OF the
Young ladies' were taken into grave CON
sidaratou. the list of asPirduts was re-
The Emperor himself was deeply smit-
ION with the charms OF the daughter or
A high Manchu military officer, and ne
expressed his intention 10 5har" ms
throne with her. he also selected an
otlpr fair lamssI %h SO beauty struck
his Youthful heart with admiration, for
M. second wife But the old lady Tho
had 50 long and so D0nly welded the
sreptre during his minority, had no in
tar-iou # allowing the young Emperor
In follow his bent I'm this matter, and had
already decided on match for him, by
which the throne would be- -hared by one
of her own family Accordingly. the
lady selected was her niece. who was
anything but a beauty, from The Chinese
or Nauuhu point Of view, ard after
great many Scenes and violent alter
cations the Empress Dowag proved her
authority by having the marriage with
her niece celebrated. hll IN" unhappy
bridegroom, though he Yields sway over
a third Of the human race - as human
and obstinate i'm affairs Of this kind -
any other boy Of eighteen. and his mar
rage was the commencement ~ q bitter
strife between himself and the old lady
who had SO kindly looked after his matri-
monial welfare. He never got over his
disappointment and ever afterWarl re-
cardcd h.th the Empress CouSort and her
imperial aunt with an anUpathy which
daily grew stronger
The unhappy young Empress was, at
the time Of her marriage. only thirteen
years old. She was the daughter OF
General Kuei-hsianC, younger brother OF
the Empress DrWager \ marriage in
'tated under such unhappy auspices
could scarcely prove satisfactory I'm any
respect and the past five years have
been filed with duarreis between the I'm
Terial couple. Now the end OF IL has
come. The girl Emprcss completely
broken I'm spirit by the humiliation O.
which she found herself constantly sub
jected. has chosen 10 face death rather
than try 10 bear the burden Of her un-
happiness any longer.
TrE EMPEROR n VERY ANGRY.
LONDON. oct. G.-A dispatch 10 the
Central News from Tien-Tsn says:
The Pekin Mercury learns that the
Emperor is intensely angry at the eX-
listing condition of things and determined
10 investigate affairs personally. Ac-
cordiUgly he is sumuoning the viceroys,
governors and other officials before him.