Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-07

W
mansion, which was for so many years the
| home OF the legation. They are CHARTERED
now IN group of three houses at the head
OF 14th street 1t is a lonely location, for
this part of Washington is but sparsely
settled. But the legation commands a beau
tiful view of the city, Of the Potomac river
and of the wooded heights beyond The
building Is more modern and more COM
Portable than the Stewart building But
the old members of the legation, il they
were here. would miss the cheerful little
park in the center of Dupont circle and the
group of merry children with whom they
spent many pleasant hour The members
OF the present legation do not know many
Washington people and they make few
calls. The members of the old legation had
| many friends among the people who lived
near Dupont circle and especially among
the young people there. They were fire.
quent visitors and welcome guests in many
homes
The new legation building is furnished in
almost all respects like modern American
mouse. Anyone who visits it with q view to
seeing something typically Chinese will be
disappointed. In the broad hallway stands
a gigantic American nat-rack. On the
| moor or the reception room are velvet car
pet rugs OF American make. The furniture
Is OF birch, upholstered in American tap
| estry goods. In the center of the room is
| silded tete-a-tete chair. In .he window
| stands small table with a silk-shaded
banquet lamp of silver and gilt, mounted
| Oh an onyx base. There are two large
| Cnlnese vases on the floor and two of
| smaller size on the mantel. Long panel
| stlIps covered with gold embroidery hang
| from ceiling to floor along the walls of the
| room. Ihere is nothing else distinctively
| Shinese The upholstering of the furniture
- III DAINTY blues and other light tints not
S a. al according with the ordinary idea Of
Chinese gaudiness.
Chinese Cooks,
But II the members of the legation have
an uncharacteristic surrounding they do
bar
mere are Chinese cooks in the kitchen Of
the legation, and muchAof the food which is
eaten by the legation people was brought
from China. OF course no ATTEMPT is made
10 bring fresh food from Hong Kong. Even
me rice which Is eaten by the legation peo-
PIE was grown in America. But some dried
tooos ana some preserved CONNECTIONS have
peen brought from China, and many of the
SSoiluinents used in preparing dishes for the
iesdtlon table are distinctively Chinese The
- e"h 1000 used in preparing the meals at
s sne leeaton is very like that which is used
Ioi SiIilIdr meals at American tables For
example, the legation breakfast NAV con-
slst or eggs, chicken, beef or mutton, or
possibly all of these things together for the
sS 1 tabie Is lavlshly supplied. But the
moue OF preparing these dishes is so differ
en- from ours that they would hardly be
recognized by an American palate. The
lesation people divide their meals much as
DO the people OF Washington They eat
breakfast at about 8 O'clock luncheon he
tween l and and dinner at in the even
ing. Win one eXCeptiOn-Mr Nav the
S oi9eIor OF the lesa uon-no American has
psen invited to partake Of the Inequalities
OF the legation dining table Possibly a Sc
RES OF chinese dinners will be given as a
feature OF social life next seas son. The min
lster mas refrained from giving any formal
entertainments at all during the past win
Ter. he has planned a ball for next winter
IN the meantime he is extending the social
acquaintance of himself and Mrs Yang Ju
SHOWN disposition to observe our social
customs by taking his wife to one of the
formal dinners at the White House
Inc minister and his family have their
own dining room in the legation building
me minister's wife may not sit at table
with the legation attaches. If the minister
is absent from Washington, his wife NAV
invite the other two ladies of the layatio,
10 SIT at dinner with her, or she NAV call
IN one OF the four maids to keep her COM
pany. But, although the LEGATION peopla
may not sit with her at table, she must
snow her respect for their position as tbe
representatives of the Chinese government
by standing in their presence The Chinese
are very punctilious observers Of official ETH
Quette.
Her Chief Entertainments.
MRS Yang Ju entertains herself chiefly
by driving or going to the theater She
does not ride. Neither do any OF the men,
bers of the legation as yet. though some of
duties which she has assumed give Mrs
Yang Ju certain amount Of OCCUPATION.
But there must be very limited entertain
ment in the conversations which she holds
with American women through the good
OFFICES of an interpreter Far more enter
tanning Is the theater when an opera or a
| spectacular snow is being given. The
ohlnese have always been liberal patrons of
the Washington theaters. They usually take
from two to four boxes When the minis
ter's wife is of the party they always sit
IN boxes And the minister leaves none of
his family at home. 1t is all there down to
the tiniest Chinese tot carried in the nurses
arms But when the men of the legation
go to the theater by themselves they usually
take part OF row of seats, usually extend
Ing from one aisle to another, very near the
orchestra. Between the acts they wander
out for smoke, and some of them puff away
on Havana cigars, a habit acquired since
they came to the United States None of
them patronize the saloons. When they
have had their smoke. they troop back into
the theater. apparently unconscious OF the
curious interest which the audience is taking
In the gaudy colOrs and the tapping skirts
of their silken gowns. They are the bright
bits of color in the somberness of social
Washington.
Neither Mrs. Yang Ju nor the children
have yet been photographed. though there
have been many inquiries for their portraits
among the people whom they have met
socially. There Is popular belief that the
OHlleSe are SupeTSIlIlOuS ABOUT Delng lhO-
tographed, that they believe that the man
who holds their photographs controls their
souls. If there is such a superstition the
legation people say that they do not know
! 1t. Certainly it has not much influence with
them. for the minister and all his suite were
photographed In San Francisco last sum-
mer on their way to Washington. But
Mrs. Yang Ju has withstood the bandish-
ments of the photographer SO far.
| asked the interpreter II Mrs. Yang Ju
had expressed or would express her views
of her new life-of America and American
institutions He looked half surprised and
half Mortified he replied that a Chinese
lady would not wish to give her views about
anything. China has not been educated up
to the interview yet.
Dawdling.
From Harpers Bazaar.
Dawdling is reckoned among the minor
offenses of human conduct, and Is indul-