Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1895-02-02
A eELoiAN MANDARIN.
The Romantic Career o. q Chinese
Custom Official,

wv VO"uUVO SuVOOp 0v = SUvC0OO
Custom Official.
While the young American bicy.
clists, Messrs. Allen and Sachtleb ben.
were crossing the Desert OF Cobb.
they heard much Of mysterious and
powerful official called the Ling
DARN. No one could tell who or
what lie was. Finally, as they
emerged from the desert, starved, III
and ragged, they were met by o
richly dressed mandarin, according
to the story they tell in the Century.
He greeted them cordially in clear
but broken English, and, mounted
on waiting horses, they were attended
into the city of Su.chou. 1T was
some time before the idea flashed
across our minds that this might in.
deed be the mysterious Ling DARN
about whom we had heard 50 much.
Yes, said he, that Is what I am
called here, but my real name Is
Splingard.' He then went on to tell
us that he was Belgian by birth I;
that he had travelled extensively
through China, rs the companion OF
Baron Richthofen. and had thus be.
come SO thoroughly acquainted with
the country and It's people that, on
his return to the coast, he had been
offered by the Chinese government
the position of custom mandarin ut
Su.chou, a position just then estab.
lished for the levying Of duty on the
Russian goods passing In through
the northwest provinces; that he
had adopted the Chinese dress and
mode Of living, and had even mar.
ried, many years agc, n Chinese girl
educated ut the Catholic schools In
Tientsin.
1--WE were so absorbed in this 70.
mantle history that we scarcely no
ticed the crowds That lined the streets
leading to the Ling Darin's palace.
until the boom of cannon recalled
us to our situation. From u Q smile
on tho jolly face beside us We knew
ut once whom We could hold respon-
sible for this reception. The palace
gates were now thrown open by n
host Of servants, and In our rags and
tatters we rolled ut once from the
hardships OF the inhospitable desert
int the up OF luxury.
"A surplus Is not always so easily
disposed Of as n deficit-at least We
were inclined to think 30 in the case
OF our Su-chou diet. The Ling Oar.
ms table, which, for the exceptional
occasion, was set In the foreign
fashion with knives aud forks, fairly
teemcd with abundance and variety.
There was even butter, made from
the milk OF tho Tibotan yak, and con-
densed milk for our coffee, the first
we had tasted since leaving Turkey,
more than u year before. The Ling
DARN informed us that u can Of this
milk, which he once presented to
Chinese friends, had been mistaken
for face cosmetic, and was 80 used
by the ladies Of the family. The
Ling Darin's wife We found an excel
lent and even artistic cook, while his
buxom twin daughters could read and
write their own languagc-a rare &c.
complishment for Chinese woman
AS guests OF our highly respected
uhu CNSh NCuVtuVcu ibOSV, Wc WcEc
visited by nearly oil the magistrates
OF the city. The Ling DARN was
never before compelled to answer SO
many questions. In self-defence he
was forced to get up u storeot yped
speech to deliver on each social oc.
casiOn. The people, too, besieged
tho palace gates, and clamorcd for
an exhibition. Although our own
clothes had been sent away to be
boiled, we could not plead this as ~,
excuse. The flowing Chinese CUR.
ments which had boon provided from
tho private wardrobe OF the Ling
DARN nuttered wildly In the breeze,
rs we rode out through tho city ut
the appointed hour. Our Chinese
shoes, also, were constantly slipping
OIL, and as we raised tho foot to re-
adjust them, n shout went up from
the crowd for what they thought was
some fancy touch in the way OF rid
lnv