The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-02

thro re0h ms ch sfr' placed Ga On a raised
dais in the center of the studio. qn
the left breast of his yellow jacket ne
wore the. medal recently given him by the
Queen. and his feather hung down his PACK
in a manner which concealed 1t from the
artist. Grouped behind the sitter were the
suite and his retainers, while in front,
watching the spectacle, were, at the thiru
sitting on Tuesday, the artists sisters. sew
eral friends, Sir George F.. Bowen, and the
Daily Mail reporter. AT the first sitting,
before the brush had touched the canvas,
at a sign from the ambassador two pack
ages were produced and presented to the
artist, the interpreter explaining that they
were from the Chinese royal repositories
One of these is a superb Chinese palate
in jade mot green jade, but the much rar-
er white jade) in a most curious oriental
lolIh. mere were eneldnidtutis VI usisne
and admiration on all sides as this delicate
and tasteful testimonial was revealed, and
there We're more EXPLANATIONS accompan-
led by some pretty bushes as the next
present was unfolded. 1t was a roll of ex-
quisite silk from the Picking royal looms,
which Ii Chung Tong explained through
the interpreter was for a wedding dress FOR
the artist.
Then the great Chinaman leaned back in
his chair and the sitting began in earnest.
There were two curious features of this
sitting. which might almost have been
called a reception. One vas Ii Chung
Tong's extraordinary loqCacity. The other
was the way he INDUCED in smoking. His
EXcellency wanted to know everything and
asked questions till the interpreter began
TO snow signs of giving out. Every few
minutes the great Ii would make a sign
to an attendant, and then his pipe would
be presented. He smoked a very long. but
not large pipe, only taking two or three
whlffs at a turn. the attendant keeping the
pipe alight all the time it was being smoked
by means of a taper. One of the strang-
est incidents of the occasion was the fire.
quen> attention given by the attendants to
the peacock feather. Every few minutes
one of them would walk up behind the sit
ter and carefully stroke and smooth down
the brilliant plume. One of Lis
sallies is worth recording. 1t came
up in a conversation with Sir
George Bowen, who knew his ExcelIency
in China. that the day of the great Ma
poleCns death was also the birthday OF
Il Chung Tong, Sir George Bowen and
Gen. L. S. Grant. Sir George made this
an opportunity of remarking that the day
Europe lost a Napoleon China gained one
Ii promptly replied that on the same day
England had gained a Bismarck. The
knowledge which every one present dis.
played about LIS doings in London amazed
both him and his suite. Why" said Ii
how can they have found it out? There
are millions of people in China to-day who
do not yet know of the war with Japan
Keen delight Illuminated Lis face as he
looked upon the half-inished portrait oil
himself at the close of Tuesdays sitting
50 pleased with it was he that he tool
Miss Mortlocks album away with him tc
write III it at his leisure, and he has prom
lsed to try to get the Empress of China tc
gi." sittings. in which case Miss MortIoak
VIII go to China.