The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-07-08
DOWAGER EMPRESS DEAD
FOR MAN YEARS THE ACTUAL
RULER OF CHINA.
Most Remarkable Female Character
of Her Time-Sold as Slave-Gov-
erned by Her Ability.

PEKING.-The Dowager Empress of
China. Isl Thsi, the adopted mother
of the present Emperor, is dead. She
was born in 1884.
The Dowager Empress of China,who
for years past has been the practical |
ruler of China, was originally but a |
slave. She was the daughter of poor
family living in the outskirts of Can
| ton, China. When she was about Is
! years old the great Ming rebellion.
during the time of Emperor Helm Fung
was at it's height, and the rich were
becoming weather. and the poor be-
ing dragged down to deeper distress
and poverty. Finally, when the fam
lily of the future Empress was on the
point of starvation, it was decided to
sell her.
Accordingly the girl, Lin Wing by
name, was taken into Canton and sold
to the richest family in that city. The
head of the great household was the
Tartar Tidoo General, who command
ed the troops of the province and who
was distantly related to the Emperor,
Helm Fung.
The wife of the Tidoo was delighted
with the new addition to her house
hold, and so pleased was she with Lin
Wings appearance and gentle manners
that she at once appointed her as fav-
orite maid, whose only duty consisted
in serving tea in tiny cups and bowls
on trays worked with ingenious de-
signs in gold.
Lin Wing kas soon adopted by the
General as daughter. She was placed
under tutor engaged especially for
her and, although much was expected
on account of her exceptional intelli-
gence, her rapid progress astonished
every member of the family.
In the fall of 1851 the General was
highly honored by the Emperor for
his services in suppressing the rebel,
lion, and it was decided that Lin Wing
should be made present to the EN-
peror upon receiving his new titles
for no officer ever receives honors al
the hands of the Emperor without pre-
senting in turn some rare gift. Heir
Fung was not merely charmed witt
|. his new bride; he eaamod fascinated
by her glowing eyes, which sent mes
sages of love from beneath the sill<eI
canopy of sweeping fringe, her gentle
n manner and her noble bearing, and err
u a month had sped she was honored by
the title Que Fay (exalted auxiliary.
The imperial palace awoke on
" morning three years later, early il
1854, and rejoiced at the news tina
n spread even in the courtyards wher
&. the gardeners were at work. To tn
to heavenly Prince child had been born
Q. 1t was his first son, and Que Fay wa
the mother. He was christened Tsh
Chuen, and to his mother was givel
the title Isl Thsi, which conferred up
} on her the rank of Empress, second +
that of Isl An, the principal and titu
n lar Empress.
~ In 1861 the Emperor died, proclaim
IQl ing on his deathbed his son This
I'LL Chuen, as heir to the throne. TIL
hi Dowager Empress, overturning tn
mi Board of Regents to which the En-
nj peror had temporarily given contro
H with her son of Z years virtually i
lgl her arms, assembled the throne, claim
III ing for him the title of Tung Oh,
HUI ruler of the Celestial Kingdom. Sh
HI at once placed herself at the helm {
G]| the ship of state and succeeded
I'M crushing out the rebellion. Unit
1S Tung Che attained his eighteent
H year the joint regency of the two wic
'g ows and Prince Kung continued ha
lQl moniously and unbroken. Then,
iI 1873, came the browning glory to II
mi Thsi, when her son assembled til
M throne and became in truth the En-
M peror of the kingdom. The temporar
IN withdrawal was of short duration, fC
~ in 1875 death ended the young EN-
ll peror's breif reign.
It'll Then Kwang SUI next of kin, son {
mi Prince Kung, was declared Empero
hi but all China knows that he was undo
y the advice and counsel of Isl Thsi an
- his father, for the titular Empires
- Isl An, died in 1881. And KNOWN
Y ones say that Prince Kung looked u
y to Isl Thsi in all affairs upon whic
he was called on to advise his sol
the Emperor.
''t Such is the romantic history of on
of the most remarkable women of tn
NE present age. 1t is nothing new
. students of Oriental history to read
woman ruling a vast empire wit