Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-09-23
A BIT OF ROMANCE.
HOW A POOR CHINESE GIRL BE.
CAME OOWAGeR EMPRESS

Sold by Her Family to Obtain
Bread She Ultimately Find
Favor in the Eyes of the Empcr
or Who EXalts Her to the IIisl,
est Position in the Land--Sh
Is Now at the Head of the En-
pirc.
This is the story Of how Il slave cir
became the richest and most powerful
ruler of the modern world, the story O
how poor little Yin Ling was raise,
from the depths OF such poverty as w
OF the Western Hemisphere know
nothing Of, to the exalted position O
dowagcr empress OF the great Chimes
kingdom. She is now Isl Thsi, ant
her word is law among her people
even above that of the emperor him
self.
The power OF the former slave girl il
felt throughout the uttermost king
doms, principalities and republics O
the earth.
And now, at the age of sixty-fivc
this wonderful woman, after man,
years of active ruling, and after a pc
riod of retirement from public life, i,
again at the helm. Cable dispatches
the other day announced that the EN-.
press dowager had openly relieved the
emperor of all real power. The min
listers received their instructions di.
rectly from her, and Ii Hung Chang
practically supersedes the tsung Ii
yamun.
Fifty years ago the empress dowager
never dreamed of her present power
and splendor. Her thoughts were oc-
cupied with problem which then
seemed greater than any other in the
world. 1t was where the next bowl OF
rice was to come from.
During the turbulent reign of En-.
peror Helm Fung, there lived in the
outskirts OF Canton a poor family
named Tzun. The fierce Tai Ping re-
bellion was at its height. The soldiers
were little better than pillaging bands
of robbers. On the principle "unto
him that hath it shall be given," the
rich became still richer, and the poor
were driven to despair and starvation.
Oppressed and prosecuted the Tzun
family moved from place to place, be.
coming poorer and poorer, until they
finally sought refuge in squalid hut
Here we shall be safe," the father re.
marked, "fOr we have nothing left
that any one can steal" He was a
philosopher, and a worthy disciple ol
COnfucius.
There lived Ii Tzun with his good
wife and his two children, Yin Ling, q
beautiful child of fourteen, and Kc
Jon, her seven-year-old brother
There they lived OH one bowl of rice a
day until even that gave out. Moth
ing was left for them to do but tC
starve like rats in q hole.
But before doing this Ii Tzun made
a trip to Canton, in last despairine
hope of securing assistance. 1t was
indeed a despairing hope. The moon
was high in the heavens when he re.
turned to the miserable place he called
home. 1t was his home, miserable as
it was, for it sheltered all that was left
to him in the world-his wife and
children.
His hands were empty and his heart
was sad as he greeted his dear ones
There was no help to be had. Hi:
friends were worse off than he. They
were selling their daughters into slav'
cry.
Yin Ling did not sleep that night.
She tossed on her couch of dried
leaves, and forgot that she was hun
cry. She was thinking-thinkinl
harder than she had ever done before
in her life.
In the morning she said: "My
father, l have thought all night lone
of what you told us. Pray sell me
We have no food. We must die. II
is better that should be sold. Fol
me you could get much money, ant
when the wars are over you may bt
able to buy me back"
The father and mother were speech
less with horror and wept all day
But night came again, and agair
there was no rice. Little Ko Jon wa.
moaning with pain. In the dead o.
night the father stole away like THE
and little Yin Ling went with him
Her mother never saw her again.
Arriving in Canton Ii Tzun, clasp
ing his daughter by the hand, knocked
for admittance ut the gate of the fines
house in that part of the city. HI
was determined that his child should
not be sacrificed for a song. The head
of the great house was the Tartar III
doc general, who commanded the
troops of the province, and who was
related to the Emperor Helm Fung
The general was greatly pleased with
the girl, and noted with pleasure that
her feet were not bound. The Tartar:
do not recognize this custom. Ii
Tzun explained that he had been toe
poor to give his daughter such advan'
tages.
So Yin Ling was sold and became