The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-22
SLAVE GIRL AN EMPRESS
LITTLE YIN LING SOLD INTO
BONDAGE
she Now Rules the Empire-Is a
woman of Wonderful Power
First Came Into Notice During a
"reat rebellion - Became the
EmperOr's Favorite a Life Of



From the New York Herald.
This is the story of how a slave girl
became the richest and most powerful
ruler of the modern world, the story
of how poor little Yin Ling was raised
from the depths Of such poverty as
we of the Western hemisphere know
nothing Of to the exalted position of
dowager empress Of the great Chinese
Kingdom. She is now Tsi Thsd, and
her word is law among her people,
even above that of the emperor him
self.
The power of the former slave girl
Is felt throughout the uttermost king
doms, municipalities and republics Of
the earth.
And now. at the age of sixty five,
this wonderful woman, after MANY
years Of active ruling, and after a
period of retirement from public life
is 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 minis
tiers received their instructions directly
from her, and Lii Hung Chang practi-
cally supersedes the Tsung- Ii amen.
FIFTY years ago the empress dowa-
ger never dreamed Of her present pow
er and spaendor. Her thoughts were
occupied with a problem which then
seemed greater than any other i'm the
world. 1t was where the next bowl Of
rice was to come from.
THE ROMANCE BEGINS.
During the turbulent reign of En-
peror Helm Fung there lived in the
outskirts of Canton q poor family
named Tzun. The fierce Tai Ping re-
bellSon was at its height. The soldiers
We're 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 Door
We're 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 "a squalid hut
Here we shall be SAFE" the father re-
marked, for we have nothing left that
any can steal" He was a philosopher
and worthy disciple of Confucius
There lived Lii Tzun with his good
wife and his two children, Yin Tzun, a,
beautiful child of fourteen, and Ko
Tzun, her Seven-year-old brother
There they lived on one bowl of rice q
day until even that gave out. Nothing
was left for them to do but to starve
like rats In a hole.
But before doing this Ii Tzun made
trip to Canton, in last despairing
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. His
friends were worse off than he They
were selling their daughters into slay-
cry.
TOSSED ALL NIGHT.
Yin Ling did not sleep that night.
She tossed on her couch of dried leaves.
and forgot that she was hungry. She
was MISUNDERSTANDING harder than
She had ever done before in her life.
In the morning she said: my father,
i have thought all night long Of what
you told US. Pray sell me. We have
mo food. We must die. 1t is better
that I should be sold For me YOU
could get much money, and when the
wars are over you may be able to buy
me back
The father and mother were speech
less with horror and wept all day. But
night came again, and again there was
no rice Little Ko Jon was moaning
with pain. In the dead of night the
father stole away like a thief and little
Yin Ling went with him. Her mother
never saw her again.
Arriving at Canton Lii Tzun. claspine
his daughter by the hand, knocked for
admission at the gate of the finest
house in that part of the city. He was
determined that his child should not be
sacrificed for song. The head Of the
great house was the Tartar Tidoo gen
eral, 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 Tartars do not recog-
n1ze this custom. Ii Tzun explained
that he had been too poor to give his
daughter such advantages.
so SHE WAS SOLD. -
So Yin Ling was sold, and became
an inmate Of the generals household.
She was appointed sewing maid to the
wife of Tidoo, and year passed. Both
Tidoo and his wife had become greatly
attached to her, and, as they had no
children Of their own, they adopted
her. That was the beginning of the
slave girls marvellous rise to power.
A tutor was engaged for her and she
made rapid progress. In the matter of
etiquette she proved a wonderfully apt
pupil. At the age Of seventeen She was
pronounced by Celestial connodsseurs
to be the most beautiful woman In the
Chinese empire.
Then Tidoo was ordered to report to
the emperor at Pelkin for promotion.
No officer ever receives honors from
the emperor without bestowing costly
gifts in return. Tfdoo was perplexed.
On previous occasions he had given
great rolls of costly silk and cups of
pure gold, for he was very rich man;
but now, as the service was greater.
so must be the gift. 1t is a compulsory
Chinese custom.
What could he give that was greater
than he had already given? He must
not dfsplease the emperor by Offering
anything not in keeping with the hon
OF about to be bestowed upon him.
After serious thought and consideration
he decided to present Yin Ling to the
emperor. It was a great sacrifice, and
he would rather, much rather have
declined the promotion. But there was
nothing else to do.
THE EMPEROR'S FAvORITE.
Dear father and mother" said Yin
Ling, my life Is in your hands. I
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