The age-herald., 1898-09-29
SketCn of China's Remarkable Empress

The following sketch of Chinas empress the remarkable woman who dominates the throne, will be interesting, since the aE- dication of the emperor:
 Laying won the emperor by her beauty Tuen proceeded to hold him by the force of her mentality.
 She had learned of affairs of state from her friend the viceroy, and the visitors to his housel old, and the emperor was charm ed to find that she understood public hap penings and the needs of the emli,e qu te as vel many of his official advisers, While he trusted her infinitely more, be- licving her honest and single in purpose
 Naturally the said advisers disliked the new fcyorite. or else they b gan to think the old emperor wiser than they had imag- incd, hut what they were not prepared for was the obliging death of the empress and af.er the term Of courtesy mourning was Cvcr tho marriage of the emperor wi h Tuer -Tson-5si. Here was thunderbo.t The old empress had been of the good Chi nese type, worshipful and of affairs of state all unknowing. She had left a n S15 nc!r, 9rd died with a sense of havi g done her duty.
 Tu5r was different The emperor was just old enough to be completely swayed by his brilliant wife. clear-headed and prac- tical as she was. Virtually she became the ruler tf the immense empire and when an indig' ant statesman ven sured to oppos,
  would be brave enough to do, Tue:i prompt ly crd,-ed the offendci's head cut off. not 1gul atively. h,4t literally. with "short, sharp chop" and this drastic measure son squelched any active desire to criti- else her policy or her methodist wasn't safe.
 Yet was Tuen magnetic wi.hal and people by her force and charm even when they had rather not She was always tact full. dearly as she loved power, and minis- ters of state grew to respect her ability even when they disliked the woman. Then the old emperor died in the fullness of years. and Tucn te7ame dowager empre' s, with weak boy for ostensibly reigning monarch.
 Already she had achieved power throuoh the emperor. and now it was hers in very truth for what could a child king be but the most transparent of figureheads? Neither did the sErewd woman exert her self to Drenare the young emperor for h'S duties in reigning over the greatest-num- erically speaking-nation Tn the word! She did not beat or abuse him. she worked a more subtle injury. ard one for which there could be no swift uprising against her. He was a weak boy, and she simply let him have his own way. She surround- ed him with luxury, with beauties Of the harem, with idleness and dissnation Ar ter twenty-six years of this enervating life her stepson is the merest of spiritless pup pets in her capable hands.
 People used to wonder why cunning old Ii Hung Chang struck his colors SD clcse to the empe~or's dowager instead of to the cameron. He has always been more or less of a favorite of hers. though being fiery- tempered and exactng old lady. She has more than once deprived him of his hono~s and his decorations his yellow silk jacket and his peacock feathers, only to become pacified later ard to give tn SC marks of favor back to the sly din1om9t, who has worked so much commotion of late and