Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-01
tern a soldier was posted, who knelt a. the
bridal chair passed.

4
bridal chair passed.
/ Rather Poor Finery.
| Another pageant. where the magnifcence
| OF the empire was meant to be concentrated.
| was the carrying Of the sacred records
| from Pekin to Moukden. but the American
| woman that witnessed it found her ideas Of
| imperial grandeur very much shaken.
The emperor in person went by the street
| leading to the Chi Hua gate, and there
awaited the procession, which passed down
Legation street to join the route taken by
him. AS the procession started at O'Clock
In the morning it was necessary TO rise very
early to get view Of IT.. There was no
chance OF seeing the emperor's cortege, as
the roads through which he was to pass
were screened Off at the crossings by mats.
and no one was allowed in the streets ex-
cept the guards-who had to turn their
the records was, however, visible, and those
who had sufficient energy to rise early were
rewarded by very interesting spectacle.
Early Police Work.
The street police were astir long before
daylight putting the finishing touch to the
roads by scattering upon them yellow
earth AS the dawn lighted UP the sky the
rocks, crows and jackdaws could be seen
In tens of thousands wheeling over the
roofs of the palace. evidently much disturb
ed at the unusual hustle. Their numbers
literally bIackened the heavens; they DASH
ed hither and thither, circling, falling and
apparently playing In a spirit Of reckless
fun Officials shortly made their appear
ance warning the policemen of the ap-
proach OF the procession. and the banner
men on duty in the district took up their
stations, sword in hand. At last the cry.
Hero 1t comes" drew all chances toward
the west. where a blaze of yellow and Grim
son was seen slowly coming down the
street. A few officials in semi-state-that
Is, with their badges of rank in front and
hoo md ao,~fv,<
wavy bOrder-headed the procession mount
ed on ponies that appeared to have been
urgroomed since they were foaled. After
them came the imperial band.
In Court Costume.
The bandsmen, who would have looked
more imposing had they washed themselves
before starting. were accompanied by four
petty officials, In full court costume-a stiff
brocaded garment. with a pointed cape pro-
jecting from the shoulders. The bandsmen
wore red silk robes, which were exceedingly
tumbled and dirty. and their hats had yell
low feather standing up in the center.
Their instruments were flutes. drums and
cymbals. Behind the band came a state
umbrella OF yellow silk. and then came the
records. deposited in twenty boxes each of
which was carried in sort Of portable pa
V1llon or shrine, also Of plain yellow silk
The silk was much crumpled and had evil
IDENTIFY seen previous service. The carrying
poles We're yellow. and there were eight
bearers TO eacn Shrine, with reliefS march
Ing at the sides. AS the shrines came bob
bing down the street they formed line OF
cleaning and undulating yellow surging
above mass Of crimson.
Tawdry and Cheap
The spectacle quite imposing at a
distance, and was interesting inasmuch as
II was. OF course, intensely Chinese; but,
like everything Chinese. 1t was really taw-
dry and sordid. The most characteristic
feature was the ridiculous contrast be-
tween theory and fact. There were docu-
ments Of so sacred a nature that hundreds
or miles OF roads were repaired for their
passage; they We're carried in shrines Of i'm
periai yellow silk; escorted by high Off
Gals; preceded by the music of the imperial
band, and dispatched on their tourney by
the emperor in person; yet the coolies who
carried them jerked open the hangings of
their Shrines and threy in their indsscrib.
ably filthy, vermin- haunted overcoats, to
De bcrne In state side by side with the
boxes containing the precious records.
The End Has Come.
But imperial professions have vanished
the riding parties are ended, the balls are
over. and when night falls in the Tartar
city now the pace of the foreign sentries
breaks the stiffness instead of the sounds
tom striking with a duh thud as the night
watch went their rounds; the Whirr OF
pigeons, disturbed in night repose and the
scream OF the mechanical whistle attached
10 their feathers; the Changing gong Of
some blind man belated the Jews harm of
some thrifty peddler, not yet gone to roost
ALETHE LOWBER CRAIG.