The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-08-25
MR.. AND MRS. WI.

II Minister WI is a marvel Of tact ant
cleverness, Mrs. WI is his worthy help
mate. Only 20 years old, she is the
mother Of boy Of ~, and mistress o
one Of the most palatia residences in
Washington. She is making fair progress
in the English language, and even in hei
crude expressions, makes it plain
that she is well bred and of refined
tastes. According to female reporter
who has been interviewing her, Mrs.
WI is quaint and dainty, and as
delcately painted as bit of china from
her native land" In discussion Of the
comparative merits Of American and
Chinese customs, Mrs. WI vigorously
defended chose Of her native land In
China, she explained Eve marry and
then fall in love-" which is reversing the
process as practiced in America. And
when they are married, Madame WI
says that the women aim to be great,
explaining; "Chinese women progress
i've, too, only different way. Chinese
women try be great, too; good mothers,
great wives. Chinese women earnest.
They do not spend their time making
their hair crooked on irons, making their
waists small, making their dresses full
OF frills and changing all the time.
Chinese women not srive for how to
look, but how to be-"
Mrs. WI found much fault with the
American womans costume. This is
the way the female reporter puts the
dialogue:
"Your clothes immodest and ungrace-
full"
$50 are yours, Nine. WI"
mo" emphatically, "these modest"
Nine Wu touched the soft silk trousers
az she spoke.
"You couldn't get self.respecting
American woman toappear in trousers"
lyon not get one in China to appear
without them.
Which must be a matter or habit, we
conceded, and which therefore has moth
ing TO do with motives or morals. So
we passed on.
"Your coat, suggested, "is beauti-
ful in texture and workmanlike, but 1t
does not fit."
at should not" said Nine Wa. decid-
edly. at not modest to fit. Your dress
too close. That is not nice"
"It's neat
"Ah" Nine WI laughed outright, you
not care for neatness."
"But do
Then what for you let your dress
drag?"
"Well. It's more modest thau having
IL short like yours, and it's graceful"
"No, no." Madame's eyes blinked
triumphantly: first modesty, then
cleanliness grace after that. No grace
without those first. Can you be grace
fnl without being clean? Anyway, there's
your corset. How you be graceful when
you uncomfortable"
"I'm not uncomfortable. But there F.
are those poor little feet: how can you
be graceful when you can't walk"
IL walk. Madame, who had proved |
II by entering the room alone, with the |
aid of chairs and tables, then added |
quickly: Anyway prefer eat TO walk, " /
which seered point for China.
Which all goes TO show that woman's
attire depends on the point Of view.
Some American ways Mrs. WI cheerful
ly comedies are better than the Chinese.
She has learned TO laugh here and says
she likes it. In China there is no laugh !
ing-certainly the present condition Of !
-hings in the Flowery Kingdom is no
laughing matter, In China there is little
hospitality. She has learned to make
and receive calls-a custom which also |
itself to her judgment. One
thing she probably has not learned to
like is being interviewed for the newspa.
pers. 1t is more than probable that she
didn't know at the time that she was
talking for the press, and it is also more
than probable that Mr.. Wa had few
things to say TO Mrs. WI when the in
teryiew came 10 his notice.