The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-08-21
I THE COURT
OF THE EMP RESS
jAFasif 10 Her Royal ni$I,ncss is At
tended BY romp aud Fear. Bns is
q Pleasant Thing 10 lsc:ncnabsr.

- tcn0Cd by l'aDlp anu Ac's' Asu& -
a Pleasant Thin. 10 isc:ncrnbar.
Chinese provincial official breads
nothing more siaan summons TO an ifnpe-
rial audience The foreign tourist armed
a.sh an Introduction to his diplomatic
REPRESENTATIVE, which. by the way. the
Eoresss, Office has declared no longer
gives any claim 10 social recognition. iinds
ST an easy task to enter Pekin.
He may be impressed by the gigantic
Hyai,s which loom before HIM with
strange barbara austerity, reducing TO
tnsignricance the stream OF bulei-headed
Nauchus passing in and out without ces-
Sation or apparent change: hui IN
moment n bump of the cart in which he
sits crouched threatens his spine and
Ekuil, and until he gets to new!y-mac-
sdRmized Legation Street he is fully occu-
pied in saving his bones and acquiring
. toieration OF the most appalling stencil
the world knows.
The official has no room for social or
philosophical meditations: to him every
stone rings out Squeeze, sql-eeze. de
has Eees. his avant-courier. and Knows
that the schemes for escaping with
moderate expenditure, which have occu-
pied his councils for weeks. have failed
The eunachs and chamberlains are 100
willy and experienced to be cajoled out Oh
one fael OF what they conceive to be
their due. he viii not be permitted 10
obey the Imperial order and present INN
self until the demands of these haIpies
have been satisfied; and he nourns the
savings of a year and the evil times which
make It so difficult to put the loss on to
the district in which he is the father
and mother Of the people
Arrived at the Tartar city. he pIunses
RH.~-r. of ri mi a rI
streets. and gains the inn where he expects
to pass many weary days. There he
Eolaces himself with modest repast and
couple of pipes of opium. ard soon
sleeps. TO dream of the gods of good and
evil fortune. Next day. dressed in his
best visiting costume. he calls upon his
patron, and Is fortunate If he can. by
presents Of twenty taels, gain access to
the Taien. To him he looks for advice
and an linking of the business for which
he has been summoned He gets the
advice. but 1t is tinctured with a keen
appreciation Of what IS best for the great
man. rather than his client. Here and
there he finds his friends. and enters into
the almost interminabe discussion OF
affairs which IS characteristic of the CAPT.
tai. He res,sts endless schemes to induce
him to part with ready-money to inpos-
tors, and. having discharged the eu}suchs
fees and sought the patronage of some of
ne SStiSS uONl W wall 0liui nv
is remembered and called to appear.
BEFORE THE EMPRESS.
DAYS, weeks, or even months. may pass
before the monentous day arrives. 1t
may be that he is entirely forgotten, but
he dare not stir from within call until
ne receives a formal permission. He
may not even petition for IT. If he did
fresh fees must pass .Sfore the scroll could
reach the right hands, and when it did
the chances are that his impotence would
be punished by 4 rebuks and reference
to the Board of Punishments to adjudge
an adequate penalty This means ruin.
or at the least n crushing eXaction.
BY some turn OF the wheel of fortune
the Empress attention may be directed
to the business in which he is concerned.
and then. dressed in his full official robes,
overrun by embroidered geese or dragons.
according TO his rank. he is permitted
to pass into the Forbidden City, where
he goes on foot. with body bent slightly
: forward. and the air of awed attention
prescribed in the Confucian anaiects.
The Hall of Audiences is reached, and
the awe is no longer ceremonial assump-
ton. With modest, 6owncast head and
many reyerental kowtows he walks up
Z the hall. taking care not to step on the
threshold. and keeping slightly to the left
side. Soon the eunuchs who are present
motion him to 1neel and down he goes
and kcwtows. again before the Son OF
Heaven and-:he ruler Of China. He
hardly sees them-a direct stare would be
a gross breach OF etiquette but out of
the corners of his eyes he catches
glimpse of a slight figure in yellow silk.
with a sad pensve face and gentle eyes,
sitting In carved chair. and conveying
a curious. vivid impression of patient
apathy and yet appeal.
Beside him is the more commanding
hgure-a woman OF middle height. who
g.
she celebrated sixty-four birthdays.
slightly inclined to stoutness. with firm.
clear face. ami eyes not fierce or stern
hut still giving pain warning that their
owner Is not TO be trifled with, and that
she intends TO master whatever occupies
her mind -
Very inQuisitive question after question
follows in a steady stream. They are not
unskilful and soon convince the humble
mandarin that nothing can with safety
be concealed. Presently. as the subject
is becoming exhausted. the Empress
expresses her views without any apparent
reserve. and apnortions blame or praise
with the air of one who Will make herself
respected.
In two respects the interview conflicts
with our western notions Of an Oriental
court. One is the bluntness which IS
exacted. and the other and stranger is
that the disclosure of unpleasant truths,
modeStiN and without malice, brings COM
mendation ra-->er than disfaror
The interview ends. One word IS
dropped and Immediately the kneeling
mandarin rises and walks slowly away,
without daring TO pause for cver the
tenth of second As he passes from
the hall his bent back gradually straight
eng until nothing OF his 10 -ner uemeanor
remains. except the air of respectful pre-
occupation. also ninutely Prescribed in
She analeots-
IT has taken only ten or fifteen minutes.
yet 1t may he n crisis In our friends
fortunes. If he has pleased her Imperial
Majesty his name may appear in the
Gazette as the latest addition to those
noted for promotion or future employ
snent- If. nnhappily, the contrary is the
case. a reduction of rank. dismissal.
removal from the record OF the favored.
or even reprimand. IS not unlikely; but
sf these be escaped a hundred r,rying eyes
and cooked ears will inevitably have dis
covered what has passed. and the con-
duct of friends and superiors will record
the prospects as accurately as Il Kew
Thermometer marks temperatures.
Horrible I:ntchcry.
fBr Associated Press