The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-08-05

no trace OF cruelty to be seen- In SIM
pie expressions she welcomed us, but
her actions were full Of freedom and
warmth. She arose and wished US
we'll She reached both hands toward
each lady and then to herself, and said
with much enthusiastic earnestness:
lone family. all one family.
Everything she said was in Chinese.
She presented to each lady the empress.
the emperor's wife. who gave her hand
to each The empress is young and
what is called a beautiful Chinese
woman. She wore the decorations
paint etc. of the young women.
"The empress dowager bade each
lady goodby and then went to the the
ater. We soon followed with our large
and beautiful escorts and listened to
and saw a Chinese theater at its very
best After about one hours stay, In
terpreters explaining tie plays and tea
being served all the while. we were
escorted back to the banquet hall and
seated as before at a loaded table OF
much food. Again we were taken to
other rooms and the tables cleared
away. Once more we were permitted
to see the empress dowager. She was
very cordial, and when tea was passed
to US she stepped forward and tipped
each cup of tea to her own lips. She
took sip. then lifted the cup on the
other side to our lips and said again:
lone family. all one family
"Here she presented us more beauti-
full gifts, all alike. After this wonder
full dream day. SO very unreal even to
the seeming, we reached home at 5
o'clock In these foreign countries
Americans and English are almost, IL
not quite. one people. 1t is often, very
often. said by the English. American
and other foreign countries that Eng
lish and American are all the same.
Only think. China after centuries and
centuries of locked doors has now
opened them a little. No foreign
woman ever saw the rulers of China
before, and no Chinese ruler ever saw
a foreign woman before. Think Of
this: English was the first language
spoken to them by foreign women.
English is the commercial language Of
China. and women took English into
the Forbidden City and to the very
throne of China and gave it in an Eng
lish woman's thought.
'.AIy first boy tried to impress upon
me what a great thing had come into
my life in this visit to royalty. He said:
Madame much grand thing came to
you. Emperor came down from
heaven. No foreign lady see him; few
Cinnamon. He came down from
heaven. You very blessed He opened
his eyes, rolled them up. shook his
head and pointed up to impress upon
, ME the great honor and blessing we
had received.
ITO him it was all to see the en-
peror. little or nothing to see the en-
press dowager. She is woman. The
emperor is sacred to the Chinese.
! He is walled in his city and is not to
be seen by his subjects. nor is he to
see them. He learns nothing of his
country or countrymen by observation
| or experience. How can this empire
grow in strength and glory In such
bondage? Everything about this China
is made up of the seeming improbable.
| 1t is the extreme of all we can dream.
While our loved thoughts often turn
homeward, on the whole, we are getting
much value out of China, and predict
| that through good cheer and good will
we may not come away with any feel
ings of regret in ourselves or others
| that have come to this faroff land.
Mr.. Conger's labors increase as new
questions keep coming up to be met"