The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-22
guineas towards their grandfather's hos
pital fund

PAeoA lhHI
The Chicago Record has the following
letter from Pekin, China, describing
visit TO a Chinese harem.
For the first time in my life have been
permitted TO have a glimpse Of a Chine
harem. l am inclined, indeed, to believe
that l am the first white man Of any
nationality who has talked at length with
royal Chinese Princess-in fact ] might
say, with several Princesses, for alto
gether my converse lion was prime pally
with one. yet many others came in. and
before left there was scarcely Standing
room only about me.
1t came about in this way: Readirg in
the Pekin Gazette that the Empress Dow
ager had called all the Prlncesses of the
blood, members of the cabinet and presi-
dents of the six boards 90 a solemn con-
clave within the palace,I was certain that
some business of more than usual IMP r.
lance was to be transacted and my busi-
ness was to find out as rapid as possible
what was on foot l decided to ray a Visit
10 Prince Tsai Feng and try and obtain
from him the event of the day. Fort n
ately only a few days before, his little
daughter, TO whom he is devot eddy att CHI
ed, had come down with measles and he
had requested me to send him fe er
mixture, and if in the neighborhood TO
drop in and see her. RememH eting this,
| decided to visit the child and so in erNl w
the IdLUeT- Alter q ClO rue VI an IlOdi III
a Pekin cart l found myself in he QUEER
court of the Tsai pa ace but alas, was
told by the gatemau that the Prince rad
been deputed by the. Empress 10 burn IN
cense at certain sacriicial temple some
miles away, and won not be home until
after dark. SummOning up all my cour-
age, / replied.
Yes, / know he is away, but he has in
vited me to see his little sick daughter and
l cannot come at any other time. Have
tA1goodness to inform the Princess I at
in obedience to her husbands commands
l want to see the child"
(Which Princess he inquired.
THE sick girls mother" I replied, not
knowing what other ans wer TO give.
l waited some ten minutes in my cart
and then the man returned with eunuch,
saying: 1.-THE Princess will receive You,
This eunuch will lead you within the
harem"
We passed through four different court
yards, each lined with buildings, and then
entered a fifth court at The head of which,
raised ten feet above ground, stood
building of the ordinary style of Chinese
architecture of one story, only it was iarS-
er and more gaudily painted than the 9TH
ers. Upon the platform in front of the
door stood a lady arrayed in many-color-
ed silks, and with face painted bright
vermilion. l passed up the steps, and,
bowling low before her, entered the room
ahead of her, as Chinese customs is, and
proceeded to the k'ang, which was COW
cred with handsome skins and soft rugs.
She seated herself opposite me on the
kang, separated from me by a little
square table eight inches high.
1.-The eunuch tells me my husband has
requested you 10 call and l am very sor-
~; he has apparently forgotten the APP
pointment. for H. said nothing TO me about
it. But as you cannot call again 1 have
decided to see you and show you the
child"
MANY thinks" I replied. 1T is very
good of you. The journey to your place
is long and cold otherwise I should come
again. How is the little girl?'
"Oh, ever SO much BETTER she replied.
When we commenced speaking only the
lady, myself and two eunuchs were in the
room, but by this time the three doors
leading into the apartment were filed with
painted faces and slk-robed wives, con-
cubines and attendants of my much-mar-
ried friend, Tsai Feng.
The little girl was carried In by
eunuch. and upon my pronouncing her
quite well, the mother was very much
pleased.
How many children have you?" I ven
tured.
ALAS, alas" she answered. -four girls
but no boys
You are nearly as badly off as your
Emperor, Kuang Hsu," replied.
"Oh, do you know that?" she asked.
Poor man, he is to have son appoint
ell for him to-day, and If I mistake not 1t
will be either the son of Prince Lien,
Prince Tuan or Duke Lam
TOO bad you have not a son. I re-
marked. Then you might some day be
mother of an emperor"
mo, that would be impossible" she re-
piled, 'as we are not of the generation
from which a prince can be chosen en-
peror. We are descended from the En-
peror before Hsien Feng, and the choice
must be in the lower generation"
do you think foreign clothes so very
ugly" L asked.
'WelI, they are certainly not pretty"
she frankly replied Your mems clothes
are too tight and thin-lcoking and [
saw several of your ladies from my sedan
chair window a few weeks ago and they
looked like hour-glasses, all squeezed to-
gether in the middle, so that 1 wondered
how the poor creatures could eat. Don't
YOU yourself think our costumes much
prettier?" she asked, giving herself a con-
tented going over in a little looking glass
she had suspended from her waist by a
silk cord. Then lied most tremendously,
assuring her l hoped the time would come
when our ladies would see the advant-
age of changing to the Chinese costume.
She was very pleased and assured me it
would surely come in time.
mot in my time" I sighed
well. then, you could take Chinese
wife" she suggested.
But I have an American one already
/ objected.
"Oh, that's no matter. Ru KuH (her
husbands personal name) has three be-
sides me-her, and her. and her" point
ing TO three rather pretty but awfully
painted damsels standing now quite in
the room. all of them much younger than
herself-she seemed about 40 why
don't you take a second wife. one of our
Chinese girls? I hear some Of your coun-
trymen have done so"
Thanks very much for the suggestion
I answered, but according TO our social
code my wife would have to agree first.
and if I know the lady's mind, 1 am sure
she would object"
Would she, indeed? How funny" and
all the room laughed at and pitied me
Tea was now served for the second time
and l saw it was a signal for my depar-
ture.
Thanking her highness for seeing me
and bowling low three times at the door,