The Lambertville record., 1900-08-22
AT THE COURT q
OF THE EMPRESS.
A Visit to Her Royal llighness Is At
tended BY Pomp and Fear, But Is
n Pleasant Thing to Remember.


a Chinese provincial official breads
nothing more than summons TO an
Imperial audience. The foreign tour
ist armed with an Introduction to his
diplomatic Representatives. Which. by
the way, the Foreign office has de-
elared no longer gives any claim to So
eial recognition, finds II an easy task
To enter reltinR.
lie may he impressed by the gigantic
wallis which loom before him with n
strange harbaric austerity. reducing 10
insignideance the stream of bullet
headed Manehus passing in and out
without cessation or apparent change:
but in a moment bump of the cart
in which he sits crouehed threatens his
spine and skull. and until he gets to
newly y-macadamized Legation Street he
Is fully occupied in saving HIS bones
aud acquiring liberation of the most
appalling stencil the world knows.
The official has no room for social or
philosophical meditations To him ev-
cry stone rings out Squeeze, squeezel"
He has seen his aVant- courier, and
knows that the schemes for escaping
with moderate expenditure. which
have occupied his coursils for weeks
berains are too willy ana experienced
to he loed out of one tael of what
they conceive 10 be their due. He
will not be permitted to obey the Inn
peria order and present himself until
the demands of these harpies have been
satisfied aud he mourns the savings
Of year and the evil times which
make it 50 difficult 10 put the loss on to
the district in which he is the father
and mother" of the people.
Arrived AT the Tartar city, he plungcs
through n maze of nlthy. dilapldated
streets. and gains the inn where he
expects to pass many weary days.
fhcre he solaees himself with modest
repast aud a couple of pipes of opium.
and sean 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 hc can, hY presents OF twenty taels,
| gain access 10 the Tajen To him he
looks for advice aud an inlSling of the
| business for which he has been sum
moned. lie gets the advice, but II IA
tnetmed 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 tnterminahle discussions of nfz
fairs which Is characteristic of the
capital. lie resiata endless schemes
10 induce him to part with ready mon
gy To mpoators. and having discharged
The eunucha. fees and sought the pa
tronase Of somc one of them. he settles
down to wait until he Is remembered
md called II appear
BEFORE THE EMPRESS
| ".t.ttrt
pass before the momentous day arrives
| II may be that he Is entirely forgotten
but lie dare not stir from within call
until he receives n formal permission
| Tie may not even petition for It, II
| he did. fresh fees must pass before the
scroll could reach the right hands. and
when It did the chances are that his
tmpatience would be punished by a re
bultc ana n reference to the Board of
Punishmcnts 10 adjudgc an adequate
penalty. 'fhis means ruin, or. at the
least, crushing cxactlon.
Iy some turn OF The wheel Of fortune,
the Empress attention may be directed
10 the business in which he Is con-
rcrp51. and then. dressed in his fun
n..-lIl robes. uvcrrun by embroidered
| gee ar dragons. according Ia 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 awcd attention prescribed
| IN the Contuclun analects.
The Han of Audiences Is reached. and
| the awe H. no longer II ceremonial as
sumption with modest, doWncast
head and many reVercntial kowtows he
walks up the Hall, taking care not To
step on the threshold and keeping
4.
eunucha whe are present motion him
to knecl and down he goes and kov-
tows again before the Son of Heaven
and the ruler Of China lie hardly
sees them-a direct stare would bc "A
gross breach OF etiquette-hut out Of
the corner Of his eyes he catches II
| glimpse of a slight figure in yellow
silk. with sad. ponslve face and gentle
! Eyes. sitting In a carved chair. ana
| conVcyiue u curious vivid Impression
| uf patient apathy and yet appeal
Beside him Va the more commanding
| figure u woman Of middle height who
| two ycars ago looked forty I've. though
| she celebrated sixty -four birthdays,
| slightly inclined To stoutness, with
! firm clear face, and eyes not fierce or
stern, but Htll giving plain warning
| that their owner Is not To be bihel
with and that she intends to master
whatever occupies her mind.
| Hardly n moment passes before the
| interview begins The Empress, IN n
| distinct though not loud voice. asks a
| question. wasting few words. 10 that
the answer must come pat and per
| tincnt, or woe bctide the official Yes
or no viii not satisfy. The reply must
| be fun, though concise, and plain to the
verge Of abruptncss. Circumlocution l.
| impossible ana 1t rs wise to keep
opinions until they are demanded.
Vcry inqulsitlye question after aues
| tion follows in steady stream They
are not uHskillul ana soon convince
| the humble mandarin that nothing can
with safety be concealed. Presently
ns The subject ~ becoming exhausted,
lhc Empress expresses her Views with
6ut any apparent reserve. and appor-
tions blame on praisc with the air of
one who WIN make herself respected.
I'm two respects the interview con
0icts with our Western notions of an
Oriental Court one Is the hlunlness
which So cxactcd. and the other. and
stranger, IL that the disclosure of un-
| pleasant truths. moacstly and without
| malice brings commcndation rather
than disfavor.
Tho interview ends. one word il
| lfopped and Immediately the kneeling
mandarin rises and walks slowly away
| without DARING tn pause for even the
Iry,lh Of a second AS he passes from
j.. han his bent back gradually
+,f1iEhtens until nothing OF his former
d. .peanor reuaih9. except the air of
| ,rspeetfd prroccupaiion. also minutely
| .fr 1lribed in the anaiccts