The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-10-03

When Kwang Hsu was a child there
were two foreign stores In Pckin thar had
been established without permission from
the Chinese government. A. they were
or Legation street. they seem 70 have been
zoo unimportant 70 attract official atten-
ton. Yet these same stores were des-
tined 20 have a mighty influence on the
future OF China. one Of them was kept
by an iaiterate Dane. who sold foreign
tops. nollons aud dry goods such -
might please the Chinese or be OF use 20
the Fcanty European population o. the
capital. BY chance. some eunVehs from
The Imperial palace bought toys IN this
shop for Has Infant Majesty.
As the baby Emperor grew, the bust
ness OF the Dane shopkeepcr increased.
Ills stock became larger and more varied.
AMI che Emperor remained "a profitable
customer. Musical cats dogs ana sheep.
horns. suns trains Of ears, striking
clocks ana Swiss wntcher all were
bought "a turn by eunuchs from the pal
ace. A. the Emperor grew 20 boyhood
the Danish shopkcepcr supplied toys suit
able 20 his years from his inexhaustiole
shelves. To understand how searching an
Influence theee pro,hlcts OF far-sllstant
lands must have had on the growing mind
was shut out from the world. shut out
even from his own people. by three strong
walls. lie never left the Forbidden City
except IN a closed chair or ia a closed
cart. Every side street was barred from
him BY hanging canvas % MATS He was
a prisoner ana slave in the palace OF mis-
birihriEht.
II custom forbade his going out to see
me world {, did not prevent the world
Fsaa a. -
sold by the Dane In Legation street These
were no longer toys although such they
seemed 60 the Emperor. An electric rail-
road was built for him in the palace
grounds on which he rode az our children
ride on merry Eo-rOunds. For him an
electric plant was built in the Forbidden
CITY. aud the palace was lighted with
incandesccnt lamps. He experimental
with miniature telegraph and telephone in
siruments. Ofnclals that sought Imperial
favor secured the port cities 10 ind new
toys for His Majesty. They came 10 Pc
kin University and bought our phono-
graph. They got for him Cramophonee,
music boxes. aeolians and magnificent
clocks that struck the hours with music
or with the song OF birds All the re-
sources OF modern invention ia the West
were tapped 20 procure toys for the En-
peror kwang Hsu. once the assiduous
Dahlau rnopkfepef hdd rltlEn made Nof
him ia Europe. The sleigh WAS a marvel
Of ingenuity with ia foo.-warmers. mir
rors. clocks. cushions of yellow silk and
nguroheads in the shape OF golden drag
ons.
As the hoy grew older his tastes
changed There were clear Indications
Of mental growth as the years advanced.
lie began 20 wish TO know the literature
% the countries that produced the fairy
toys and wonderful devices OF his boyhood
pleasures. lie had two teachers appoint
ed TO instruct him IN English one OF
these teachers was the grandfather OF a
young man to whom had taught English
in return for lessons IN Chinese. In this
way ! learned much OF what was going on
IN the reccsses OF the palace I was in
formed hy those VINO had been into the
Empcror's private apartments that they
we're more Ike a museum. chan like Nv
ing rooms. SO crowded were they with
complicated morha IN ans and TOYS