The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1900-07-31
How Kwang Hsu Lost
His Throne.
FATAL Love OF NOVELTY
The SOvereigu's Interest in Western
Inventions and Finally in
Christianity.

most remarkable characters III tne
Empire at the present time, says Prof.
Isaac T. Head!ahd of the Pebin Cni-
versity. HE Is not what we are nccuS-
toned to term a ctrong character. AS
a boy he was interested in all kinds of
foreign toys and considered everything
brought from foreign countries, from O
railroad train. a photograph, an cleo
trfe car or fine Swiss match, as toy
to be played with. Like many other
rich children, he was INDUCED in every
imaginable wish, and the populace re-
garded him in the light Of a spoiled
child. The Chinese of the better class,
whs were in touch with those connect
ed with the palace, either as eunuchs,
servants. or in official relations, were
fun Of stories about his bad temper
ana looked upon him as one who ought
to Ne spanked. 1t was said that his
owl private apartment was a museum
Of sil the most wonderful inventions,
the most intricate machinery and the
NEST complicated productions of mod
ern art, science and invention that he
had been able to gather and that his
VIII must not be crossed in any cir
camstances, for he was just as liable
to Dash a fine Swiss watch to the floor,
breaking 1t into a thousand pieces, as
peevish child is to destroy it's doll.
"Knowing the disposition of the boy,
the officials sought out all kinds of in
tricate and peculiar machines as pres
ents to him in order to enhance their
interests and prospects, and in doing
so they troubled us at the Pekin Uni
versity until we let them have our
nh fn a G n n
his Majesty. Doubtless these toys
awakened his interest in foreign af-
fairs generally. But as the child grew
he began to develop other notions not
less peculiar, perhaps, but more in har-
mony with his position, duties and
responsibilities. When some ladies,
both Chinese and foreign, presented the
Empress Dowager with magnificent
copy of the New Testament, printed on
the finest paper, with new type special
ly manufactured for that book. bound
in silver, encased in a silver box, which
was again inclosed in fine plush case,
the thing interested his Majesty, to
judge from his conduct, more than it
did the Dowager Empress herself.
1.-THE day after the present reached
the palace an order came to the Ameri-
can Bible Society in Pekin, which at
tracted the special attention of the
agent of that society. The man who
brought the order was a eunuch. He
seemed very particular to retain the
little slip of paper on which the order
was written and insisted upon it's re-
turn to him after it had been copied.
They then discovered that the order
was from the Emperor and that it was
for Bibles-both Old and New Testa-
as the society was selling
to his people The society, of course,
did not understand the import of such
a move on the part of the Emperor,
but it was not long before we discov-
cred what the young man was doing.
II was personally well acquainted
and associated with a horticultural
and gardener who for many years went
daily to the palace with his flowers
and vegetables, and have received from
him many presents of flowers such as
that there was change of sentiment
among the eunuchs not only toward
him. but also toward all foreign Gov
ernments and foreign affairs as
whole. The eunuchs We're constantly
the subject of Christianity
in their talks with the florist, and as
he was Christian, they urged him to
explain its doctrines to them, and, in
he often sat and talked
with them for hours. OF course, they
discovered that this was consuming a
large amount of his time and fearing
lest this might lead him to lose interest
in the matter and in them they of their
own free will advanced him 300 taels
Gil, n,N -,
business telling him they did not wish
him to pay II back, but that they would
take 1t out in flowers and vegetables.
"On one occasion when they had kept
him longer than usual-and 1t is to be
that all the time they
we're conversing on subjects related
TO Christianity-he made several ex-
cuses to get away, but was unable to
10 so. He finally said:
But must go. have not yet had
my dinner and u is now late in the
Jay
oh, that is all right, they answ ct
I'd. We can give you your dinner
which they proceeded to do. and he re-
NAMED with them until evening, telling
hem about the nature of Chri stianity.
During one of these conversations
one of the eunuchs was especially in
-erested and In conversation with my
friend told him that the Emperor daily
lad parts of the gospel OF Luke writ
ZEN In large characters on sheets of pa |
per and that he thus studied them. |
This eunuch was the Emperor's per-
'onai servant and stood In the room all I
he time he was studying the Bible. |
That this was true cannot be doubted,
'or II was impossible for the eunuch |
% know anything about the gospal of |
Luke had he not learned 1t in that way. |
rhe fact that he was able to tell that !
he Emperor was studying the gospel
II Luke was proof that ne was doing /
10.
1T must not be inferred from this .
hat the Emperor was becoming a |
christian. One day three OF the eu-
'uchs called on me with this same hor-