The daily sentinel., 1901-01-04

Washin Rton.
OF all the Chinese representatives
who at one time or another have made
Washington their home the most
charming is the present minister, WI
Ting Fang, writes correspondent.
The minister is man of finished edu-
cation and high culture, wide reader,
thinker and philosopher. His Eng
lish is perfect, and his ways and man
ners are those of finished diplomat.
His wife, who weighs less than hun
dred pounds, is a slender, oliveskin-
ned, girlish creature, looking for all
the world like an animated doll, as she
topples around on her small feet. She
is always robed in the richest of ORR
entail stuffs and she wears jewels worth
a fortune. She is of Canton, and her
feet, of course, have been bound. She
wears queer shoes with soles two
inches thick and tiny heel in the mid
die, and might as well be on stills,
for all the grace Of movement she has.
Minister and Madame WI are the
most democratic of all the people who
have ever been in the legations in
Washington. Little madame likes to
mingle with the crowd at the state re-
ceptions, and escapes from the crush
behind the line" Just as soon as pos
sible. going into the great east room,
where, in shy, girlish fashion, she
greets all who speak to her with a
smile and handshake. She has tiny
hand, as characterless as a child's, and
loaded with priceless rings. Madame
WI speaks just a little English. but is
well educated in her own language, ,hav-
ing had a governess and several tutors.
Made WI likes Washington. She
comes and goes as she pleases, unac-
companied most often takes long rides
In the trolley cars, although she has
half dozen carriages, and she likes to
have the front seat beside the motor
man. She and the minister have
pleasant times going to the suburban
resorts She loves the parks, and the
legation being near Dupont circle she
spends much Of her daylight time there
playing with the babies that tumble on
the grass. She has one son.
The minister and his wife entertain
magnificently in cultured American
style, but of the inner life at the lega-
ton no American knows a bit more
than If the WI family were in the
walled city of Pekin. Madame WI has
no women of her country about her.
She has an American woman as
companion, but when sne sees her 1t
Is in the American part of the house.
Into the privacy of the inner resi-
yet madame says smilingly that she
likes the life here, and likes being an
American woman" Minister WI says
that in America his wife shall do ex-
actly as she pleases, but in China-well
that is different. In China she Is
Chinese woman and that means a non
|, entity. Minister Wu openly reviles the
corset and says that women who wear
them cannot bear noble sons, and he
considers decollete dress indecent
Even little madame's hands are veiled
in her big sleeves and rare laces.
There were Chinese women at the le-
cation before Minister WI, however.
When Gen. Garfield became president,
the Chinese government Is represent
ed by sedate old &c .elnan bearing
the name Cheng Tsao Ju. He had all
the hidebound notions Of his people,
particularly concerning women, but he
did have the grace to bring his wife to
the United States with him. She was
very young: her husband might easily
have been her grandfather. Her feet
were so small that she walked like a
child taking her first steps and had
either to carry long wand-like staff
or to be supported by one Of her maids.
She took no part in the social life of
Washington, and never appeared at the
splendid entertainments given by the
minister 1t is said that she suffered
every moment of her life with her poor
defOrmed feet.