The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-03-31
A PICTURE.

If these walls could speak, What a
strange story they would have to tell of
the tragic struggle that quietly went on
within them; the imperial radical, the
nominal despot of 400, 600, 900 of people, en-
gagged in struggling against all the forces
of conservatism focused in the person ot
the Empress dowager. When an imperial
despot turns reformer he is apt to go too
fast. and this was the fault committed by
the young Emperor. Still, there is some
thing extremely pathetic in the unsuccess-
full efforts made by this delicate, sad-faced
young man, and the pathos is accumulated
when, from an Eastern standpoint. we cor-
slider the ban that he is under from not
having given a male heir. the great
est misfortune that can afflict a Chi
nese household, from the highest to the
lowest. The greatest pride in the life of the
poorest coolie in the land1a boy child-was
denied to the Son of Heaven. 1t is a curl
Gus thing that when the Emperor left the
palace he did not take the imperial concu-
bines with him. The hurry of his desperate
flight. which only took place the day We
were actually in Peking, was probably the
reason. They remained behind, AMI remain
there to the present day.
Although many things have 0een looted
from the palace, and the apartments of the
Emperor and the Empress dowager en-
tered, yet the seclusion If the ladies' of the
palace has never been invaded, nor have
they yet been seen by Western eyes. On
the day of my visit with General Wilson
he was curious to see them. He told the
old controller of the palace tc open their
apartments. But he replied that 1t was
impossible. The general insisted. and ex-
planned to him that he had to see them,
that he, the controller, could not help him.
self in the face Of the arms of the Ameri-
can soldiers. Still the old man refused and
protested. and finally put it to General
Wilson that he would most certainly lose
his head on the return of the Emperor IL
he were to crafty his curiosity in this
matter. II was only at this that General
Wilson ceased to press him, and allowed
him to keep his head.
FATE OF WOMEN LIEF BEHIND.
The imperial ladies OF the palace have
therefore enjoyed the distinction of being
about the only mystery OF China which has
remained unseen by the eyes of the in
vaders. Nearly all the Pekingese ladies
seemed TO have disappeared before we ar
rived. On the first day or two a few were
occasionally TO be seen escaping in carts,
or glimpses of them were TO be caught pain
fully toddling along on their tiny feet, sup
ported on either side by their maids or be-
ing carried on their backs. Any of those
| that remained had a bad time of 1t If found
by the soldiery.
There was one instance of a Manchu girl
who was discovered in her house by a
correspondent No one could understand
how she came TO be left behind. He found
her in the inside room of a house where
she was absolutely alone and deserted. The
corpse of a Chinese gentleman was lying in
the yard. She was a Manchu lady, and,
like many of her race, extremely beautiful
Her trousers and coat were of richly en-
broidered silk, her black hair was orna-
| mented with jeweled combs and rows of
pearl ornaments of peculiarly involved pat
tern, and the coil of her hair was carried
over a delicately carved stick of white jade
somewhat in the shape of a fat paper
knife.
She was terrified at his approach and he
had great difficulty in ~persuading her of his
harmless intentions. After much trouble
he managed to get an old man and his wife
from the neighborhood to come in and &C.
| cupy the house with a view of protecting
her, and he got them to supply her with
| coolies clothes in place Of the rich ones
ornaments, which would offer too strong a