The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-09-13
CHINA'S IMPERIAL COURT.
How the Empress DOwager Lives
at Si-ngan-fu.
Some Interesting Details Given ny
"a Native Sewspaper-DaiIy Rou-
tine OF the Royal FamiIy-Nn EN-
pensiye Menu Is INDUCED In

pensive Menu Is INDUCED In.
The Chinese newspaper. --Sin-wen-bao.' %
gave recently some details concerning the
Emperor and the Empress Dowager, and
the following verbatim translation Of
them may De Of equal interest:
Since her arrival at Si-ngan-f4. tho
I widowed Empress has been continually ill.,
she suffers chiefly from an oppressive
feeling on the chest; she is melancholy.
and cannot sleep at night; however, she
takes no medicine, but she summons the
/ euuGchS frequently, and then they have 70
massage the small of her back for hours
IN the Chinese method. The Emperor. on
the other hand, is relatively much better
ana healthier than he was in Pekiu. he
taxes part in frequent bodily exercise
3 with the ke~nost interest. and is delight
cd IN play games with the euuuchS but if
anything does not happen 20 please him.
thtl he scolds the cuuuchs roundIv as if
he really hated them When presents
were coming IN from every province Of
iHe Empire the Empress DowaEer ordered
'lr cAltL euuuch 70 make an accurate list
Oh tA'n, ana without showing any avarice
she had them distributed amOrg Tho Off
Gals who had accompanied her from Pc
KIN When the eunuch who drew ND tr,.
list showed ,he presents 10 the F,-,,r..-s
D'"aser she eviucsd the greatest low.
mingled with "a certain amount of re-
stralnt, for although the presents glad
oehfc her, yet she was saGGeued bv rba
thought that she had been obliged 20 de-
mdnd them The Emperor vvept bitterly,
when ne saw the presents from thr PROV
Ihce OF Chill or late he has SOUGHT s.Ii-
tude IN the gardens. but So soon rs he
sees a Sunuch h. either tries 20 hide him
sen Dehlld "A gate or runs TO his rooms
no one KNOWS how 10 explain this curious
conduct on tho Emperor.s part. but fl is
believed that be is suffering from the fTs.,
that he being followed
Inc daily expenses of the Imperial
kitchen amount To no more than gUu lam
or about E2S. This outlay is s4,.tf,r..I
by the Governor Sen and and the EmDr-ss
Do"aEeT When the question of espanse
WAS discussed the latter remarked
When we were in Pekiu the cost Of our
1000 was many times greater. but now We
must restrict our daily expenditure F,--
80 81 u1S Il tunuch lays "a menu before the
empress fJWdStr, this contains over 1It
ulShgS, which are chiefly fish ducks and
tAlthrnS. prepared IN many 8iH.ra-r
ways since the presents have come i'm
from me various provinces th, irqusri5,I
lIhie mas been enriched by dishes made
OF swallows nests and trepauE The. En-
ptfof likes a vegetarian diet and eats
meat very Spariugly- As a rule ba or
Gers only two or three dishes a dav
Ma'afonI and vermlCcIlI are the fay0rfra
dishes OF the Empress Dovarrr and ~
late she has ordered that the number of
dlSh'S snail bc reduced. and now only
ten dishes are prepared instead of hos
During the last summer both The E,r,-
peror and Empress Duwaerr accustomed
themselves 90 live on a milk diet and
Tor TINS purpose six cows were kept i'm
the palace, however. with the auDr1arb
OF spring and the dry season. they csas-
ed 70 drink milk. and the COWS have been
handed over 10 the district authorities.
who receive 200 Ian monthly for their
keep.
Both the Emperor and the Empress
DoWagyr left Pekin SO hurriedlv Than fha
Only wardrobe they could take with them
was the clothes which they were then
wearing But new clothes have been re-
celvcd gradually from Pekiu. and now
both their maJestioS can appear i'm the
dress suitable tu their rank and such as
they wore IN Pekin. Since their arrival
az Sl-uSau-fu neither the Emperor nor
the Empress DDWager nor the heir an
parent has Igft the walls Of the palace.
Tho heir apparent, a son OF Prince Tuan
had taught little dog some tricks when
the Emperor heard OF this he commanded
that the r0g should appear hef0r. him
the heir apparent sent the dog with one
of the cuuuchs- For this act OF dfsobedi-
euce the Emperor punished the heir an
parent severely. and the consequence is
that they have become deeply estrauetd
During the journey 90 Si-Ugan-fu the
common people had an opportunity of see
ing their Emperor face Before Si-ngau--
IN was reached the Empress DowIe,r
said To- the Minister, Wau-weu-shaO. 7
must see the people and learn for myself
how they suffer and work Thus il was
that the people were allowed 10 see their
MaleSties when the latter passed through
towns daud VllllEes. OF when they spent
the night at such places. During the jour