The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-20

v v "
and embroidery and house decoration.
While you seek degrees in mathe-
mates, do not forget that these fem
mime accomplishments are of value"
Of value! She need not mention
that to any one who sees her trous-
seau. | looked at the marvellous blue
and rainbow robe that she wore, and
wondered what trigonometry and
physics had to offer that could make
up for the possession of that robe
Marvellous Crimson and Pink and
White Embroidered Peonies.
The fingers of those little Chinese
women whom American women call
ignorant had wrought those marvel
lous pink and crimson and white
peonies that wound in an intricate de-
sign about the phoenixes which look
ed ready to fly away.
GAIL our embroideries are full of
symbols" she said, patting the robe
with the satisfaction that the wearer
of a Paris trousseau shows. THE
phoenix is the mythical bird that al
ways rises from the ashes. The
peonies signify long life. So this robe
should bring me longevity.
The phoenix robe, priceless in its
wealth of embroidery, is nothing but
long, shapeless coat hanging loosely
to the knees. Below it Mrs. Wong
displayed gay skirt heavily embroid-
cred in every color Near the bottom
of this the bells were hung-rows of
tiny golden bells that kept up a merry
jingle at every motion. The skirt
barely touched the floor. From under
it the misshapen feet peeped out, the
slipper-toes coming to an absurd little
point.
MY daughters have unbound feet"
she said. Il did not have any choice
in the matter of mine, for they were
bound while | was a helpless child.
There are two reasons for leaving the
feet free The child is better off, and
the mother has less trouble, for small
foot children must be carried SO
much. 49,. as--r...-. --..s.--A-a--.
But you mean TO keep TO Chinese
fashions with this exception of
shoes?"
Certainly / do-not because of
prejudice, but because / really think
that the robes of our country are the
most beautiful in the world. Don't
you think these are rather pretty?"
she added, and threw open trunk
A Chinese Gentlewoman's Dazzling
and Wonderful Wardrobe.
There lay the splendid array of
gowns that she has brought to wear
at functions IN St. Louis. 1t was daz-
cling to western eyes. There were
clinging skirts of an infinite variety
of colors, and coats showing the most
marvellous needlework. Beaming
with pride, she laid out one after an
other. There was one of grass-green
satin wrought in myriad of tiny but
terfiies, no two of the same color
strikingly ornamented with daring
bands of black. One of royal blue
satin Haunted huge gold dragons, and
on the back of it appeared two golden
and impossible lions tossing ball.
DO you like my jewels, too?" she
asked, and stretched out hand for
me to examine her bracelets.
She was wearing four pairs of brace
lets, two pairs of the deep yellow
gold that the Chinese use, one pair
of strung jade beads, and the fourth
studded with pearls and blood rubies.
Then she called attention to a chain
that hung against her coat. 1t was
of all colors-jewels strung together
at random just as the colors in the
embroidery seemed to be blended.
There were big uncut pearls, pieces
of green and, still more precious,
white jade, crystals as pink as rose,
and immense amethysts.
Short of Stature, STOPPING of Carriage
and Gentle of Manner.
The little woman who is the pos
SCISSOR of all this splendor is hardly
FIVE feet tall by a rough guess, rather
STOPPING in carriage, and gentle TO the
extreme III manner. Her black hair
is drawn to the nape of the neck and
held by jewelled pins. So far as one
can see and still be polite, she has no
eyebrows of her own, but heavy paint
ed lines take the place of what nature
seems not TO have provided. Her
cheeks are rouged, her lips colored
brilliantly red, the whole face is pow
dered. 1t is mask-like in its arti-
fciality. But the little Kiang Su lady
is only following the custom of her
people.
"She is the first lady from the Kiang
Su province TO come to America" Mr.
Wong said 81 suppose that is why
people took such an interest in her
on the steamer. They photographed
her all the time. She is a curiosity"
he added ingenuously.
81 have the photographs" she put
in, and hurried as best she could TO
produce an album In it she has pre-
served all the pictures that kodaking
tourists made of her, proud in the
knowledge that she was considered a
curiosity"
So even TO the kodak album she is
adopting American fads.
Mrs. Wong will have a year OF
thorough Americanism, in the midst
of representative Americans Her
mind is open TO all that America has
to offer. When she goes back 10
China and propounds her up-to-date
ideas she will make history among
the women of her own land.