Mexico Missouri message., 1903-08-06
CHINA'S FIRST LADY.
The Empress DOwager Said to Have
English Blood.
Remarkable InteIiect aad Wonder
fuI Characteristics of the WOm-
an who Rules the DeHti-
nIes OF the Chinese.

Few people are aware that the EN-
press dowager is credibly believed by
well-informed people in China, Japan
Ahd India to have British blood in
her veinsl There is no doubt that
her mother was a European, though
whether British, Portuguese or Rus
sian deponent saith not, says the Lon
don Sketch. Though close on 20
years of age, she is still a good artist,
and is said by those familiar with the
Chinese language TO be a fine poet.
Some - years ago she solemnly pre-
scented a long poem of her own com.
position to the Hanlin college. Trans
lation of those articles dealing with
Chinese affairs appearing in leading
European newspapers are carefully
read by her, so she is quite aware
of the jealousy and suspicion which
animate the powers the moment the
Chinese problem comes under dis
cussion.
Very, very few of the millions
whom she rules with an iron hand
have ever seen the empress dowager.
As regards all outward forms and
ceremonies, she is intensely conserve
tive, and it is said that she even dis
cusses high affairs of state through
a door and through a curtain. The
Purple Forbidden City in other
words, the imperial palace, at Pc
kings a huge human rabbit-war-
rem, for there must dwell all those
connected with the court, with the
nominal emperor, his harem, and the
thousand eunuchs who wait on the
imperial family, and who aid the en-
press dowager in bringing on her en-
emies the mysterious disease, pressed
in anger of the inside" which has re-
moved so many unpleasant people
from her path, including, it is said,
two empress consorts.
Tsze-Hsi enjoys wonderful health,
and nowhere is her remarkable intel
lect more shown than in the matter
of doctors and hygiene. She early
grasped the fact that European wom-
en- owed their strength of body and
mind to their habit of taking a great
deal of exercise. Accordingly, she
takes it out of herself in this, for
"a Chinese lady, astounding fashion.
Then, again, she is n great believer
in the efficacy of cold water, and
she has a horror of doctors and of
sorcerers-indeed, she sends for one
only when she requires the loan of a
peculiarly deadly and potent drug.
1t is believed that the empress own
life has been attempted no fewer than
so times. but, thanks to her wonder
fully well-organiZed detective system
and also, il is but fair to add, to the
real affection, and even respect, she
inspires in her own faithful band of
eunuchs, she has never been serious
~ injured. Very characteristic is her
intense interest in all that concerns
Queen Victoria. Pictures cut from
London papers and representing the
more notable events of the great SOW
ereign's life have been framed and
hung up in her inner chambers.
The empress dowager, as her name
and, indeed, early career prove, was
once n very noted beauty. She has
remained much interested in the art
Of beauty, and dresses with eXtraor-
binary magnificence. On the other
hand she remains faithful to the Chi
nese custom of wearing no precious
stones, only very finely wrought gold
en- ornaments and splendidly carved
jade. Nothing makes her more con-
temptuously angry than to see Chi
nese woman in European dress or
nping any of the ways OF LADY for
@ign devil"