The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-23

The only foreigner that eyed lived in the Chinese imperial palace Is a young American woman, Miss Kate Carl, the artist, who painted the empress dowa- gers picture. Eleven months she re- sided under the roof of the lady known among other nations as "the terrible old woman of China" During those eleven months, however, Miss Carl saw nothing scaresome or even "stuck up in the behavior of her majesty or any of her suit. Instead the young Amer ican lady was treated with kindltness and polished courtesy that might serve as a lesson to many a western sov- ereign.
 Of course, living as she did in the very home of dowager Empress Tsi An, the American woman artist must have ben almost a freak in the sight of members of the imperial palace, yet not by word, deed or look did even children ever display impertinent cu- riosity.
 During her residence at the Chinese court Miss Carl painted four portraits of the woman who has been called the only man in the Chinese empire" One of these was that which attracted so much attention at the St. Louis expo sition and which was presented to the United States government by Empress Tsi An herself in token of her appre- citation of Secretary Hays good offices for China at the close of the Boxer war This portrait is of life size, her majesty sitting upon the imperial throne, clad in her robes of state. with the symbols of her high office about her.
 This picture was somewhat difficult for a western artist to paint, because to make it acceptable Chinese tradi- ton and rules of high art had to be observd. The Chinese prejudice against shadows in a picture proved great drawback in getting the charac- ter of the august face. Chinese mo- tions require a picture to be Hat. and western art had to be sacrificed to diplomacy. The portrait is q great one, however, for all that. The face and pose of the empress of the orient show a power that is almost over whelming to one of psychic percep- tion. The portrait Is now in ;he Ma" tional museum at Washington.
 Another of the portraits of the cm- press represents her in ordinary at home dress. Reception hours in China are badly mixed, according to our mo- tions She gives audience to them openly, as a western monarch might do, yet it Is a fact that they do not look her in the eyes. Out of etiquette and reverence they fix their gaze upon the floor when she speaks to them. Back of her majesty are always screens. We of the crude west can not understand the profound mysteries of three, seven and nine leaved screens, yet these serve to mark the rank of those who have audience with her majesty. and each Is displayed on its own occasion.
 Miss Carl has many a time seen the emperor of China. No portrait of him has ever been seen by any of the out FN-.., ar.k- far betray the confidence reposed in her as to make a private sketch of him. He has no children. but several handsome young brothers. one of whom. with his bride, visited the court while Miss Carl was painting the empress's portraits.
 The American girl came back home with impressions most pleasant of the Chinese and their morals and manners Nowhere else Is old age treated with such respect and tenderness as in Chi na. The Chinese are essentially a moral race" says the lady. She has written a book of her experiences at the Chinese court. a book which will throw a light western nations have never yet had on the ways of the Chi nese. Miss Carl came to feel quite at home in the palace. One of the great rulers own pet dogs had his phOto- graph taken with the American lady, she wearing Chinese costume. This pug was presented to Miss Carl by the empress dowageY
 Little thought Kate Carl in her mer- ry childhood in New Orleans that she would one day be called to paint for the first time in history a portrait of Chinese ruler. She showed artistic gifts when little girl So soon as she was old enough her mother took her to Paris. thinking to remain there year But the beautiful artist developed such talent and capacity for study that she and her mother stayed eighteen years.
 Miss Carl had aJbrother in official lie in China. Mrs. Carl had not seen him in many years, and 1t was her hearts desire to behold her son again: SO she and her artist daughter went overland to China. composing the long journey across Russia by rail. Hon E. H Conger was then United States minister to China, and the Congers were friends of the Carls. To Picking went Miss Carl to meet the ConEers.