New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-02-18
A WOMAN,S NOTEBOOK.
Lady Susan Toz0nIeyS Experiences
an China

| MY CHINESE NOTEBOOK. BY Lady Susan
| Towney. Svo. DIP. SSs. E. P. Dutton & Co.
The first half of this volume is devoted to
neat and really interesting condensation of the
history OF China, and TO various chapters on
her religions. her language, her classics and her
present methods of government In collecting
! her material and in putting these notes to-
| gether the Englisnwoman found entertainment
for the many unocoupied hours to be encoun-
! tered In foreign legation in the East. and she
| deserves praise for a bit of work which will
! impart valuable information to readers who
might not otherwise be attracted to the page OF
Chinese history The second half OF her book is
made up of diverting accounts of her experiences
in Chinese society and at court She has the
womans gift in perceiving and describing the
small significant details, which form vivid
picture. Particularly effective are her notes on
her interviews with the terrifying Lady Of the
Dragon the Empress Dowager.
Picking Lady Susan declares with emphasis
to be the dirtiest and most evil smelling town
IN the world, disgusting to the most hardened
traveller. Imagine" she says. the capital of
great country. where the refuse of houses is
turned out into the highways where the pigs
and the dogs are the recognized scavengers,
where the sewage OF the town is collected in
big, open holes at the sides Of the streets Ga
foreigner was lately drowned by falling into one
seur. the chiropodist the aurist. the barber and
the butcher ply their offensive trades in the
open, whilst lepers, beggars and lunatics wander
unchecked, displaying their wounds. their naked
and their anticsl" Yet this dirty city has
destinations galore IN it's strange scenes its
strange peoples. it's wonderful palace and the
historic atmosphere that hangs over it's ancient |
walls. AS for personages. the most interesting |
in Peking-or in China-is probably the |
a.
ent in her hand. It is a pretty hand, Lady |
Susan says, slender and tapering, only disfgured
by the preposterously long nails. Its owner is |
sixty-eight, but she dyes her hair exceedingly |
black and drapes it over a bar of green jade, |
and doesn't look her age. She wears clothes |
ravishing in color, texture and embroidery Her |
complexion is her own-resembling that of a |
North Italian-and she has the piercing dark !
eyes of ruthless temper. She is very small |
creature, but she has a great deal of ease and |
dignity. She gracious to Lady Susan and |
the other women of the Diplomatic Corps, for |
all Of whom she no doubt entertained lively |
hatred.
When this masterful dame holds court the |
thirty-six-year-old Emperor plays a mournful |
second fiddle. He walked behind her and stood |
behind her meelly when the foreigners were re- |
ceived no took no part in the proceedings never |
even speaking unless he addressed. There |
pair of large, dark and sad eyes. at could not |
help noticing" says Lady Susan Of one cere-
monial occasion, how small and frail the En- !
peror looked. sitting the edge of his big |
chair with his hands folded. palms upward in |
his lap, and the toes of his dangling feet turned |
in" After the Chinese New Year audience the |
Europeans were offered a banquet arranged |
upon tatle covered with black, flower be- |
sprigged oilcloth.
Toward Toward the end Of the repast the Empress
Gown at our table, they ate some rice which was |
e eana to Them in lovely yellow bowls by kneeng
the S'TS nsr portion passing on What remained to
orange. which she peeled with her fingers NV |
Interpreter 1 was amused to hear servant after
Invite the honorable bowl of her majesty to re.
served her. W
The grim old woman appeared at her best |
during long afternoon. when she wandered |
with Lady Susan through the gardens of the |
summer palace. There by the way, the English
woman remarked a thing about which her Ian
guage Is fery-the destructive vandalism of |
some Of the foreign troops quartered, in 1900 |
among the priceless specimens Of Chinese art.
One glorious sheet OF yellow thing on a temple
wall was wrecked by the Italians IN way |
calculated to make connoisseur tear his hair
On each tile posed in relief Chinese god
which apparently impressed the foreigners as
an inviting object for missiles Every single |
nose and protuberant joint" says indignant
Lady Susan, was knocked off these as though |
with a hammer. the destruction being carried
out to above mans height from the ground"
The author has not much that is pleasant to
say about Chinese character. One historical
anecdote we may quote indicating a redeem
ing trait in one of the worst of the Emperors
the capricous Chach'ing:
Sung. censor of public morals was once bold
enough to address a memorial to him. pointing out
that he was degrading himself in the eyes Of his
people by his Partially for actors and his love for
strong drinks. The Emperor exceedingly angry
and. calling him into his presence asked him what
punishment he thought he deserved. "Quartering,"
answered the He was commanded to
choose some other form of death. and complied by
selecting the headsman'S sword; receiving a
third order he chose the sken cord or death by
stranguaton. He then told to retire and did
so. convinced that his last hour had arrived In
stead of sentence of death, however the Emperor
on the next day. sent him his appointment as Gov |
ernor of III. thus acknowledging the recttude Of
the censor though too proud to bear his rebuking
presence at court
1T 4 ROOKCT4TT