Evening star., 1905-11-04
WITH THE EMPRESS DowAGER. By

To the western world. which has for years
conceived the dowager empress OF CHINA
as q fierce. tyrannical. biood-thirsty oio
woman. this book comes as revelation
Tze-Shi. which is her proper name, and not
the usually accepted Tsi-An Is in truth
gracious. womanly. charming parsonage
with a kindly heart. capable of deep feel
ing. progressive as far as Chinese tradition
permits and with highly intelligent grasp
of the world affairs OF today.
Such Is the testimony OF Miss Katherine
Carl who was invited to the court al Pekin
to paint a portrait OF the dowager en-
press and. instead of being limited, as she
feared at first, to one sitting, remained In
the various imperial palaces an honored
guest for eleven months. In that period
the artist was accorded the privilege of
daily intercourse with Tze-Shi. seeing her
in repose in relaxation, In official activity,
in laughter, in tears. In anger. Not only
were there almost daily sttings for the
four portraits which were ultimately paint
ed. but the dowager empress was pleased
to invite Miss Carl to participate In the
routine of palace life in the pastimes and
the ceremonies.
The Chinese traditions are so rigid that
in strict conformity with them this revela-
tlon OF the artists experiences In the pai-
aces would be unthinkabe. 1t is torpiooen
to discuss the august personalities OF re
Shi or the emperor his consorts. But
many annoying falsehoods have been spread
abroad regarding this experience and words
have been unwarranteoly put into MISS
Carls mouth, until she feels 1t Is impera-
tive that she should correct the mlsunder-
standings that have arisen as to her So
tourn in the palaces and the character or
the dowager empress. SO she violates the
Chinese traditions in order to present her
hostess in her proper light.
In doing this the author tells tale that
Df l1n f,V1rrr 20 r a.
bian nights entertainments Solemn pa
geants pass by with a blaze of color. Pal
aces rise before the eye with beauties OF
architecture and decoration undreamed or
in this prosaic world Quaint customs are
explained which smack of the very ancient
times. And yet as a sharp antl-cllmax
comes the statement that the dowager en-
press is anxious to ride in an automobile
and is casting longing eyes upon the sew
eral devil wagons" that her ministers to
foreign courts have offered presents!
1t Is impossible to indicate the wealth OF
interesting and important Information
which this book conveys. Suffice 1t to say
that 1t upsets many conceptions OF Chinese
affairs, disturbs many theories and oners
evidence that China may perhaps have been
mlsjudged by the western world In the mat
ter of the Boxer rebellion. Certainly Miss
Carl proves himself an eloquent advocate.
pleading for a verdict of acquittal as to the
dowager empress personal inclination to-
ward the murder of foreigners.
four portraits painted by Miss Carl during
her stay at the Chinese court was sent to
the St Louis exposition and was later pre-
sented to the United States government and
Is now on exhibition in the National Mu-
scum in this city.
THE MAYOR OF TROY. BY A. T. Quill
ler-Couch. New York: Charles Scrib-
ner's Sons. Washington: Woodward
q Lothrop.
Mr.. Quiller-Couch begins his lay In
high-pitched key OF comedy-making, sing
ing a song of arms and the man. in the
days when "Old Boney" menaced the shores
of Albion, when every true Engiishman
trembled with mingled pride and courage
and fear at the mere mention of the Cor
sican's name. 1t was the town OF Troy, SO
freely exposed to the French descent, that
possessed in the person of its mayor, Solo
mon Hymen. a tower of strength, a mine of
resource, a veritable Solomon in wisdom
Mayor Hymen was also major of the Tro-
jan Galants and being of practical
mind he organized Jointly sham fight to
test the efficacy OF the kings men at Looe
and neat bit of customs running with
cargo of Guernsey brandy. For the latter
was not then rated as an unmayoral per-
formance. But somehow things went wrong,
and the Gallants got gloriously drunk on
the Smuggled brandy and the major-mayor
was shamed and fed. At Plymouth he fell
victim to the press gang, sent 20 sea
along with most remarkable company of
plck-me-ups and was reported dead in the
premature explosion of an Internal machine
sent against the French fleet.
The author drops his voice to minor
Key and sings in a somewhat lower voice
when he tells of the homecoming of the
doughty ma aJor-mayor. once so close re-
semblance to the prince regent now a
a 6nv Inxr
indeed. but pathetically so. Gone was the
snug fortune, gone the joy of living. But
the wanderer fresh from a French prison
found himself immortalized In the way of a
bust decorating the Hymen hospital, found
ed by the terms of his own will. And none
TO know him, save an old retainer. What
wonder then, that the ma ajor-mayor finally
smashed the bust with his wooden leg and
made on with the very seaman who had
compassed his abduction? Verify tn
mayor OF Troy was worth knowing a man
OF parts. and great should be the glory OF
ms chronicler, who has given us a delecta-
BILE morsel of biography.
THE PROFESSORS LEGACY. BY Mrs.
Alfred Sidgwick. New York: Henry
Holt x Co. Washington. William Bal
lantyne Sons.
Should a young girl marry her guardian
merely to secure a home and to solve press
ing social problems? Rosamund Elsler did
not pause TO consider the question when
the emergency arose that offered this ave-
nue. out OF seeming labyrinth of diff
culties. She married her guardian who
loved her, and Immediately felt that she
had made mistake. She was the daughter
OF this guardians venerated mentor In the
scientific field in which the elder man was
eminent and the younger a promising stu
dent Her mother was dead, her aunt a
frivolous, selfish schemer. The man was
honest. wealthy, well connected and he Of
fered her his English home. There she
found rest from her worries and forgetful-
ness of her mistaken love for a German mu-
sician whom she had idolized She also
found her own heart. and was grieved to
realize that she could not readily awaken
her husbands chilled love for her There
is much pretty by-play OF emotions, an In
teresting structure OF circumstances n light
vein of humor and a tender quality of soul
portraiture in this excellent bit OF fiction
Mrs. Sidgwick charming.y displays her
knowledge of the German and Eng ish char
acter and brings them effectively into con-
trast.
RUSSIA. BY Theophile Gautier. author of
Italy" SC, and by Other Distinguish
ed French Travellers and Writers of
Note. Translated from the French.
with an additional chapter upon the
Struggle for Supremacy In the Far
East. by Florence MacIntyre Tyson.
illustrated. In two volumes. PhiladeI-
phia: The John C. Winston Company.