Evening star., 1931-12-06
MIR. Henry Pu, Ex-Emperor

knives and forks, she had shown
quick mastery Of Western customs.
Shortly after this dinner the oppor.
tunity for which I had waited arrived
1t was arranged for their maiesties tc
come and view collection of my paint.
ings of members of their families
These were hung In the home of MI
and Mrs. Barry Eastman, With whom
was staying. This visit of a former
Emperor to the house of a foreigner
was revolutionary In the eyes of the
Easthams' amah, who had belonged to
good Manchu family. What, she asked
herself in tears. was China coming to?
When the Ernperor's motor, however,
with Japanese secret service man In
attendance. stood outside our gates,
our own servants thereby gained so
much face" among the other Chinese
in the neighborhood that the amah's
sorrow turned to smiles.
Their majesties. like two charming
and excited children, were greatly In
trisued by the pictures Of people they
knew The Empress seemed so deli
cately beautiful, like a piece of porce-
lain. that when mention was made of
painting her picture I said, impulsive-
ly; Let me make sketch of you
right now" She was timid. Nothing.
l realized, was ever done so quickly in
China, But this on-the minute West
ern spirit caught the Emperor's inter-
est; 1t was something new and stirnu-
lating In the placid round of his life.
He urged, she finally consented, and
when they left he took this first sketch
with him, propped up in the front of
his automobile.
Every day or so for a month after
tnat the emperor sent his car for me.
At their home In the japanese Con-
cession l made several portraits OF each
OF tnem. The work proceeded with
agreeable slowness, amid much tea
drinking, laughter and comparing Gus
toms Of Our respective countries.
was struck each day afresh by the
cnlldlike attitude of these two toward
NE. The Emperor had an American
monograph on which he played when
ne found that / liked the tune THE
Parade OF the Wooden Soldiers" His
other prize possession was a motion
picture camera. II he bothered his
head about politics, world or Chinese,
ne did not reveal 1t.
ponder often on the incongruity of
the fact that q land where nature and
age-old art have made surroundings so
peacefully beautiful, and where people
seem always smiling snould be 50 given
" wei hih' COliuSlOn. My memories or
China are the peace and beauty of the
western hills, the tireisss charm of
temples, the wistaria honeysuckle, plum.
cherry, lavender blossoms that appeared
as II by magic. day after day, In my
studio
And the courtesy and kindness Of the
peoplel They forgave me innumerable
transgressions of an etiquette that to
them was ronclad They were hospi-
table. gay lovable.
What will 1t mean 10 my two little
friends II the next coup succeeds and
they find themselves emblazoned on the
world panorama, Emperor and Empress
OF the Manchus. on q dragon throne in
Mukden, with jealousy and responsible
ity and strife surrounding them9 What
possible impress has their training
equipped them to make on the turbu-
| lent problems symbolized today by the
word Manchuria9 I cannot believe they
in their hearts would welcome such q
change.
When I left China these two friends
OF mine sent me rings Of Jade and a
string of ancient coral from their de-
pleted collection. I tried to express to
them what was In my heart-that no
jewel no porcelain, no brocade or paint
ing that I brought from China is as
precious to me as the memory of the
happy hours 7 spent with m. Pu' and
Nine. Pu," China's Little Emperor"
and Little Empress" probably her last
royal rulers.