With the Empress Dowager of China

CHAPTER I. 3 MY PRESENTATION AND FIRST DAY AT THE CHINESE COURT Drive Out to the Summer Palace--Presentation--Beginning the Portrait--Luncheon--The Palace Theater--My Pavilion within the Precincts.

CHAPTER II. 18 PERSONAL APPEARANCE OF HER MAJESTY--A CHINESE REPAST-- BOATING Second Sitting--The Siesta--Her Majesty’s Barge--A Promenade on the Lake.

CHAPTER III. 27 THE PALACE OF THE EMPEROR’S FATHER A Chinese Palace--Gardens--The Chinese Poem--Tombstones of Pets--The Highway from Peking to the Summer Palace--Chinese Modes of Locomotion--The Seventh Prince.

CHAPTER IV. 34 HER MAJESTY’S THRONE-ROOM Clocks--Third Sitting--A Promenade in the Gardens--The Orchard--The Empress Dowager’s Love of Flowers--Customs as to Fruits and Flowers.

CHAPTER V. 42 THE YOUNG EMPRESS AND LADIES OF THE COURT The Young Empress--The Secondary Wife--The Princesses-- Children by Adoption--Chinese Widows--The Princess Imperial-- The Relationships of the Princesses of the Blood--The Maids and Tiring-women--Women of the Eighth Banner--The Chinese Woman at Court--Slaves.

CHAPTER VI. 50 CONTINUATION OF THE PORTRAIT Advantages and Disadvantages of Painting in the Throne-room-- The Empress Dowager’s Voice--Chinese Opinion as to Portraits of Royalty--Walks with Her Majesty--Her Dogs--Their Pavilions--Cats--The Empress Dowager’s Gift of “Me-lah.”

CHAPTER VII. 57 FESTIVITIES AT COURT The Celebration of His Majesty’s Birthday--Invitation from the Empress Dowager to be Present--Birthday Plays--The Imperial Actors--Birthday Decorations of the Palace Courts and Buildings--Presents--First Gala Performance--Luncheon in the Court of the Theater--The Mat-sheds at the Palace-- Visitors--Chinese Courtesy--The Imperial Theater at Summer Palace--Actresses--Customs of Manchu Women.

CHAPTER VIII. 64 HIS MAJESTY THE EMPEROR Beginning of his Reign--The Name of an Emperor--The Manchu Dynasty--Personality of the Emperor--Appearance--His Orientalism--His Dreams of Progress--His Edicts--Despatches-- The Emperor’s Palace and Attendants--His Studies and Talents-- Early Rising--His Meals--Conventionalities Observed--Dislike of Public Functions.

CHAPTER IX. 73 THE EMPEROR’S BIRTHDAY Morning Salutations--His Majesty’s Throne-room--The Imperial Pearl-Buttons Denoting Rank of Officials--Manchu Buttons-- “Lever” of the Empress Dowager--Court Costume--Young Empress in Court Attire--Going in State to Audience Hall--Official Congratulation by High Officials and Princes--The Young Empress’s Palace--Presentation of Jade Emblem (Ruyie)--Young Empress’s Official Congratulation to the Emperor--Simplicity of Attire of Empress Dowager--Grand Theatrical Representation at Palace Theater--Imperial Congratulatory Poem--Splendid Costumes--Luncheon in the Court of the Theater--Children at Court--The Emperor’s Presents to the Manchu Nobles and High Officials--The Finale at the Theater--Spectacular Procession-- Thanks of the Princes and Nobles--Bowing to the “Great Ancestress”--The Procession to the Hall of Ancestral Tablets.

CHAPTER X. 87 PEKING--THE SEA PALACE His Majesty’s Sacrifice to his Ancestors--The Empress Dowager’s Favorite Summer-house--The Sacred Picture--The United States Legation at Peking--Mrs. Conger’s Relations with Chinese Ladies--The Sea Palace--The Boats of the Lake--Our Resting-place at the Sea Palace--Promenade on the Lake--The Eunuch Li-Wun-ti--Memory--Story-telling--The Island--Temple Gardens--Two Temples--Cathedral within the Precincts--Theater.

CHAPTER XI. 100 SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF HER MAJESTY--SECOND VISIT TO THE SEA PALACE The Empress Dowager’s Magnetic Personality--Interesting Study--Her Chinese Appellations--Hall of Mongolian Princes-- Dragon Wall--Fruits Sent to the Palace--Repast at the Sea Palace--Promenade in the Train of Her Majesty--The Imperial Gourds--A Promenade in the Rain--Rest in Hall of Mongolian Princes--Archery in China--The Sunset Call.

CHAPTER XII. 111 RETURN TO THE SUMMER PALACE The Empress Dowager as a Psychological Study--Seeing Her Face to Face--Work on Portrait Resumed--Easels and Cases for Materials for Work on Sacred Picture--Walks--Refreshments for the Promenades--Imperial Tea--The Empress Dowager’s Tea and Tea-cups--Her Deftness with her Fingers--Her Thoughtfulness.

CHAPTER XIII. 117 THE STEAM-LAUNCH--SEMI-ANNUAL SACRIFICES TO CONFUCIUS Chinese Tolerance in Religious Matters--Halls of Confucius-- The Odes to Peace--Burning the Offerings.

CHAPTER XIV. 123 THE PALACE EUNUCHS Their Grades--The Chief Eunuchs--Li Lien Ying--His Power with the Courtiers--“L’Eminence Grise” of the Court--The Shut-in Position of Chinese Imperial Rulers--Need of an Unofficial Messenger--Personal Appearance of Li Lien Ying-- Sui, Her Majesty’s Second Eunuch--Punishment of Eunuchs-- Pupils--Opium Smoking--Pets--Good Manners of the Eunuchs.

CHAPTER XV. 130 LITERARY TASTES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE EMPRESS DOWAGER The Empress of the Eastern Palace--Co-Regency--Her Majesty’s Literary Tastes--Her Love of Heroic Poems--Her Memory--The Chinese Joan of Arc--The Empress, Widow of Tung-Chih--The Empress Dowager’s Reader and her Favorite Authors--Her Love of the Theater--Her Humor--A Great Stickler for Purity of Language--Li-Hung-Chang’s Chinese--How the Empress Dowager Speaks It--Her Writing of the Great Characters--The Chinese Written Character--Painting--Embroidery--Her Designs for Floral Decorations--Cultivation of her Person--The Empress Dowager an Epicure--Her Soaps and Perfumes--Her Personal Magnetism as a Power over Animals--The Escaped Bird--The Katydid.

CHAPTER XVI. 142 THE GREAT AUDIENCE HALL Hours of the Audiences--The Audience Hall at Summer Palace-- Its Interior--Ancient and Modern Thrones and Dais--Audiences of Heads of Departments--The Grand Council--Official Despatches--Telegrams--The Cushions for Members of the Grand Council--Special Audiences--The Introducing Eunuch--Amusing Subterfuge of Officials at Audience--The Young Emperor and Tiresome Official--Sacred Quality of the Imperial Person-- Mode of Address of Courtiers--The Kow-tow.

CHAPTER XVII. 149 THE SUMMER PALACE The Empress Dowager’s Favorite Palace--The Marble Terrace-- The Hills of the Summer Palace--The Temple of the Ten Thousand Buddhas--Memorial Arches--The Marble Bridge--The Canals--Camel-back Bridges--Chinese Architecture--Utilitarian Spirit of the Chinese--Flowers and Fields in the Park of Summer Palace--Grand Peony Mountain--The Sacred Buddha-Temple of the Ten Thousand Buddhas--Ruins of Old Summer Palace-- Views from the Summer Palace Belvederes--When Their Majesties Go Abroad.

CHAPTER XVIII. 156 FESTIVAL OF THE HARVEST MOON The Chinese Love of Festivals--The Fruit of Immortality--The Little Handmaiden and her White Rabbit--The Play at the Palace Theater on the Mid-Autumn Festival--Dinner in the Imperial Loge--Procession to the Moonlit Terrace--Floral Pai-lou to the Moon--“Bowing” to the Moon--The Poem to the Moon--The Burnt-Offering--Return to the Palace on the Moonlit Lake--Continuation of the Portrait--Some Disadvantages of Too Much Pleasure--Hospitality of the Empress Dowager--Chinese Conventions and Traditions--Wonderful Opportunities for Picturesqueness in Painting the Empress Dowager--Restrictions Imposed by Chinese Tradition--First Exhibition of the “Sacred Picture”--Description of First Portrait of the Empress Dowager--How I Should Have Liked to Paint Her.

CHAPTER XIX. 165 A GARDEN PARTY Reception to the Diplomatic Corps and Ladies of the Legation--The Ceremony of Reception of the Ladies--The Empress Dowager’s Cordiality--Taking Tea in the Audience Hall--Luncheon in the Throne-room--Promenade on the Lake-- Visit to the Palace and Temple on the Island--The Marble Boat--Lack of Harmony among the Guests at Garden Party-- Chinese Comment on our Costumes and Appearance--Dislike of Blonde Hair.

CHAPTER XX. 171 BEGINNING A SECOND PORTRAIT OF THE EMPRESS DOWAGER Putting the Characters Representing Her Majesty’s Titles and her Two Seals on the Portrait--Beginning the Small Portrait-- Toilette d’Intimité--“Hailo” and “Shadza”--The Palace Painters--Their Manner of Working--New Variety of Chrysanthemum--The “Peafowl Feather”--The Audience Hall Pianos--Her Majesty’s Ideas of Dancing.

CHAPTER XXI. 178 A EUROPEAN CIRCUS AT THE PALACE The Posters--Sites for the Ring--The Turnip Field--Their Majesties Go in State across the Lake--The Houseboats--The Young Empress’s State Boat--The Imperial Loges at the Circus--Invited Officials--Bands of Music--A Glimpse of the Manchu Princes and Some High Officials--The Son of the Imperial Princess--The Opera Glasses of Their Majesties--What Interested Them Most.

CHAPTER XXII. 185 PALACE CUSTOMS Early Rising--When the Empress Dowager Sleeps--Her Bedroom-- Irregular Hours except for the Audience--Domestic Duties-- Her Favorite Game--Her Luck--Her Meals--Conventions Observed at the Empress Dowager’s Table--Her Dishes--The Hour of the Siesta--Her Promenades--The Days of the Theater--When Their Majesties Dine Together--Rigorous Observance of Fasts at the Table of the Empress Dowager--Court Etiquette--The Graceful Bow--Rigid Observance of Court Customs--Her Majesty’s Reproof of Too Indulgent Mother.

CHAPTER XXIII. 194 HER MAJESTY’S ANXIETY--HER BIRTHDAY Her Anxiety--Exterior and Interior Troubles--Preparations for Her Majesty’s Birthday--Her Desire to Have Everything as Simple as Possible and to Spare Expense--The Emperor’s Wish to Celebrate with the Usual Pomp, and Desire to Bestow a New Title upon the Empress Dowager--Difference of Her Majesty’s Interest in her Own and the Emperor’s Birthday-- When She Received the Congratulations--Early Hour of Congratulation--The Interior of the Throne-room and Decorations for the Birthday--Winter Court Dress of the Ladies--The Empress Dowager’s Fatigue.

CHAPTER XXIV. 200 THE WINTER PALACE The Empress Dowager’s Love of the Summer Palace--Return to Peking--Young Empress and Ladies Precede and Receive Her on the Threshold of her Own Throne-room--City of Peking, the Palace within the Forbidden City--Its many Walls within Walls--The Guard-Houses--The Ceremony of Reception--The Throne-room of the Winter Palace--The Interior Dome--Her Majesty’s Sitting-room--Private Chapel--Portraits of Queen Victoria--The Three Great Halls--The Spirit-Stairway--The Central Hall--Presents from European Royalties--Where I was to Paint--The Emperor’s Precincts--Tradition at the Winter Palace.

CHAPTER XXV. 211 PEKING--BEGINNING THE PORTRAIT FOR ST. LOUIS Legation Quarter--Morning Ride to the Palace--Splendid Walls of the Palace and City--The Streets in the Forbidden City--A Funeral--The Mongolians--Beggars at the Gate-- Unsatisfactoriness of Studio at Winter Palace--Her Majesty Orders It Remodeled--Beginning Portrait for St. Louis-- Imperial Paraphernalia and Insignia of Royalty--Importance of Propriety--The Throne--Her Majesty’s Costume for the Portrait--Pearl Mantle--First Sketch--Stretching the Great Canvas.

CHAPTER XXVI. 219 SOME SOCIAL CUSTOMS Manchu Ladies of the Palace--Presentation, on Their Marriage, of Manchu Noblewomen--Bridal Costume--Sedan Chairs--By Whom Bride is Presented--The Young Empress’s Graciousness--A Daughter in a Manchu Family--Comparison of Manchu and American Girl--The Unmarried Daughter of the Manchus--Her Position in the Family--Social Qualities--The Manchu Men-- Sports--Costume--Young Dandies--Concubinage--Early Marriages of Men--Secondary Wives--The Family--Secondary Wives of an Emperor--Their Rank--Position in the Palace--Title.