LAST DAYS OF AN EMPRESS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 80, 11 April 1913, Page 7

LAST DAYS OF AN EMPRESS

the unhappy dowager dies IX TEE FORBIDDEN CITY. REMAINS REVILED BY COURT ATTENDANTS. Peking, February 27.

The Empress Dowager Lung-yu, o[ the Ching Dynasty, “rode on her fairy chariot to heaven'’ on February 22nd, at about 2 a.in. Thus is picturesquely announced the death of a woman whom President Yuan-Sin hKai describes as “the female embodiment of the great Emperors Yao and Sun,” rulers who, in turn some 400 ) years ago,: abdicated the Dragon Throne to enable more capable men to guide the destinies of the Celestial Empire for the good of the people. The death of the Dowager had no political significance. Among the people it caused scarcely any comment. The Manchus dependent upon palace benevolence were ostentatious in their grief; but others, it is significant to relate, regarded the event with almost indifference. Inside the Forbidden City there was a notable absence of sorrow. On the other hand, there was freely expressed relief. The Court hold the dead Dowager responsible for the sacrifice of Manchu power. Around her coffin assembled several of her ladies-in-waiting, and lout of the old consorts, and these openly denounced her. In their eyes she deserved death.

Though the dowager suffered greatly in the last few days of her existence, she had few to comfort'her. The dropsy which attacked her defeated the efforts of the doctors, and mental anguish helped it on its destructive course. A few attendants remained faithful to the dying lady, but others of the Court scarcely vouchsafed an inquiry as to her condition. As becomes one of the Royal Family, tile last hours must be spent upon the Imperial bed, and on the evening of the 21st she was removed there by the attendants, when they believed death imminent. For two days prior to her death she ate nothing and drank little. Breathing was difficult, and the knowledge was borne in upon her that death was hovering near.

Efforts to speak exhausted her, and only portoin of the pathetic parting she took with life is recorded. Her attendants heard her deeply bemoaning her state. “An orphan and a widow,” she murmured with difficulty, “my sadness has been everlasting. When I see the ruination of the dynasty and the desolation of the palace my grief is increased, and I know not where my soul will be destined.’ At this juncture the infant Emperor approached thei. death-bed. The Empress pointed to him, and in tears, said : “Ton were born into the Imperial family; you hayq mot; enjoyed any happiness, your dynasty has finished, : your footdi-mother if-fj dying, but you do not understand the seriousness,of it aH'.bldfim going,,tq jeave you. Whether you are to go by the ditch, the canal, or the road, I do not know. You must decide what to do in yom own way. I cannot help vou. Enable to speak, any longer the dying%iwagcr laiyißxhausted on her bed. The young Emperor was given over to HBe care of tiie guardian, Shih; Hsu,' who 1 , 1 when he entered the apartment, saw the Empress weeping, and pointing to the but unabb to speak. The guardian of the Emperor knelt at the bedside, and promised to safeguard Ids young charge The Empress is reported to have swooned and died without again speak-

News of her death circulated quickly about the palace. It was, as stated, received coldly. By a number of the eunuchs it was the signal for looting. Numbers searched out valuables and loft the palace with them, the native papers reporting that the departures of men with articles of virtue was “incessant” until the Minister for War, the Chief of the Pekin Gendarmerie, and other _ officials proceeded to the palace to take charge. Many eunuchs were caught in the act of escaping with treasures. Some loot that had been successfully smuggled out ■ of the palace grounds has been recovered, but still there is missing some 100,000 dollars’ worth. Events of importance crowded the last days of the unhappy dowager, and, though suffering, she refrained from retiring to her bed until shortly before she died. On February Gth she celebrated the New Year; on the 11th ’was the little Emperor’s birthday; on the 12th the whole liepublic was celebrating the anniversary of addiction; on the loth the f orbidden City was alive with gay decoration in celebration of the dowager’s own birthday anniversary, when she personally received the members cl' the Cabinet, who attended to felicitate her. They presented a scroll from the President, addressed: “From t io Great President of the Great Republic of China to the Great Dowager Empress of the Great Ching Dynasty,” tendering cordial wishes for long life and happiness! On February 17th the dowager was still a,ble i > he about, and on that day she sel i yes on foreign ladies for the last time, Mrs W. J. Calhoun, wife of the American Minister (accompanied by i vo other American ladies), visited the Forbidden City to say good-bye before her departure from Pekin for America. Mrs Calhoun and the ladi s accompanying her likewise enjoyed the sad privilege of being the lost Europeans to see and speak to the Dowager Empress. They were at tiie palace for about three hours, and '. ere able to enjoy the unique honor of photographing both the Empress and the Emperor. The little Emperor was r ated opposite the camera; the dow- ; ger stood on one side, within range c.f the lens, but behind a piece of furj. it are. which hid all but her face from

tho nose upwards. Mrs Calhoun took three photographs, all of winch proved successful exposures. The Dowager Empress faced the ordeal of the camera with good humor, the only remark she made being the expression of the hope that the photographing would not take much time, as she was not feeling well enough to stand long. The visitors state that the Empress had the appearance of a dying woman on that day, though she was cordial, spoke freely, and seemed pleased to see visitors from the outside world. The Court was more stylish than when Mrs Calhoun saw it some time before; the palace looked cleaner, and the grounds better kept. There were not sp many attendants about, though those visible were, large in number, nnd better dressed, than formerly. The impressions of the visitors were that the‘Empress was ruling what was left of her Court with a firmer hand; was obtaining better results for the money expended, and, generally, was seeing to the proper upkeep of the palace •buildings. One or two days after the foreign ladies left the Court the Dowager showed signs of sinking, and by the 21ot was in a hopeless condition, The two Court doctors administered Chinese treatment, orange and bamboo juices,, combined with “dragon” bone powder. But,the results were naturally not of a beneficial nature.

The special c'brrespondeut of the Sydney Dail-y-Telegraph says that!the immediate cause of death is ascribed to dropsy, but disease supervened upon a state of grief and unhappiness long ante-dating the fall of the Ta-ching Dynasty. As the Consort of the late Emperor Kwang-Hsu, the life of the Dowager Empress was the personification of martial wretched uevsL-Selected ms the senior 'cousprt o 1 dho Emperor by the then Dowagci Empress,' Tzu-Hsi, she, though of- affectionate disposition, obedient ana self-effacing, failed to awaken in tin heart of her Imperial husband ain response. Nor could she eve) - displace from his affection the two concubines “Pearl” and “Lustre,” for whoso company he ever exhibited a preference. _______