A CHINESE LADY'S FIRST DINNERPARTY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2082, 10 November 1885, Page 2

A CHINESE LADY'S FIRST DINNERPARTY.

Tiih Death of General Grant has recalled to Miss Gordon Gumming some experiences of how lie was entertained in China. Miss Cummins; w\ite-> • - Some points of special interest attached to (JtMieial Grant's reception at Tientsin, j where he and his patty ueio cnteit.iined witli all the honours that could l)e dcvisjd 1))' foreigners and Chinese authorities. For Li Hunt; Chang, a well awakened and go ahead man and the greatest of Chines-c generals, Ind watched the career of tlip American Wellington with keen interest, deelaiing that he himself i ami Grant wen 1 the two most successful -oilders of tiie n;»e, in th.it they had crushed the two grivit* st rebellions of the centurj (his own lam els hiving been cinu'd in ([iielling the Tacping force-. ; curiously enough, the r.ieping lebellio'i and tii» American civil wm were contemporaneous, and tespectiiely came to a dose, the Litter in the spring and the forim-i in the summer of 1S0I5). In recognition of such services, Li Hung Chang, although a pure Cliintm in, Ins hern raised to the highest dignitie-, that could he confeiied hy the Tartar rulers He is gmuli.in of the heir apparent and Viceroy of '1 luntsin, which, as guaiding thr approac'n to Peking, is perhaps the most important of all posts in the gift of the Govern-nent. So, since this fire it viceroy had resolved to do all possible honour to his military brother, Tientsin WiH transformed fiom its ordinary condition of dullness and dil^t. The rivei decorations were easy enougli, for ill the vessels and junks were funded with fl igs ; hut even the diiity town was enlivened w ith co'oured calico and icil flowers and much military '•how. Theie were chairs of State lined with yellow silk, and quaint uniforms and fireworks and juggleis and feasting Li Hung Chang himself was cani»l in a coveted chair with an avantcornier bea-ing a huge scarlet umbrella, a badge of very high e»t ite, with a large escort of about five thou3ind very di>reputah'e looking soldier in blue «mts and red trouseis. Pei haps the most remarkable featuie of this reception of the American w horn the viceroy %o exceptionally delighted to honour was an invitation to dinner from j Mis Li Hung Ch ing to Mn Giant, and to the principal foieign ladies of Tientsin. Such ,i thing wis altogt ther without pi credent in Noith China, and conse ijuently was an occasion of exceeding interest, inasmuch as few of the oldest inhabitants his ever been privileged to look upon the^e grc.it ladies, who now, at the instigation of this very advanced viceroy, were actiully to do the honours of their own home. No gentlemen were present, but there weie in all about a do/en ladies, Chinese and foreign, a ladj fiom one of the missions acting as niteipicter. From time to time the tall form of the viceroy was seen, overlooking the throng of Chinese spectators (who, a» is usual at festivals of great men, ciowded aionnd eveiy door and window to stare at "the quality," and who of course musteted in double force on fco extraodniaiy tin oeiMsion as thi^), but it woulil have been too gross a bu-aeh of etiquette for him to hnvu ventured to appear in the presence of the ladies, though his \ lews on this subject had been vastly enl.uged in the previous foitnight, when for the first time he. had been present at two dinner parties giaced by the feminine presence. At the Hist of these, given by the French consul, it had beun decided Vi.it, to avoid giving this larc guest too rude a shock, all the ladies should sit togethei at one side of tiie table. At the second dinner, however, it was decided to let them sit altem itely, as usual— the only difference being that the viceroy walked m that by himself. These extraodinary innovations led to his devising this invitation of foreign ladies to his own house, so he was naturally anxious as to the result. But all went of admirably, and his wife entertained her foreign guests with perfect composure and couitcsy. Of couise, tho foreigners appear in their best evening dresses and jewels, the e\ limitation Ot vvliiuh it a net cr-failing subject of intcrcit, after the d : scussion of the ladies' age, and the numerical list of babies and their age has been gone through. The pi isonal appear nice and pretty names of the v icregal ladies produced a groat im prcssioii on their guest-.. The hostess (vv lio came to the outer door to receive Mrs ({rant with all honour) was a comely middle-aged woman, whose tiny feet appealed from beneath daik trousers, and iichly uubroidcied hkut and long jacket. With the exception of a very large hutteiHy of pearls worn on tho back of the head, her necklace, biaeelcts, and head ointments wvie all of pucele-<s Kiecn jade. A daughter in law, aged '23, nas dressed in similar style, quiet, though rich in colour and material, but ,m tin in in ivd daughter of 10 was goi geous-ly attiied in green satin tiou->crs ami pink Hatin jacket, all nehly embroideii'd in guld and giy silks, and loaded with jewels ot peail and jade. Long pendants of jidehung from her ears and from the silken coid of her fan, while tho third and fourth finger-nails of the left hand had been left to grow to an enormous length, and were shielded by golden null protectors (excellent weapons for tiie infliction of a vicious scratch !) While at Canton I iuvoted in a very pretty silver set of four. They aie simply half-thunbles, which fit the finger tip, and form a nail shield above three inches in length. AH these throe ladies woie the same excess of jewellery oo\ ering the hack of the head, and were .irHicted with the same minute hoofs (the lily feet of Celestial poets), necessitating the assistance of servants (literally " walkingsticks '"') to enable them to move a step. The diuner was a happy combination of Chinese and European fcervioe and di.shes, and w.ih enlivened by the performance of a noisy Clunse Punch and Judy show. After dinner a gieat smprise awaited the hostess. The viceroy had borrowed a piano— an instalment which his wife had never before peen, and on which aomc of the ladies now proceeded to play. Kailici in the evening another musical novelty had electiitiud the party— namely, the auival in the outer court of tho band of the Anieiican ship Richmond, whose <li iima and brass iusttuments were voted almost as agreeable as the gongs anil biasd hoi 119 of the Chineee imioicans. The piano led to singing, and then, w hen someone .struck up a wtfse, and some of the younger ladies ventured on a practical demonstiation of barbaitu dancing, with a few little ornamental vagaiics to give v ai iety to the entertainment, the muscinent and ama/ement of the vice-iegal ladies \\as>)unbouiuled. Happily, they w erespared the shock of lcilibing that their foietgu fueuds vverts ever guilty yf dancing with gentlemen. So the evening went oft' most satisfactorily, and when, just as the guests depaited, a few drops of welcome rain fell (the tain for which prayers had been ceaselessly offered in all flic temples

of every denomination), the happy hostess halted the good omen which thus crowned her first effort at entertaining foreigners. The dame liberal spirit of piogrcai which influenced Li Hung Cliing to venture on admitting'these di»tinguishol strangers within his homo ha« been shown in the determination with winch he hai striven to overcome the prejudices of his countrymen against all such foreign innovations as railways and telegraphs.