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Show Great Woman Rules China When tho time came for adieus, her majesty mingled with her guests, tho emperor following closely; and ns Mrs. Conger got beyond mo I atoppod nsldo for royalty. Ininglno my astonishment aston-ishment when tho empress downRcr turned, took mo by both hnnds, stroked my arm and Inquired how I 'Iked China nnd how long I would remain, re-main, concluding by asking mo to como and soo her ngaln when I ro-.turned ro-.turned to visit Mrs. Conger! I did not lose my equnnlmlty, .but studied this most romnrkablo woman nt closest clos-est range. Could fiho of dlgnljlpl mlon, deep-sot deep-sot unllncnlng eyes, Ynro smile and mol'odlous volco ho tho most despotic female sovereign In tho history of tho world? Hns sho two distinctly opptV! site natures? Is this tho secret of her marvelous power? Born In obscii'- .y, tho dtughtor of n minor olllce.. n fnvorl'o concubine of tho hair.m, joung snrt Inoxperlenced, alio reached tho pinnacle of authority by lncredlblo ability, shrewdness and daring. Through all the Intrlguo of tho Chi-ncso Chi-ncso court since sho first usurped tho throno sho has borno a charmed life, and her onomtes hnvo arisen only to dlsnppoar with torrlblo swiftness, while her autocracy remains unchallenged. unchal-lenged. With reloutless will she has stripped tho pmperor of tho last vest-igo vest-igo of the logltlmato authority, which, for a brief period, ho had oxcrclsod under tl.j wlso guldanco of Knng Yu Wei, absolutely controlling his ovory word and act, as well as tho earthly destiny of 100.000,000 of subjects. ' And this riiost fascinating hostess, urging us' td'stay longer" nnd "c6mo again," annihilating conventionality and precedent, was Tsl An tho Great, woman ruler In this Jand. of Confu-cl Confu-cl is, whore to ho a woman, nccordlng to the philosophy qf tho Great Sago, in to bo despised among men! Tho Contury. |