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TUEN, SLAVE and EMPRESS
BY
KATHLEEN GRAY NELSON
Illustrations by William M. Cary
NEW YORK
COPYRIGHT BY
E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY
31 West Twenty-third Street
1898
PREFACE.
This story is founded upon facts in the life of the Empress-dowager ofChina, the mother of the present Emperor.
She was sold as a slave by her father to a renowned government official,who after a few years adopted her as his daughter, and afterwardspresented her to the Emperor.
The Emperor was altogether charmed with the gift. In a few years theslave girl became the wife of the Emperor, second in rank only to theEmpress. From this time she was a power at the Imperial Court. Heradministrative ability in governmental affairs became invaluable to theEmperor.
After the death of the Empress, and the death of the Emperor and eldestson, she became Empress-dowager of China, and reigned as regent duringthe minority of her son, who is the present Emperor of China, now abouttwenty-four years of age.
Bishop Galloway tells us this wonderful woman's sixtieth birthday,celebrated last year, "was to have been the greatest event in Chinesehistory for a century or more." The war, however, prevented thisdisplay. He says, too: "It is significant that in this country, in whichwomen are at a discount, are secluded and kept in ignorance, areprotested against at birth, and regarded as a calamity in youth, theruling spirit in all national affairs is a woman."
CONTENTS
| PAGE. | |
| CHAPTER I. | 1 |
| CHAPTER II. | 11 |