THE EMPRESS OF JAPAN.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11253, 11 May 1904, Page 6

THE EMPRESS OF JAPAN.

, o -. - i - The World prints" an intinlate and -very interesting ateqount of Harqu-Ko, the Empress -of Japan, from which" we take" .^ th& following-: — " . '„ ' ' v l "In vej"y far back days there was an Empress- of Japan who,'waip.held-4n qui.t<f special love and _by her people; • and with good reason,- for she-was a wise woman as well- as a- saint — so'at'leaßt says trad jfcion-Tra marvel of beauty as well as -of goodness ;. and so long as she lived all things, wenfr, well with the land. There are latter-day Japa- who. maintain , that, this Empress is now living in their. • midst ; she has returned to the. earth, it seems, and has assumed the form- of ,Harou T Ko, their Mikadoes. consort,. tthat, she may. -ward, off from- them' all /evil, and , secure forthem - the honour, . glary, and.', greatness < that- are their due,. 'Bor-a.-ladyiwiho lived so many oenturies ago; Haroxi-Ko is in appearance quit 6 startingly modern; foT in Paris or Lphdoii— are always l'e dernier cri, and she wears ' theni' as. one Tjo'to in the jßue de Frenelle. •" Although not strikingly beautiful-, at least according to Western taste, Her Majesty has a -singularly fascinating' - face — it is so "kindly, •' intelligent and -expressive/ Hafpu-Ko'was "born, in 1850. ' She was a- daughter of Prince Tadaka; a member of one -of' the great noble families from which the Mikados are expected "to" chopse their, consorts;'' and she wa» educated with a special View to the possibility of tier ' becoming Empress. This was before the days" of 'schools and' ladies' colleges in Japan, however, antl it was not thought necessary to, teach even a* future Empress 'much in. tiieway of booklearning, although , everything that, could be done was done to rencfer' her lovable, beautiful, healthy, and wise. , "In-epite of the Mikado's devotipnto her, Harou-JJo has always been in a difficult position; for, although she i&'his chief wife and therefore Empress-, she is not hi 6 only wif e, and, what is still worse perhaps, Etfie is ' not the mother of his heir. She has no children, and this in itself has always, been a 'source of grief to her. Luckily boih for* herself and- her husband, however, she is no Sarah; aaid as coon as she realised that there was no chance of her bearing him a son, Bhe adopted as her own ths^Dji fttjjjj^ of her rivals, and devoted herself heart and" soul to fitting him for his futura station, lavishing kindness on his mother the while. Then. her Majesty has had-difliculties of an-, other kind to, contend against; for at a time when she knew absolutely nothing of Western manners and customs she was suddenly called upon to Westernise not only hpx^ll but hqr entire Court — to oreinodfel incompletely, and transform it into a-second-•Tuilgrie/,:.' And.'slie ,had to do', her? TVork* pjac'&cajfly. unaided, for although. tljo;!m-" pertar Ministers that the chfin'ge: should^Jbe jnad£,; aiidj'the nation- as a whole N was4n-_ sympathy with them in, this, Hie" 'courtiers were for the most part'Tiolently opposed to them, and threw obstacles in her . way at every turn. It was only after a ' battle royal that she succeeded" in inducing five of them to let? her .send their daughters ; to Europe to be educated, that they might come back and teach others of their class how to demean themselves in Western fashion. After 'a, time", however, she won even tke, mos^ antiquated of the old nobles over*. to lier side; and now.- the scho'Qhv*Bhe has organised ror-their^diiiaren are '"always crowded. At the jjresent. time many of the ladies of any Court in Europe, as well versed too in all the niceties of-social etiquette | and."savoir.\ r iyxe. I Thj© Empress is ai ch,arini ing hcjsHifess, and bnfe'of tile- e,nfcertain mental ' sho give 3. every year — the Cherry-blossopf Garden Party — is suerly one qf the most charming of entertainments. As soon as the cherry-trees are in blossom, invitations are issued for. a Court garddn-pa.rty,*and on the appointed 'day alT.',tli'ei'g'i!ea j fe'.personages in- Tolciq, Btatesnien and diplomatists, with their' wives and' daughters' and'everyoin* 5 else of .distinction, assemble in on© of the Imperial parks, near the entrance, when* they await the arrival of the Emperor and Empress."^