ilk and steamed bread. Our own
breakfast was cabbage and rice cooked together, with a little salt. It
was tasteless. Her Majesty did not talk to us at all, except when giving
orders, and so, of course, we kept silent. Her Majesty wore a pale gray
gown, made very plain, with no embroidery or trimmings of any kind.
She wore gray shoes to match, not to mention her gray handkerchief. We
followed her into the hall where a eunuch knelt with a large branch of
willow tree. Her Majesty picked a little bunch of leaves and stuck it
on her head. The Young Empress did the same, and told us to follow her
example. Emperor Kwang Hsu took a branch and stuck it on his hat. After
that Her Majesty ordered the eunuchs and the servant girls to do the
same thing. It was a funny sight, and everyone did look queer with a
bunch of leaves on the head. The head eunuch came and knelt in front of
Her Majesty and said that everything was prepared for the ceremony in
the little pavilion in front of her own palace. She told us that she
preferred to walk, as she was going to pray. It took us only a few
minutes to cross the courtyard. When we arrived at this pavilion I
noticed a large square table was placed in the center of the room. A few
large sheets of yellow paper and a jade slab, containing some vermilion
powder instead of ink, with two little brushes to write with. At each
side of the table stood a pair of large porcelain vases, with two large
branches of willow. Of course no one was allowed to speak, but I was
curious and wanted to find out why everyone had to wear the willow
leaves on the head. Her Majesty's yellow satin cushion was placed in
front of this table. She stood there and took a piece of sandalwood and
placed it in the incense burner filled with live charcoal. The Young
Empress whispered to me to go over and help Her Majesty to burn them.
I placed several pieces in until she told me that was enough. Then Her
Majesty knelt on her cushion, the Young Empress knelt behind her, and we
all knelt in a row behind the Young Empress, and commenced to pray. The
Young Empress taught us that very morning how to say the prayer: "We
worship the Heavens, and beg all the Buddhas to take pity on us and save
the poor farmers from starving. We are willing to sacrifice for them.
Pray Heaven send us rain." We repeated the same prayer three times, and
bowed three times--nine times in all. After that Her Majesty went to her
usual morning audience. It was much