Dowager had given her whole time to painting she would have
passed into history as one of the great artists of the present
dynasty.

One day when one of her court painters called I showed him these
pictures. He agreed with all the others as to the quality of her
brush work, but called my attention to a diamond shaped twining
of the branches in one of them.

"That," said he, "is proof positive that it is her work."

"Why?" I inquired.

"Because a professional artist would never twine the twigs in
that fashion."

"And why not?"

"They would not do it," he replied. "It is not artistic."

"And why do not her friends call her attention to this fact?" I
inquired.

"Who would do it?" was his counter question.



VII

The Empress Dowager--As a Woman