The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-12-24
GheqntelI1astreeo;
The Silver JOy.BeII Of SOochon
A STORY FOR CHIsTMAs-TIDE.
WRITTEN FOR TUE EvESINo NALL
Part O.. .Faa

| EOAA SAAA6 III A6sIlDEi
WRITTEN FOR THE EvENING NAIL.
Part g. .FHa
IN CHINA-1GG2. b
oid tu:hts youngest son lay on u sidl
bed and the physicians stood around liihI
In despair. All their remedies had failed q
break the power Of the disease, and deatll
seemed about 10 claim the unfortunate
youth Tor lts own. Fu.hi was overcome
with anguish. The pride and 1oy Of his
heart was slipping from his arms. Hu,
man aid was In vain, and he turned 10 hiy
gods. In o little inner room was the
shrine of the family idol, before which
were buring several candles. Entering
he Frustrated himself and poured out the
grief and bitterness OF his soul. Ii
"Oh, mighty One, give unto me the lie
OF my son, | beseech the, and l will give
unto thee half Of my possession. Spare
him to his grietstrickCn father, | pray
thee, o Ruler Of liiem s.r .fl
While he thus wept and prayed, Il ser.
vanvappeared and said:
"Rejoice, . Fu.hi your son will live
the lever Is broken" 7st.l -s.rsi-
Then Fu.hi rose and went In haste 10
the chamber and found II even so, and
the physicians heholdlng the change IN
amaZement. fS4,5r-.'. q,
Could Fulhl doubt that his prayer had
been heard and answered? Not for an
instant; nor did he forget to ill his vow.
The very next day, aIIer consulting with
the priests Of the temple he gathered To-.
gethsr his stores OF silver, and dividing
them, placed One-hGlG in tho hands Of 4
caster Of metals, saying, snake me bell
Tor the temple Of service, and that 1t may
be Of sweet and tender tone put into the
metal these treasures Of silver
So the caster Of metals took the silver
and melted it with the bellmetal, and
cast bell with curious devices upon II,
and an inscription prepared by the chief
priest oil the tGmple), and two dragons on
the top, with their tails intertwined, to
suspend 1t by. .a
The following is u translation Of the in
scriptiOn:
"in this great temple sacred bell is
now placed. Let II be known 10 thisprcs.
cnt and 10 all future ages that a good man
from among the people has given this
clCar-sOundtng bell 10 this most ancient
temple. a..5 b. = H'
"ClIstom forbids the mention OF his
name, but he is known as the 'Sz TsiOk)
(tlie scholar honored by the King He
cOunsclled with others, and spared neither
time nor money in making large and
clear.sounding bell This bell when
struck gives forth sounds that may be
heard fifteen Ii five milcs(,
Generation alter generation shall be
gladdcncd by the sound oFthis clear.toned
bell, and pray for ten myriads OF blessings
upon the Kjngly Father, (another name
for the giyer of the belD. The living and
the dead shall rejoice TO hear this clear
sounding bell-the living, that they are
still upon the earth; the dead, in lEades,
US they hear its silyery tones, may pass
from thence TO Paradise. The family of
the 'Kingly Father the scholar honOred
by tue King shall be blessed forever.
His five sons shall be blessed, their wives
Shall be the joyful mother OF sons that
slnll nlsp be bleSsed forever.
Signed by Sung ST. Abbot Of the
Monastery Of the Great Temple, In the
tenth year Of the Emperor Knng Hec
1GG2), the great kingdom (China) being
ut peace, the five grains (the productions
of the cartlD being abundant, the people
enjoying unbounded prosperity, the winds
being harmonious, the eight parts Of the
world (China) being walered by timely
rains and gentle showers, and all under
heaven ltGc Chinese Emplre1 being in a
state OF quiet and blissIul repose,"
When the bell was finished old Fu,hi
caused 1t to be conveyed to the temple
and delivered to the priests, who blessed
il and had it hung in one of the lofty
towers,
Now, Fu.hi had prayed again TO his god
without saying anything 10 the priests,
hOwever) in these words:
10 mighty Ruler, thou has heard my
prayer, and restored my son, and have
performed my vow and prepared n bell
that shall sound forth thy pnise. Grant
now that this bell may never need u be
rung, but ever sound forth Of ITSELF Es:
pccfally may ii ring enjoy comes to any
man or woman in SoOchOw, or when joy
comes to the city or the State; that it may
be q iOy bell for the individual and for the
land. Let, however, its music be heard
only by the pure and good, and If at any
time Il be struck by mortal hands may its
sounds be harsh and dissonant,"
Thus odd and peculiar was old Fu'hi,
vet was his prayer granted, US the pray
ers Of odd and peculiar people sometimes
are. -4.. ~
When tue priests discovered the mys'
FERROUS nature Of the bell they were at
first indignant and would have taken II
down, but finding that it drew many peo-
pic to sec 1t, as its fame spread abroad,
thereby greatly increasing the revenues
of the temple, they were content to let it
remain and ring after Its own fashion;
Seldom would it ring by day, but ollen
in the quiet Of the night there would
come stealing on the air q strange, mys'
terious melody, sweeter and richer than
has been heard before from mortal instru-
ment Soon It was observed that the
clearness Of these sounds was in proper
ton to tue faith and purity Of those that
heard them; q coarse, worldly or wicked
soul being scarcely able to hear the bell,
or TO distinguish It from the whispering
of the nightwind; while the innocent
simpIo.minded saint, heard its tones with
rapture. But chiefly when Joy came to
any cne-as at the birth Of . child, the
recovery Of friend, the marriage OF
son or daughter-did the music fill the
air and soul with its melody; and on the
holidays Of the city and State the joyous
notes rang so loud and clear that even
the dullest, hardest heart caught some
thing Of the sound.
So in time the name and tue fame Of
the Silver Joy Bell Of Soochow spread ov-
er the lane, and strangers came from lar to
see and hear It. But many wentaway dis9T
pointed, their corrupt and wicked minds