The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-01-01

/ slituted themselves oar guests ana made suci
u show of appearing at her ease that she over
did 1t little.
l took care however, TO make every ont
understand that placed no reliance in TIT
Chinamans prUmisU--as, indeed did not
and would not consider myself responsible
for whatever disappointment might occur
They were welcome 10 sit In my garden as Ions
as they wished, but had not invited them, anC
should not exert myself to afford them euter
| tainment
! All Kin made his appearance at ten o'clock
accompanied by another Cinnamon bearing
basket containing apparently nothing but
fresh new earth. They were both dressed in
clean but coarse cotton clothes, and All Kin
who looked more emaciated than had
ever seen him since he had newly risen from
his sick bed-carried over his arm large
mantle OF faded yellow silk.
He selected a spot Of green sward upon
which he directed the basketcarrier to empty
the earth, after which he dismissed HIM, and,
throwing himself upon his knees, proceeded
to press and pat tho soil into smoothly
rounded little mound about the size OF an IN
verted washbowl.
He then took from somewhere, in the folds
of the silk mantle, little round purple seed,
or bean, which he held up tor us all TO eX-
anime, between his fore-fnger and thumb.
This he deposited in y small hole, which he
carefully made in the centre of the heap.
Covering it up he made a number of cabal.
istic signs over the surface Of the mound,
while lie muttered to himself in low, sing.
song, unintelligiblc tones, at the same time
waving his hands slowly and mechanically
over his head
He then produced little vial, containing a
sparkling purplish liquid, which he proceed.
cd 10 sprinkle over the spot at which the bean
had been planted, accompanying the motion
with a sort Of spasmodic depression of the
tone in which be had been chanting.
He then hastily covered the entire mound
with the mantle, and, turning to the speCta
tors, who had observed him with varying
emotions, though for my part, had made no
effort to conceal my contempt fer the whole
affair, as so much hOcus-pocus, beneath the
notice of an ordinary lntelligence-and open,
ed upon them with long.winded harangue,
so rapidly spoken that few of us could gath
or Its meeting, if, indeed, it had any, which l
very much doubt.
But while he was speaking, my wife called
our attention TO the silken cloth, under the
center of which something was evidently
forming into conical shape tina: tented the
texture into regular folds on every side.
now made no effort TO conceal my inter.
est, and every one looked on with breathless
suspense and curiosity.
Suddenly All KID seized hem Of the man
tie, whisked it off and there, in the center of
the mound, was as perfect fir tree In min.
iature as the mind could conceive Of"
Its tiny branches were thickly hung with
little nuggets of virgin gold, which sparkled
in the sunshine, and "a little envelope was
tho
etdoux froT fairy land.
An exclamation OF delighted surprise ran
through the assembly.
All Kin gravely seized the tree BY its slen
der trunk-it was not more than twelve
inches high, and exquisi,ely proportional
raised 1t gently from the ground, and thus ex-
posed the genuine roots and tendrils to which
the soil tenaciously adhered. He then placed
il In small flower.pot that CHANGED TO be
lying near, presented 1t TO my wife, with tue
lRjunction that she should take exceedingly |
good care of It; and picking up the silk man.
lie, took his departure without word.
"Wonderiuln' exclaimed Dir. Cameron.
The nuggets are genuine, too. There's two
hundred dollars worth of gold on H."
ut beats our Christmas-tree all hollow
laid one OF the Cameron ofsprings, whose
mother thereupou sent her home by a pecul.
arly spiteful shove.
When they had had plenty Of time TO adj
nire IL, we took the wondcr.tyee into the cot
age, and inspected il at our leisure, and in
he privacy OF our family
OF course the children were wild with de-
light as shook the solid nuggets from the
magic branches, and collected them in gilt.
erlng heap upon the table
"Read this missive," said my wife, snatch
ng of the small envelope. ats directed to
ou, In All kin's best pigeon English"
l have not the contents of that momentons
nissive before me just now, and shall not un-
ertake to give its phraseology from memory.
ufhcc il to say that it gave me such minute
irections to take oIt claim n the :loun-
aims not more than twenty miles from Red
'ulch, which had never been prospected over
etore, specifying the place IN the most care.
Vi manner, that / lost no time in instiiutlng
he claim in strict accordance with the di-
ections, received, and that the mines which l
here opened made me Independently rich.
But our house was broken into on that very
christmas night, and the wonderful tree,
,hich the grateful Chinaman had lat least
pparently) caused to spring from the earth
Or our special benefit, disappeared and was
ever seen again. But, inasmuch as l had
AIKEN care to secret its precious fruits, and
nc burglars were frightened from complet-
lg their plumbers, it was no material loss,
lough should have liked TO keep the tree
)r exhibition.
If the reader can offer an explanation OF its
range production, | should be happy to
now it, as have long since given it up as an
lexplicably mystery.
All Kin died shortly after opened the
Charity Mine"-as called the magnificent
which his information placed me In
ossession of-and after steadiastly refusing .
nv compensation for the fayors he had con.
FRED, but leaving request that would EN-.
aim his remains and have them sent back to
is friends in China, which of course | did.
Ms children are all grown now, and we
eidom spend the holidays together without
.calling 10 mind the gratitude of the poor
Ainamcn as evincei III All Kin's wonderful
hristmas-trec.
This trick, il trick il can he called, has fre-
ucuily been performed In the presence OF intel.
gent Europeans in China aud Hindostan, and
he mystery, so far rs can learn, has never been
vpained.