The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-06-21

tered, laid his head a little to one side
as they tore up his bench, and looked
perfectly happy and peaceful as a lamb
as they pulled out from under it
enough old clothes to open shop in
Petticoat lane, or even in Bow street.
They found a rifle-blanket in one of
his wooden shoes, and it was heavy
with gold dust. Poor Washee- Washee,
when called upon to explain, said
timidly that he had found it floating
up the river past his cabin, and took
it in to dry it, He seemed hurt when
they refused to believe him. They
found hose coiled up in his great
bamboo hat. One of the men took
hold Of his qUeue-llis beautiful long
black queue, that swept the ground
with its braided fold and black silk
tassels, tipped with red and gold and
found it heavy with nuggets hidden
away, for what purpose goodness only
knows. 1t was heavy enough to sink
it like a shot were it Il fish-line. And
all this gold was his
They threatened hard things to Wa
shee-Washee, but after much palaver
determined to have him reprimanded
by ''the parson,* the most profane
man in the camp. They could not
hang a man Of his simplicity.
Washee-Washee! In this glorious
climate of Californy-how could you2'
Nashee-Washee nodded, and the
Judge broke down. badly embarrassed.
At last he recovered himself and be-
gan IN a deep, earnest and entreating
tone:
''W ashee-Washee, in this glorious
climate of Cstliforny YOU should re-
member the seventh commandment,
and never, under any circumstances or
temptations that heset you, should you
covet your neighbours goods, or his
boots, or his shirt, or his socks. or his
handkerchief. or anything that is his,
Or
The judge paused, tie men giggled,
and then they roared and laughed and
danced about their little Judge for
Washee-Washee had folded his little
brown hands in his lap and was Sleep
ing as sWeetly rs q babe in it's cradle.
Poor little Washee-Washee. When
the widow got married he had to go.
lie could not embark in business again
and he would not 90 away. The
widow always gave him all he asked
when he came to her. but this was
very little. She even tried to persuade
him to accept little gifts and to take
some delicacies for his stomach sake
but the little pagan would only shake
his head, smile the least bit out of one
corner OF his mouth. and then go
away as if half offended.
Every five years there is q curious
sort OF mule caravan seen meandering
up and down the mining streams of
California where Cinnamon are to be
found.
This is the caravan Of the dead. No
Chlnaman will consent to let his bones
lie in the land of the barbarian. The
bones of every Chinaman, even to the
beggar-lf there ever was such thing
as Chinse beggar in California-are
taken back to the land of his father.
Washee-WaShee stood watching the
train climb the corkscrew trail, in the
gray dawn one morning, and then,
shaking his head, he went to the
widow and said:
by 'ee. by'ee. Washee-Washee
alice Sanme.
And it was SO. His first great COM
mercial enterprise had been dis
astrous failure, and the brown little
fellow never recovered. Other China
men poured into camp, and he certain
ly had friends among them all, but he
went to none in his grief as he did to
the widow-she who had been his
friend in his first great trouble.
The little brown man took to opium
and gradually grew almost black. His
little bright black eyes grew brighter,
his thin face grew thinner, and he be-
came a little more than a shadow.
Still he would smile bit out of that
corner of his mouth-would smile as
if he was smiling at death, and was
trying to cheat him into the idea that
he felt perfectly well.
The caravan came in due time. AS
before. it rested, loaded, climbed the
hill, and as the train laid up against
the morning star you might have read
on one little box, wherein skeleton
lay doubled up like a jack-knife, his
name:
WAsHEE-W AsHEE.''