The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1877-12-20

impaired faculties had deprived him of
his former skill-if, indeed. he ever pos
sessed any-and he at length settled down
as q spiritless and unambitious man wash
erwoman. But he had never forgotten
our humane treatment during his illness,
though we had come to look upon the
stupid expression of his gratitude as con-
tanning as much intelli gencc as would
have been betrayed by we'll dispositioned
Newfoundland dog.
1T will certainly be fine tree you will
obtain from All KIM" said 1. "Better
put such notions away at once, my dears."
"But, papa" said Tommy, earnestly,
che swears he will come here Christmas
morning and make lovely Christmas
tree grow right out of the ground"
EYES," put in Bella, land he promises
that it shall be ever so much better than
the Cameron girls are to have"
"All covered with silver and dold."
chimed in Jenny, clapping her little
hands.
"And zeal tree, growed right out of
the ground before our very eyes," reiter-
a:ed Tommy.
"Nonsense !" said I, a little Grossly, II
shall give the stupid fellow a lesson for
putting silly notions into your heads"
"But have somewhere read Of Oriental
jugglers producing full grown, matured
tree Of dwarf size in few minutes" said
my wife, whose prediction in favor of
All Kin was greater than my own, chiefly
because he attended her Bible class in the
Sunday school, and led her to believe that
he was in fair way of being converted
to Christianity.
$50 have H. I replied, "but they must
have been far more expert than our poor
simplcton Of an All Kin. However ~
| was interrupted by the entrance into
our little garden-where the foregoing
conversation had taken place--of the very
object Of our remarks himself.
He was, without doubt, the most insane,
ultra-addled, super-stupid specimen of
even John Chinaman I ever saw. He
might have been almost any age from
twenty five to sixty, so utterly expression
less was his flat, vapid, slcepish physiog-
nomy, the skin Of which looked like
nothing so much as imperfect mahogany
vcneering that had been exposed to the
weather for an indefinite period, whose
little Sits Of eyes were not without sort
of canine atfectionateness when they en-
ceuntered me or mine. His development
of forehead and chin-or rather the lack
OF twas after the manner of the princely
Aztec descendants that were once exhibit
ed through the country; his yellow pro-
tubcrant tusk-like teeth were CONSTANT,
exposed; and one wondered that even the
weight of his attenuated pig-tail did not
preponderate over his cerebral incapacity
to PROSTATE him altogether on his back.
The children were not long in making
this cheerful specimen of Celestial civili-
cation acquainted with the nature OF the
conversation that he had interrupted, and
the doubts we had expressed in respect to
the promised Christmas tree. He con-
tented himself with making a low salaam,
with which he always greeted us, especial
ly my wife, and simply said:
"Waitee till Kistmass Gomez, and see
what I do. l know what it means, for
the good lady makee me lovce the Melli-
can mans Joss. never forget kindness,
| not me. was big lick magic man in
China. make grow light here in this
garden q splendid tree, so high" (measur-
ing off about yard with his hands,, an
klstmassee morning waitee and see.''
With that All Kin went into the house
for basket of soiled linen, and we saw
little of him until the Christmas morning
following, when our garden contained a
number of neighpors and their children,
| attracted thither by the wonderful prom
ises OF All Kin, which Tommy and Bella
had noised through the entire neighbour
hood.
1t was lovely weather, as warm and
balmy as day in June in New England.
The sunshine caressed the sward with a
loving hand, the birds were melodious in
the cedars, the gold fish flashed ruddily in
the little fountain, had improvised near
the gate, and the children were disporting
upon the steps of the cottage piazza with
new toys and jimcracks, in which, how
ever, Tommy, Bella, and Jenny were con-
strained to take a back seat, inasmuch as
I had only been able to afford an extra
dinner for the family, and their parents
and nurses near at hand, among whom
noticed, with an uncomfortable feeling,
both Mr.. and Mrs. Cameron, who appeared
| to look down upon me with OstentatiOus
! commiseration at my poverty.
l bore it as we'll as could, and nv wife.
knowing the humiliation that oppressed
me, moved Familiarity among those who
had constituted themselves our guests,
and made such show of appearance at
her ease that she overdid it little.
took care, however, to make every one
understand that placed no reliance in
the Chinaman's promise-as, indeed, did
not--and would not consider myself re-
sponsible for whatever disappointment
might occur. They were welcome to sit
in my garden as long as they wished, but
had not invited them, and should not
exert myself to afford them entertainment.
All Kin made his appearance at ten
o'clock, accompanied by another. China
man bearing basket containing appar-
emily nothing but fresh new earth. Thev
were both dressed in clean but coarse cot.
ton clothes, and All Kin-who looked more
cmaciated than I had ever seen him since
he had newly arisen from his sick bed.
carried over his arm large mantle Of
faded silk.
He selected spot of green sward upon
which he directed the basket carrier to
empty the earth, after which he dismissed
him, and throwing himself npoa his knees
proceeded to press and pat the soil into a
smoothly rounded little mound, about the
size of an inverted washbowl.
He then took from somewhere in the