Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-12-10

mans enterprise in the capacity of "the
great original Chinese juggler," voca-
tion in which he according to his own
account) had been proficient in the
fiOwery kingdom ; but his impaired fac
ulties had deprived him of his former
skill-if. indeed, he ever possessed any
and he had at length settled down as
spiritless and unambitious man wash
erwoman. Rut he had never forgotten
our humane treatment during his illness,
though we had come to look upon the
stupid expression of his gratitude as
containing as much intelligence as would
have been betrayed by well-disposi-
toned Newfoundland dog.
at will certainly be fine tree you
will obtain from All Kim" said I. ''Bet.
ter put such notions away at once, my
dears."
"But, papa. said Tommy, earnestly,
''he swears he will come here Christmas
morning and make lovely Christmas
tree grow right out of the ground.
"Yes." put in Bella, sand be promis-
es that it shall be ever so much better
than the Cameron girls are to have.
"All covered with silver and dold,"
chimed in Jenny, clasping her little
hands.
"And real tree, growed right out of
the ground before our very eyes," reit.
Grated Tommy.
Nonsense !" said 1, little GROSSLY.
81 shall give the stupid fellow lesson
for putting silly notions into your heads.
"But have somewhere read of Orien-
tai jugglers producing full grown, ma
tured tree of dwarf size in a few min
utes," said my wife, whose prediction
in favor of All Kin was greater than my
own, chiefly because he attended her BIZ
Bile class in the Sunday school. and led
her to believe that he was in fair way
of being converted to Christianity.
80 have l." replied, "but they
must have been far more expert than
our poor simpleton of an All Kin. How
ever"
L was interrupted by the entrance in
to our little garden-where the forego-
ing conversation had taken place-of
the very object of our remarks himself
He was, without doubt. the most in
ane, ultra-addled, super-stupid specimen
of even John Chinaman L ever saw.
He might have been almost any age from
twenty-five to sixty, SO utterly express
sionless was his fat, vapid, sheepish
physiognomy, the skin of which looked
like nothing so much as imperfect ma
hogany veneering that had been exposed
to the weather for an indefinite period,
whose little Sits of eyes were not with
out sort of canine affectionateness
when they encountered me or mine. His
development of forehead and chin-or
rather the lack of twas after the
manner Of the plincely Aztec descend
ants that were once exhibited through
the country; his yellow, protuberant
tusk-like teeth were constantly exposed !;
and one wondered that even the weight
of his attenuated pig-tail did not pre-
ponderate over his cerebral incapacity
to PROSTATE him altogether on his back.
The children were not long in making
this cheerful specimen of Celestial civil
lzation acquainted with the nature of
the conversation that he had interrupted,
and the doubts we had expressed in re-
spect to the promised Christmas tree.
He contented himself with making low
salaam, with which he always greeted
us, especially my wife. and simply said !:
"Waitee till Kistmass comee. and see
what do. / know what it means, for
the good lady makee me lovee the Mel
lican mans Joss. l never forget kind
ness, not me. / was a big lick magic
man in China. make grow right here
in this garden splendid tree, so high
(measuring off about yard with his
hands, an Kistmassee morning. Waitee
and see."
With that All Kin went into the
house for a basket of soiled linen, and
we saw little of him until the Christmas
morning following. when our garden con.
tanned number of neighbors and their
children, attracted thither by the won.
derful promises of All Kin, which Tom.
my and Bella had noised through the
entire neighborhood.
1t was lovely weather, as warm and
balmy as day in June in New Eng
land. The sunshine caressed the sward
with loving hand. the birds were me
lodious in the cedars, the gold fish flash
ed ruddily in the little fountain l had
improvised near the gate, and the chill
dren were disporting upon the steps o.
the cottage piazza with new toys anG
jimcracks, in which, however, Tommy
! Bella and Jenny were constrained Il
/ take back seat, inasmuch as l had on
r ly been able to afford an extra dinner
! for the family. and their parents anc
| nurses near at hand, among whom no
r ticed, with an uncomfortable feeling
| both Mr.. and Mrs. Cameron who an