The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1879-12-18
The Origin of silk.

l hold in my hand, you will see that all
the figures are dressed in real silk
dresses.
More than three thousand years ago,
the Emperor of China, whose queer
name was HO-ang-ti, received a visit
from an old woman, who laid at his feet
great many small bundles, begging
him to receive them from her grand
| daughter, who also had a queer name
Su-ling-shi.
:. Ordering his Grand Chamberlain to
open the bundles, there appeared to his
aStoniShed gaze the most beautiful fab
rics ever seen. He sent for the ladies of
/ his household, for there was a. dress for
! each, and you can imagine their de-
| light Demanding of the old woman
the secret of her prize, she gave this re-
/ ply (first reverently naming several Of
! the Emperor's many titles, rs was the
/ custOm)
'sNIost Gracious Son of Heaven, Lord
of the Earth, Light of the Empire, and
/ King of the Golden Dragon, our Great
Prophet FO, saws: - What is told in the
ear is often heard a hundred miles off,
and also 90 Give not away that which is
not thine own The secret is not
mine The secret belongeth to my
daughter and granddaughter And
here the grandmother (who was not
such very old woman, as women mar
ry very young in China) bowed her
head nine times to the earth.
The Emperor ordered a large sum
| of money to be presented to the woman,
and with his own august hands gave her
magnificent strings of pearls for her
| daughter and granddaughter. Also for
the granddaughter he gave golden
] L., - l.,
mother bring the maiden before the
next new moon, for ne must know her
! secret, and should her words be straight
words, he would honor her as never
! lOwly maid was hOnOTed before.
/ 1.-The heart of Su-ling-shi was filled
with delight when she heard the words
| of her grandmother Busily was her
! loom set to work that she might have a
| dress so magnificent for the occasion
that the King of the Golden Dragon ;
might find pleasure in beholding her.
% The great day at length dawned,
the heart of Su-ling-shi futtered with
fear and delight as-arrayed in dress of
rose-pink silk and sky-blue tunic en-
broidered with gold, the pearls in her
hair and golden badge upon her bosom
she approached with trembling foot
steps his Fragrant Majesty whose
subjects bend their foreheads to the
ground, not daring to gaze upon him.
Look on the FAM said Aunt Mag
gie: ''you will see the Great King OF
the Dragon. seated upon a chair which
bears the sign of dragon, the symbol
of the Chinese Empire. His robe, sent
him by Su-ling-shi, is of royal yellow
silk, with a golden sun upon his breast
and a royal peacOck's feather in his cap,
- Next to him is the Grand Manda-
rim of the Household, clothed in scarlet
The great Mandarin of War, Genera
i Hae-ling-ah, in scarlet robes and blue
sash, stands with drawn sword to war;
them that death is always the penalty o
: an untruth before the great Emperor.
''The grandmother, in dress of greer
? silk with yellow collar, standing behin'
the General, advanced first, and bOwin!
nine times to the ground, said: Know
Most Mighty King, that in my gardel
grows a mulberry tree, upon which
Ofttimes noticed worm that spun bal
for house in which to live. These ball
l often took within my dwelling, and
found that within little time a mott
crept out from each and flew away.
amused La-See, my daughter, with tn
: silken balls. This is all that l hav,
= done. . Siao te kim 1t is very little
: Let my daughter La-See speak
: "Then the mother, whom you ser
! next with the royal pearls in her hai
= and pink silk, bowed nine times, saying
Most Gracious Ten Thousand Years
: | whilst amusing myself watching tn
a caterpillar, | found that its house or co
= coon would unwind, and | used it a
: thread with which to embroider the fin
} muslin, " Woven Wind" Afterward
l l taught my daughter to do the same
u This, my Gracious King, is all that
= have done. Let my daughter speak
I - Then came Su-ling-shi, and afte
nine bows, she proudly raised her heat
J and said sIf His Most Graciou
. Majesty and Light of the Empire wi
} deign to cast his eyes upon these insects
= he will see they are but common moths
u which here let fly from my hand.
followed the example of my wis
parents (may they live thousan
! years y, and saw that it was this inseC
- which laid the eggs upon the mulberr
4 tree. and which lfteTward became tn
= Bonlbye nlorj, or caterpillar. This fe
y upon the mulberry leaves thirtY-tw
- days, and, casting its skin four time
- began to spin its cocoon, winding a
= ways the same way. My mother (ma
u Fo bless her) had learned TO unwin
a the cocoon and had planted many tree
, Thus it was, Most Mighty King, that
III was enabled to gather many cocoon
: and reeling the threads together, l h
l. upon the idea of weaving them. Thi
u NV Sovereign, is the cocoon, and in tn
lu roll YOU will find the result-a piece
- silk, which l hope may prove worthy (
- the acceptance of your Gracious Loft
y ness, to whom / surrender my know
Il edge And again she bowed her for
- head to the ground.
y ''sBehold a maiden possessed of d
the virtues said the Emperor. Ar
a. then turning to her, he said: Rise, ia
u maid; such wisdom, such industry, aT
NJ such beauty are worthy of an empir
% Half my throne shall be thine An
e taking the hand Of the blushing Su-lin
- shi, he seated her beside him.
NJ - MY lords he continued, 'prepa
Q for the bridal ceremony. Summon Il
u ladies of the Court, and hencefor
fI9 know our mother as the Princess La-Se
5li ~ and our grandmother as the Prince
iS, Sang. Honor them as such, and
e the whole land know our Dragon viii
" - You will see on the fam continui
Iu Aunt Maggie, "that the court ladi
It. were not far off, and that their curiOsi
was great, for they were peeping.
course, grandma congratulated hers
" on her shrewdness in presenting the si
n hi to the Emperor instead Of selling it to
-, merchant.
70 The ingenious Empress not OF
~ taught the ladies of her court how
- raise the silk-worm, but brought Y;
y sums of money into her HUSBAND
nd y lIea9uly y flS IN L,,'5I
years these Chinese weavers careful
guarded the secret which oply they p
for sessed. At last a sly old European mo
OF went to China, obtained the secret, al
ate stealing some cocoons, hid them in