The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-02-19
A Queer Chinese Tale.

lCtCySupN IoA "oiuS SAO Ao"o"AhS AAuS~
tration Of superstition among the Chinese
with reference to very ancient and
widespread belief that the fox has the
power Of assuming the human form to
lead mortals to their destruction. The
same powers are also attributed 70 tk
baalger by the Japanese. In this ess
the story is given as true one, andtk
facts are stated to be well known b
everyone living in the great street out
side the Chen Men (Front Gate) 4
Pekin, where the affair is supposed u
have occurred:
"A certain Ningpo man kept idus.
gist's shop at Pekin. Having made
good deal of money by it he determined
to commence q wholesale business y
we'll as the retail one. He therefore
bought a warehouse for storing drugs
and put it in charge of q nephew. His
venture proved eminently successful
and he grew richer daily, principallyfot
the extraordinary reason that Tho drugs
stored in the warehouse were less liable
to yet damp or moldy than anybody
else's. As the nephew was at work Ia
the warehouse he used constantly to no
tice the prettiest girl he had ever seen,
passing by the door. Though he sorely
longed to try to make acquaintance
with her, he was restrained by her mod
est and retiring demeanor. Time went
BY, and one day an old gentleman With
a long bearl, and leaning On stan,
called at the uncle's shop. In the
course of conversation it appeared thss
he came from the borders Of Shena .nd
Kansu, and had originally fled to Pskn
to escape from the Mohammedan disturb
ances of the west. Finally he said thas
he had often observed the nephew n
work in the warehouse, and had oeea
! struck by his steadiness and diligence,
> and he would like to marry bis on!
daughter to him. He had sufficient mon
ey to make liberal arrangements VIM
regard to the trousseau and wedding
presents, and would not quarrel aoom
:, terms. The young man, being 50 ~
from his home at Ningpo, was not %.
2 trothed to anyone. His uncle thereics =
J, gladly accepted the proposal: As oa.
4. parties were strangers in Pekin' every
thing was settled and the marriage Ger
e emony performed without any unne e:.
g sary fuss or formality. When the tune .
9 came for the bride to unveil, the or'ae.
;, groom, who had never yet seen her, Hs'
u most anxious to know what she was 'lk -
+ At the first glance, what was his Joy "
q discover that she was the girl he use nv y
n see walking past the warehouse. -, ~.
y marriage Was a happy one. He was t ~
q fondest of husbands and she the no.'
Z loving and dutiful of wives. belol'
A. long the young mans father IL. NlnSp y,
If wishing TO see his new daughter.'n'lssss,
IF wrote and told his son to br'og ns u
'e home on a visit. The son accoralns!
IL made preparations to start oil as soon h =
'e possible. For the past day or Two W. ~
, fore his departure the uncle WIN o ~"
~ not been home for many years. was .I'
90 stautly coming to his house, as ne n:;
ne thousand things to talk about-le' 1",;,
IT. cences to recall, messages TO oe u ",",
ne cred, and the like. When the nl ~. a.
en- for them to commence the Ioutns! = =
?, tually arrived the uncle went across sa, 70
On the last time to say good.by, ou. 70 .;a =
ne \: astonishment neither nephew, MOI aa n','
all was to be found. After f'u'tiess s s,h
ng he went to the house Of the g'rl .Ss,
re- to see if he could learn anythlns .nss
A. But there was no house standing n's.'
les two or three wretched little lo''"'
re n, ruins, without doors or windows .Aho'
i !!l made inquiries among the 1 ns,s n ~
Ills but none Of them knew anytn'n? " :
old man or the house. EVeryIMpgE sns
p, then plain. The old man ana Ms u"s =;
,cs ter we're foxes, and had made away tn
s.. = the young husband: But STRANGER ssem Il 4
fS anything else was the fact tha' l lse va
les dav forth the drugs stored IN .ns ,o Jd
the house became just as subject 10 'n0''
the those kept anywhere else