Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-04-08
A Queer Chinese Tale.

a correspondent forwards the follow
ing illustration of superstition among
the Chinese with reference to q very
aD:,ent AID widespread belief that the
fox has the power of assuming the
Human form to lead por.als to their
'Htruction. Tue same powers are also
ascribsd to the badger by the Japanese.
In this case TIE story is given as true
one, and the facts are stated to be we'll
known to every one living in the Great
street outside the Chen Men Front
Gate) vt Pekin, where the affair is
supposed to have occurred:
A certain Ningpo man kept u drug
gist's shop at Pckin. Having made a
good deal of money by it he determined
TO commence a wholesale business as
we'll as the retail one. He therefore
bought warehouse for storing drugs
and put it in charge OF a nephew. His
venture proved eminently successful
and he grew richer daily, principally
for the extraordinary reason that the
drugs stored in the warehouse were less
liable to get damp or molly than any
body else's. As the nephew was at
work in the warehouse he used to con-
stantly notice 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 modest and retiring
demeanor. Time went by, and one day
an old gentleman with long beard and
leaning on staff called at the uncle
shop. In the course of conversation it
appeared that he came from the borders
OF Snesi and kansu, and kad originally
ilcd to Pekin to escape from the Ma
hometan disturbances in the west.
Finally he said that he had often re-
marked the nephew at work in the
warehouse and had been struck by his
steadiHess aud diligence, and he would
like to marry his only daughter to him.
He had sufficient money to make liberal
arrangements with regard to the trous-
seau aud wedding presents, and would
not quarrel about terms. The young
man, being SO far from his home at
Ningpo, was not betrothed to any one.
His uncle therefore gladly accepted
the proposal. As both parties were
strangers in Pekin, everything was
settled and the marriage ceremony
performed without any unnecessary
fuss or formality. When the time came
for the bride to unveil, the bridegroom,
who had never yet seen her. was most
anxious to know what she was like. At
the first glance, what was his Joy to
discover that she WAS the girl he used
to see walking past the warehouse.
The marriage was a happy one. He
was the fondest of husbands and she
the most loving and dutiful Of wives.
Before long the young mans father in
Ningpo, wishing to see his new dsugh-
ter.in-law, wrote and told his son to
bring her home on visit. The son
accordingly made preparations to start
off as soon as possible. For the last
day or two before his departure the
uncle, who had not been home for
many years, WAS constantly coming to
bis house, rs he had thousand things
to talk Observation-Disclosures to recall,
messages to be delivered and the like.
When the moment for them to COM
menoe the journey actually arrived the
uncle went ACROSS for the last time to
say good-by, but to his astonishment
neither nephew nor niece was to- be
found. After frnitless search he
went to the house of the girls father
to see if he could learn anything there.
But there Was no house standing, mere.
ly two or three wretched little rooms
in ruins without doors or windows.
He made inquiries among the neigh.
bors, but none uf them knew anything
Of the old mai or the house. Every
thing wss theu plain. Tie old mac
snd his daughter were foxes and had
made away with the young husband.
But stranger than anything else was the
fact that from that day forth the drugs
stored in the warehouse became Just
as subject to mold as those kept any.
where else" London Telegraph.