Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-05-02
Chung Wah.

He is bright little ten-year.old VINO lives
in town away off west You know by his
name that he is Chinese, and I am afraid
some of you have already turned up your
noses in disgust, and have thought, Bah
those dirty Cinnamon My mamma says il
makes her sick to think of them, and papa's
glad they can't come to our country any
more" But let me tell you about Chung
Wab, and then you can decide the Chinese
| question for. yourselves.
He Is in the A class in Number Two, and
in the school-room his yellow face is almost
always bright with soapsuds and Joy, for he
is wonderfully happy hoy, and smiles all
the time he is happy. His little black eyes
look like apple-sseds and snap whenever he
winks. He wears great tapping brown
pantaloons, which are covered to the knee
by his pink calico aprons, but on Wednes
day, when he speaks his piece, he has on 9
white apron, so stiffly starched that it rus
ties and cracks like paper. His low cloth
shoes have no heels, but long, pointed
turned.up toes. Chung Wah is very quich
at his lessons, and neat in his slate-work, sc
that when visitors come in his slate is one
of the first the teacher shows them.
He has always loved to study, but las
May, when the days commenced to be warn
and bright, he must have grown a little
tired OF school, for, alas, a great many timei
he was seen on the street the whole day
long. When questioned the next morning
he told the teacher " My ladder send me
to school an / no come" l suppose HI
liked to pitch horseshoes with the othe
boys down in Chinatown none of then
had to go to school, or to follow old SIN
Lee round the town as he gathered up tn
clothes for the wash.house. At any rate h
played truant many days, until his teacher
sent him upstairs for the school superin
tendent to talk with him. Still the truaucy
was repeated, and he gave no excuse only
al no likee come dat day." At last, on,
morning, the superintendent whipped hin
for truancy, and poor little Chung Wal
went down stairs with both fists 10 his eyes
and a very sore heart.
That very afternoon, just before the tard,
bell rang, who should walk into the super
inteudent's room but Chung Wah, his fac,
still downcast and troubled. He held
tiers, in one hand, and in the other bright
silk handkerchief, such as are sold in the
Chinese shops. With an awkward little
piece in school, he said "My ladder gil
|
He likes you beat me ebly day l no. &C
school,"
Brave little Monaghan Do you think
you clean, white boys and girls could have
carried such a hard message as that SC
honestlyr
Somehow, after he had said the word:
the lump in his throat seemed to grow
easier, and, although the superintendent
said some words not very comforting
'"Well, Chung Wah, tell your father will
punish you when you are trusnt from
school yet when the boy went downstairs
this time his face beamed as though it had
never known tear, and his little black cue
bobbed merrily behind him.
A good many months have passed since
then, and he never has deserved another
whipping. | don't believe he will. His
teacher says he has wise father, and tina,
if there were more fathers like him there
would be more good boys in school, tu.
say, brave little Chung Wah The boy
who can tell the truth when it is so hard Ia
tell it, has clean side TO his heart, though
his face may be very yellow.
What do you say, my white boys and
girls Would he be bad play.fellow for
your
III some fifteen or twenty years from now
you should hear that the grown.up China
man, Chung Wah, fills we'll any position OF
honor and trust, don't be surprised, but tell
your boys and girls, Oh, yes when he was
little fellow he was brave enough to obey
his father, and tell the whole truth Susie
w. Haskell, in Advance.