The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-08-18
THE CHINESE RIP VAN wINKLE.


whose side is a mysterious hole or pit,
from the mouth OF which smoke may
be seen to issue previous to rain.
But that is not the strangest thing
about it. They say it is so deep that it
is impossible to sound it. All people
at present alive in China are content to
let it rest at that If truth lies at the
bottom of well, there it may lie, for
all them. They would neither care nor
dare to go after it.
But once upon a time there was
man who did not feel SO. He lived on
the mountain, and the pit was daily be-
fore his eyes. He was rich man; but
not satisfied. He was reading man;
but his books did not tell him all he
wished to know. So he kept ON pom
dering and wondering till he was forty
years old. Then, though the bottom
less well was as great mystery to him
as ever, he had taken the first step to
find it out; he had resolved to investi-
gate.
Well, when Ii Ching, for that was
the philosopher name, approached his
fortleth birthday, he made a feast, and
invited all his friends. Now, this Ii
hing being rich, Of course all his
friends were in the habit of making
him expensive gifts. But this year he
sent them notice that the only presents
he wished to receive were coils of rope
and little bells. They brought them,
wondering and questioning. But Ii
Ching only looked mysterious, and
said he might find use for them some
time.
And SO it happened every birthday
until the eightieth He had been busy
some time before this day in preparing
for it. The feast was unusually fine
and the theatricals were performed in
the best manner; but that was only
preliminary. When this was all over
he led his guests to the mouth of the
pit and showed them how he had been
preparing for the day. There was a
booth OF mats at the mouth of the cave
and over it he had erected windlass.
The building was nearly full of the
ropes he had been collecting all these
years, all joined together, and at each
knot bell. He had also prepared a
car for himself. Then he told them he
meant to go down and fathom this
mystery. His friends tried to dissuade
him. But he said that when he was
forty years old he had made vow that
II he lived to be eighty he would 90
and find out for himself.
So arming himself with a package of
candles and paper lantern he got into
the car and ordered his sons to let him
down slowly; but if he should encounter
any horrors on the way he would pull
on the rope, and when they heard the
bells ring, they were to draw him up
very fast. (Now you mustn't inter-
rupt to ask how he could pull rope
when his own weight was hanging
from It several leagues down well; or
how the sons above, paying out the
rope with bells attached could hear
above that ringing the tinkling of the
little bells deep in the earth. You for
get that this was in China, where every-
thing is queer.) The Sons, of course,
had TO obey their father. So bidding
him farewell, they let him down, feel
ing % It it were into a grave.
His lantern was soon al thew could
see OF him; first brigh1 ssta-, t.iL.en a
glmmering speck, like FREELY: thea it
was lost altogether And still thew
played out the iingling rope.
Well, and what of the old philos-
0P'NNt' AhS uCSCCub was DIT ITSI Der
pendicular; but after a mile or two it
took turn, and he went sliding down
an inclined plane. After long, long
time the car stopped, and he found
himself on even ground; but still in the
darkness. East, West, North and
South were lost in this blackness. But.
nothing daunted, our philosopher takes
his lantern and sets out to explore the
gloom. By and by he sees ahead of
him a glimmering light which he knows
does not come from the reflection Of his
lantern. So he eagerly follows that.
Soon he can snuff out his candle; for a
wide plain lies before him. Very
beautiful, indeed. it seemed to his ewes.
SO long accustomed to the darkness;
fields and rivers, fruit-trees and flowers.
He seemed to be in a garden. He fol-
lowed one of the paths, and it brought
him to little arbor. Inside he heard
the rafting of chessmen, and coming
nearer, he saw two old men seated
playing chess, and two boys waiting on
them. He concealed himself TO watch
the game. At last he was BETRAYED by
a cough which he could not suppress.
(No Chinaman can suppress cough,
as you would soon find ont ii You went
to our church.) The men inside started
up then seeing him, babe him enter.