The Penn's Grove record., 1883-12-15


THE DEATH-FLY.
Our story is laid in the days when
England had just obtained a firm foot
ing in China, and felt almost autho-
rized to call the fruitful island of Hong
| Kong her own, for vas not the Euro
pean city of Victoria rapidly rising
thereon, and were not her sailors and
middies at last able-with that charm
ing courtesy and urbanity which dis
tinguishes her relations with foreigners,
directly we begin to get the upper hand
of them-to cut the Celestials' pig
tails, and insult their manners and re-
llgion without any fear of reprisals.
True, the great Mandarin Shan
Tchesn was still nominally governor
of Hong Kong. holding it for his Impe-
rial Majesty Chang-Chai, Son of the
Moon, and Lord of the Little Stars;
and by express stipulation, every Eng
lish ship that passed up the Canton
River to the Southern capital had to
have painted along her sides, in glow
ing red Chinese characters, such as we
see on the tea-chests, "Vessel bearing
tribute from a country called Britain;''
vet for all this there we were, and
would remain.
But of course we paid court to the
Mandarin, and we didn't pull his pig
tail, of counsel
Hewas the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
and lived in a palace, and gave grand
parties and sumptuous entertainments;
and though there was always at his
dinners a slight risk that you might be
partaking of puppy-dog pie or rat
fricasee disguised under other names,
so as not to shock your higoted insular
prejudices, yet for all that, they were
not to be sneezed at, and British ladies,
as well as gentlemen, accepted Shan
Tchesn's hospitality.
"Now, old Colonel Dacre, of the
Queens Dragons, who had been in
valided home for three years, about
this time returned to the Flowery En-
pire, bringing with him his daughter
Dora, to nurse him and pet him up
when he was i'll; but as he thought
better of it and kept well, the far Dora
found a much more congenial task in
driving all the young officers at Hong
Kong madly in love with her, and was
not content until she had also made
captive the great Mandarin of the
eoral-button. Shan Tehesn.
Don't be shocked at her, young
ladies', for an Eastern Prince
comes to Britain's shores without the
fairest of Mayfair treating him as
though he were a demi-god; and the
more diamonds he wears the more they
admire, no matter whether he is or is
not a terrible tyrant at home.
But then it is the custom of Oriental
grandees to bestow costly diamonds and
emeralds as tokens of gratitude and
esteem on those whose acquaintance
they have made, and who have pleased
them; and British etiquette DEGREES
that Ter wives ard daughters may ac-
cept such ~trifies, rather than hurt the
feelings of the generous donors, who
know no other way of expressing the
inmost sentiments of their hearts.
1t is a harmless and graceful custom
of their country, and to refuse would
often be to offend.
Dora had INDUCED in harmless flirta-
tions during the past three years OF her
lite, but she had never fiirted with a
lemon colored Oriental Satrap before,
with almond eyes, a long pig-tall, and
finger nails like BIRDS claws, so that it
was a novel experience.
The Mandarin's costume was cloth
of gold and silver, with dragons and
other strange monsters worked over
them in silk and satin.
He wore a peacock plume IN his hat
when he had n on his head, with a
great coral button at its apex, as SYM
Dol of his rank.
And he got into the very pleasing
habit of sending her, anonymously,
bouquets of hot-house flowers, with
Away fhe earl, or ruby, or topaz attached
to onejo hem as an extra blossom.
Theto. Rare the prettiest blossoms
amongi al their fellows to Dora.
She tpc silly enough to fancy that a
smile all occasional soft word would
be ample payment for all this, and
meanwhile such a lover was both useful
and picturesque.
"Dora," said young Percie Egerton
to her one day--Percie was a subaltern
in her fathers regiment, and as manly
and handsome as Dora was ladylike and
beautiful-'sI wish you wouldn't carry
on so strongly with that old Mandarin.
When we had got him excited at mess
the other night, w managed to make
him stand on the table and propose a
toast, and the old lunatic waved his
glass about, splitting half the wine, and
saying, with a well satisfied grin, TO
Missile Dora Dacre, my wiley, wiley
that is to be-
Dora flushed crimson with rage,
shame, and indignation and then said
"And did any one imagine that he
spoke with reason? That l had given
HIM encouragement"
"Well, Dora, we all know you to be
atrocious little fiirt, and we none of
us could be sure that you hadn't given
the poor old boy some encouragement;
of course not with any idea of becom-
ing Mrs. Shan Schesn-that would be
too absurd.n
ssOh, Egerton, how could you refrain
from upsetting the table when you
heard him. Mandarin and alp"
I'D have let you kiss my hand had
you only done it, there
"Ah, Doral I'D attempt the spelling
of many a China doll for that privilege.
| really wish I'D thought of 1t. May l
not salute that little hand on credit,
just for once?n
mo, sir; like a cooperative store.
allow no credit. laughed Dora, getting
over her chagrin.
II wish, Dora, that, like a co-opera-
tive store, you'd get full value for what
you dispense"
what does the foolish boy meanl"
'If you get enigmatical, III dispense
with your company. IN tell you plainly
what / do mean, Dora, for l don't
want to talk in riddles, heaven knows.
l wish you wouldn't throw away your
and signs, and tender glances as
you do. l am greedy and covetous Of
them, and want them alto myself; and
since you confessed to me the other
daV that Vau mara NOT indiffQrapf tn l