Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-06
MOULDING TIE BIG BELL.
A Lsgend-How the Gold and Brass were
Welded.
lNew Orleans Times Dcnocist.l


New Orleans Times -DcrnocisLI
The water-clock marks noon In the To-
chung ss'-in tho Tower OF the Great
Bell now the mallet Ii lifted to smile the
hps OF the metal monster-the vast lips In
.cribed with Buddhists texts from the
sacred Fa-heo- King. from the chapters OF
the holy Ling-ysn- King Hear tho great
bell responding how mighty her voice,
though tongueless KO-NGAU All the
little dragons on the high-tited caves OF
the green roofs SILVER 10 the tips OF their
gilded tails under that deep wave Of
sound-sll the porcelain gargoylcs tremble
on their carven perches-sll the hundred
little bella OF The pagodas culver with desire
70 speak. KO.NGAl!-sll the green and.
gold tiles OF the temple are vibrating
the wooden goldfish above them are wriih-
ing against the sky-.hs uplifted finger
OF 70 shakes high over the heads OF
the wor1hipper through the blue fog OF
innoeense EO-NGAI!-What thunder.
stone wa that All the lacquered COLLINS
On the palace cornices wrigglsd their fire.
colored tongues And after each huge
shock how uondrous the multiple echo,-
and the golden moan,-and, at last, the
sudden sibilsnt sobbing in the ears when
the immense tone faints away In broken
whispers OF silver,-as though woman
should whisper "hidiw Even 30 the
great bell hath sounded every day for well
nigh I've hundred -Ro- NJd,. frat
with sfupendous clang, then with inn
measurable moan OF gold, then with silver
murmuripg Of Mai And there is not a
child In all the many-colored ways OF the
old Chinese city who does not know the
story Of the great bell-who cannot tell thee
why the great bell says 10 Ngdand HAL
Now this Is the story OF the grea. bell in
the Ta-chung sz',-as the same is related
In the Pe-Hido- Iou- Chote. written by the
learned Yu-Pao'Tchsn, OF the CITY of
KwaDg .tchsu-fu:
Nearly I've hundred years ago the Celes-
italy August, the Son OF Heaven, Yong-Lo,
OF The "IllustrIous or Ming dynasty,-
commanded the worthy official Kousn. Yu |
he should have bell made OF such size that |
The sound thereof might be heard for five |
hundred u. And he further ordained that |
the voice OF the bell should be strengthened /
with brass and deepened with gold and /
sweetensd with silver; and that the face
and the great lips OF II should be craven
with blessed sayings from the sacred books
and that II should be suspended in the cen.
~ Va fho iAfettnt SOUND
through all the many-colored ways Of the
city OF Pekiug.
Therefore the worthy mandarin Roman.
Yu assembled the msstcr-moIders aud the
renowned bell-smiths OF the empire and ali
men OF grcatrepute and cunning Ia foundry
work and they measured the materials for
he alloy, and treated them skiliully, ana
prepared the moulds. tie fires, the instru-
nenis, and the monstrous melting-pot for
using the metal. Andthey labored exceed
ngly, Ike giants, -neglecting only rest and
lssp and tho comforts Of life; toiling both
light and day In obedience TO Kouan-Yu.
nd striving IN all things 10 do the behest
4 the Son Of Heaven.
But when the metal had been cast, and
he carthcn mould separated from the
lowing casting, II was discovered that de.
piie their great labor aud ceaseIess care