Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-12-04

''Thou shalt labor no more for any'
master,' she said, ''but for thy own
sake only. And have also bought thisI
dwelling. with all which is therein, audi
the tea fields to the south, and the mul-i
berry groves hard by, all of which are
thine.n
Then Tong, beside himself with CRATE.
%fulness, would have Frustrated himself
in worship before her, but that she,
would not suffer it.
Thus he was made free, and prosperi-
ty came to him with his freedom. and
whatsoever he gave to the sacred earth,
was returned to him centupled, and his
servants loved him and blessed the
beautiful Tchi, so silent and yetso kind
ly to all about her. But the silk-loom
soon remained untouched. for Tchi gave
birth to a soma boy so beautiful that
Tong wept with delight when he looked
upon him. And thereafter the wife de-
voted herself wholly to the care of the
child.
Now it soon became manifest that the
boy was not less wonderful than his
wonderful mother. In the third month
of his age he could speak: in the seventh
month he could repeat by heart the
proverbs of the sagcs and recite the
holy prayers; before the eleventh month
he could use the writing-brush with
skill, and copy in shapelX, characters
the precepts of Lao-tseu..' And the
priests of the temples came to behold
him and to converse with him, and thew
marvelled at the charm of the child and
the wisdom of what he said, and they
hIncsnI Have C..l. ~
OF thine is a gift from the Master of
heaven, a sign that the immortals love
thee. May thine eyes behold a hundred
happy summers!'
1t was in the Period of the Eleventh
Moon; the flowers had passed away, the
perfume of the summer had flown, the
winds were growing chill, and in longs
home the evening fires were lighted.
Long the husband and wife sat in the
mellow glow, he speaking much of his
hopes and joys, and of his son that was
to be so grand a man, and of many pa
ternal projects, while she, speaking lit
tie, listened to his words, and Often
turned her wonderful eyes upon him
with an answering smile. Never had
she seemed SO beautiful before; and
Tong, watching her face, marked not
now the night waned, nor how the fire
sank low, nor how the wind sang in the
leafless trees without.
All suddenly Tchi arose without
speaking, and took his hand in hers and
led him-gently as on that strange wed.
ding morning-to the cradle where their
boy slumbered, family smiling in his
dreams. And in that moment there
came upon Tong the same strange fear
that he knew when Tchi's eyes had first
met his own-the vague fear that love
and trust had Gained, but never wholly
cast out, like unto>the fear of the GODS.
And all unknowingly, like one Welding
to the pressure of mighty invisible hands,
he bowed himself low before her, knee..
ing as to adivinity. Now when he lifted
his eyes again to her face, he closed them
forthwith in awe, for she lowered before
him taller than any mortal woman, and
there was a glow about her as of sun
beams, and the light of her limbs shown
through her garments. But her sweet
voice came to him with all the tender
ness of other hours, saying: 10! nv
beloved, the hour has come in which 7
must leave thee; for | was never of NOR
tai born, and the Invisible may incar-
nate themselves for the time only. Yet
l leave with thee the pledge Of our love
the fair son who shall ever be to thee
as faithful and as fond as thou thyself
has been. Know, my beloved. that / was
sent to thee aver by the Master of
Heaven, in reward of thy tilial piety, and
that l must now return to the glory of
His house-1am the Goddess Tchi-Niu."
Even as she ceased to speak, the great
glow faded out; and Tong. re-opening
his eyes, knew that she had passed away
torever-mysteriously as pass the winds
of heaven, irrevocably rs the light of a
flame blown out. Yet all the doors
were barred, all the windows unopened.
Still the child slept, smiling strangely
in his sleep. Outside the darkness was
breaking; the sky was Frightening
swiftly; the night was past. With
splendid majesty the east threw open
high gates of gold for the coming of the
sun; and illuminated by his coming, the
vapors of morning wrought themselves
into marvellous shapes of shifting colors
into forms weirdly beautiful as the
silken dreams woven in the loom o.
Tchi Niu. -Harper's Bazor.