The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-11-07


eyes and wrinkle up his brown face,
peering far up the mountain.side to a
certain great boulder, behind which Wah
sin was often pleased to hide, and shy
rocks at people on the trail below to see
them "jumpee big" No rocks were
flying, no angry miner was seen to
'jumpee big" no loose boulder was
bounding and crashing over the rocks
and among the stunted pines to the lit
tie gulcb below. Wan Sin was not
theAe
But far down the gulch, on the one
rocky, crooked street Of the camp, fu-
rious little mountain burro could be
seen, with its head down, its ears laid
back, and the heels of its hind legs fly
ing in the air as they beat tattoo on
shining tin pail tied to the animals
tail.
A little Chinese boy could be seen ly-
ing fat on his back in the rocky road,
his heels flying. his eyes shut, his hands
clapping, and his 1.-THE little body with
ing in happiness. Wah Sin was there.
The boys and girls all liked Wah Sin.
His droll looks and manners amused
them. He gave me no end of trouble,
but | liked him myself. 1t was surpris-
ing to note his progress in his studies.
He could read and spell with boys of his
own age before he had been three
months in the school, but when it came
to mental arithmetic, Wah Sin said:
mo like lithmetic; no study lithmetic
less countee on my fingees."
To "countee on the fingees" was a
method l had strictly forbidden, and |
would not make an exception in Wah
Sins case.
The next day he came to me. mo
study lithmetic; book alice gone"
grasped the refractory little China
mans wrist very firmly, and picked up
long rod lying on my desk.
"Now you find that book" l said,
with great severity, although wanted
to laugh outright at the absolute terror
in the boys face when severe measures
were tried on him for the first time.
could feel him trembling as he led
the way out of the house to large, flat
slab of rock near by. The book was
under the slab.
stopped to lift the rock, and Wah
Sin started to run. Dropping the slab
and whirling swiftly around, caught
Wah Sin by the queue before he had
gone ten feet.
He stopped very suddenly, put both
hands to the back of his head, turned
panied and mortified face to me, and
said:
me stay here ill bit yet"
Eyes, l think you WILL" l remarked.
About forty boys and girls had wit
messed the whole affair, and of course
enjoyed it. My blackboard pointer de-
scended very smartly on several fingers
directed towards Wah Sin, with giggles
and chuckles, during the morning; and
four boys remained with me after school,
because | had caught them in the act OF
putting their thumbs to their noses, and
twirling their fingers at Wah Sin.
Ii is hard for even Chinese boys to
endure this kind of ridicule unmoved,
and Wah Sin was so deeply affected by
it that he threw soft-boiled egg from
his lunch-bag across the room at one Of
his prosecutors.
Wah Sin had, however, erred in his
aim, and the egg hit me, instead of the
boy for whom it was intended.
The school burst into an uproar, Wah
Sin sat trembling and pale IN his seat
but before | could reach him, he haC
darted out Of the door, and was flying
down the mountain side towards home
at such furious rate of speed that hi,
shiny black "pig-tail' stood straigh
out on level with his head.
"Us boys'll 90 an ,ketch i'm for you,
kindly volunteered little fellow.
"You are very obliging," | replied
"but must decline your offer"
Wah Sin did not appear the next day
nor the next; but on the morning of tn
third day, soon after nine o'clock, l be
came aware of an unusual commotiol
outside the blanket-door. 1t swayet
back and forth in an unusual manner
and some one seemed grasping and pull
ing it outward.
Suddenly the blanket gave way en-
tirely, and came walking down the aisl
of the room, with something under il
kicking and struggling.
"a grizzlyr shouted one.
"a cattymountn cried another.
"I1juns!" screamed an excited it'll
fellow, with his eyes half out of his head
By this time, human legs and arm
{ had become visible. l stepped f6rwar
and threw the blanket aside, revealin
| to our astonished gaze the strugglin
forms of Wah Sin and his father.
Boys shouted and upset seats in tn
5 fullness of their JOY; girls clapped the
hands and laughed. The water-pa
: came rolling across the floor in a delugt
f and shrill voice cried oat:
johnnie Pratt did that a-purpost
g teacher; | seed inn"
Il never, cried Johnnie Pratt, in al
= CRY denial; lit was axident!"
/ "O-o-o-h! you johnnie Prattl 1 sa'
you"
t "Hah, yah! Hi vi! Hah, ali, mr. Sal