The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-12-19

speak Of his misery. to declare his utter
inability to maintain wife: but some
thing irresistible in the long dark eyes of
his companion forbade him to speak,
and. as though his Utmost thought had
been discerned BY that wondrous gaze,
she said to him, in the same clear voice.
81 will provide" Then shame made
him blush at the thought of his wretched
aspect and tattered apparel; but he OBJ
served that she also was poorly attired.
ike woman of the people, wearing no
ornament of any sort, nor even shoes
upon her feet And before he had vet
spoken to her they came before the an
cestral tablets, and there she knelt with
him and prayed, and pledged him in
cup of wine-brought he knew not from
whence-and together they worshipped
heaven and earth. Thus she became his
wife.
A strange marriage, it seemed; for
neither on that day nor at any future
time could Tong venture to ask his wife
the name of her family. or of the place
whence she came. and he could not an
swer any of the curious questions which
his fellow-laborers put to him concern
ing her; and she. moreover. never utter
ed word about herself. except to say
that her name was Tchi But although
Tong had such awe of her that while her
eyes were upon him he was as one having
no will of his own, he loved her unspeak-
ably, and the thought of his serfdom
ceased to weigh upon him from the hour
of his marriage. AS though magic the
little dwelling had become transformed;
its misery was masked with charming
paper devices, with dainty decorations
created out of nothing by that pretty
jugglery of which woman only knows
the secret
Each morning at dawn the young hus-
band found well-prepared and ample
repast awaiting him, and each evening
also upon his return; but the wife all day
sat at her loom, weaving silk after
fashion unlike anything which had
ever been seen before in that province.
For as she wove, the silk flowed from
the loom like slow current of glossy
gold. bearing upon its undulations
strange forms of violet and crimson and
jewel green, shapes of ghostly horsemen
riding upon horses, and of phantom
chariots dragou-d drawn, and of standards
of trailing cloud. In every dragon beard
glimmered the mystic pearl; in every
riders helmet sparkled the gem of
rank. And each day Tchi would weave
great piece of such figured silk. and
the fame of her weaving spread abroad.
From far and near people thronged to
see the marvellous work, and the silk
merchants of great cities heard of it, and
they sent messengers to Tchi, asking her
that she should weave for them and
teach them her secret Then she wove
for them. as they desired, in return for
the silver cubes which they brought her;
but when they prayed her to teach them,
she laughed and said: "Assuredly !
could never teach you, for no one among
you has fingers like mine. And indeed
no man could discern her fingers when
she wove, any more than he might be-
hold the wings of bee vibrating in
swift fight
The seasons passed. and Tong never
knew want. so we'll did his beautiful
wife fulfill her promise, ~ wtll pro-
vide" and the cubes of bright silver
brought by the silk merchants were
piled up higher and higher in the great
carven chest which Tchi had bought for
the storage of the household goods.
Ouc last, NuCH lOnSt
having finished his repast, was about to
depart to the fields, Tchi Unexpectedly
babe him remain, and opening the great
chest, she took out of it and gave him
document written in the official eharac-
tiers called ii-chm And Tong, looking
at it, cried out and leaped in his joy, for
it was the certificate of his manumis-
sion. Tchi had secretly purchased her
husbands freedom with the price of her
wondrous silks.
Thou shalt labor no more for any
master" she said, "but for thy own
sake only. And have also bought this
dwelling, with all which is therein. and
the tea fields to the south, and the null
berry groves hard by, all of which are
thine"
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 yet so 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 tho
proverbs of the sages and recite the
holy prayers; before the eleventh month
he could use the writing-brush with
skill. and copy in shapely characters
the precepts of Lao-tseu. And the
priests of the temples came to behold
him and to converse with him, and they
marvelled at the charm of the child and
the wisdom of what he said. and they
blessed Tong, saying: "Surely this son
of thine is gift from the Master OF
Heaven. sign that the immortals love
thee. May thine eyes behold hundred
happy summersr'
It 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 Tong S
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 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 moi
now the night waned, nor how the fire
sank low, nor how the wind sang in the
leafess trees without.
All suddenly Tchi arose without
speaking, and took his hand in hers and
led him-gently as on that strange we'd
ding morning-to the cradle where theil
boy slumbered. family smiling in hi.
dreams. And in that moment there
came upon Tong the same strange feal
that he knew when Tchi's eyes had frs
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 yielding
, to the pressure of mighty invisible hands
he bowed himself low before her, kneel
: ing as to divinity. Now when he lifted
his eyes again to her face, he closed then
forthwith in awe, for she lowered befor,
| tal ho, al