Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-12-01

Now while the sick youth slumbered
the fitful slumber Of exhaustion one sui.
try noon, he dreamed that o strange and
beautiful woman stood by him, and bent
above him and touched his forehead
with the long fine fingers of her shapely
hand. And at her cool touch weird
sweet shock passed through him, and all
his veins tingled as II thrilled by new
Life. v Opening his eyes in won-
der, he saw Yerily bending over him the
charming being Of whom he had
dreamed, and he knew that her live hand
really caressed bis throbbing forehead.
But the flame Of the fever was gone, a
delicious coolness now penetrated every
fibre Of his body, and the thrill of which
he had dreamed still tingled in his blood
like great Joy. Even at the same mo-
ment the eyes Of the gentle visitor met
his own. and he saw they were singu-
larly beautiful, and shone like splendid
black jewels under brows curved like
the wings Of swallow. Yet their calm
gaze seemed 10 pass through him as
light through a crystal; and vague
awe came upon him, 80 that the ques-
tlon which had risen to his lips found no
utterance. Then she, still caresslng
him, smiled and said: II have come TO
restore thy strength, and to be thy wife.
Arise and worship with me-
Her clear voice had. tones melodious
as birds song, but In her gaze there
was an imperious power which Tong
felt he dare not resist Rising from his
couch, he was astounded "a. find his
strength wholly restored; but the cool
slender hand which held his own led
him away so swiftly that he had little
time for amazement. He would have
given years of existence for courage to
speak OF his misery, to declare his utter
inability TO maintain wife; but some-
thing irresistible 10 the long dark eyes of
his companion forbade him to speak,
and, as though his inmost 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,
like a woman of the people, wearing no
ornament of any sort, nor even shoes
upon her feet And before be had yet
spoken to her they came before the an
cestral tablets, and there she knelt with
him and prayed, and pledged him in a
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 tho 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 Der name was Tchi. But although
Tong had such awe Of her that while her
eyes were upon him he was as one having
no viii Of bis 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;
It's 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 a 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 dragon-drawn, and Of standards
oftrailing gcloud. In every dragon beard
glimmered the mystic pearl; In every
riders helmet sparkled tho 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 1t, 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 flight.
The seasons passed, and Tong never
knew want, so well did his beautiful
wife fulfill her promise, ~ soiit 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 Tohi had bought for
the storage of the household goods.
One morning, at last, when Tong,
having finished his repast, was about to
depart to the fields, Tchi unexpectedly
bade him remain, and opening the great
chest, she took out Of 1t and gave him a
document written IN the official charac-
ters called li-chu And Tong, looking
at 1t, cried out and leaped in his Joy, fol
1t was the certificate of his manumis.
sion. Tchi had secretly purchased hel
husbands freedom with the price of hel
wondrous silks.
| "Thou shalt labor no more for any
master,'' she said, "but for thy owr
sake only. And ! have also bought thii
dwelling, with all which is therein, and
the tea fields to the south, and the null
berry groves hard by, all of which an
thine"
\ Then Tong, beside himself with CRATE
fulness, would have prostrated himself
in worship before her, but that sht
would not suffer II
\ Thus he was made free, and prospect
4 ty came to him with his freedom, ant
whatsoever he gave to the sacred eartt
was returned to him centupled. and hi
servants loved him and blessed th,
beautiful Tchi, SO silent and yetso kind
4 ly to all about her. But the silk-loou
soon remained untouched, for Tchi CAV,
birth to soma boy 30 beautiful thai
Tong wept with delight when he looket
upon him. And thereafter the wife de
voted herself wholly to tho care Of thl
child.
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