, 1888-11-25
~LAUNDRYMEN'S HUMOR.
A BACHELOR DESCRIBES SOME FEA-
TURES OF MoNGoLlAN LIFE.

THE first Chinaman l ever had dealings
with" said the old bachelor, was a little
weasened up fellow, not more than five
feet high, who had a store on Washington
street. Next door to him was an Italian
shoemaker. Lee, for that was the laundry
mans name, was a most t~aciturn ndi-
vidual, even for one of his race, but he
had a popularity. He used to sing, not
only in his shop, but also, in a lower voice,
when he was walking along the street.
1t was when he was hard at work upon
the bosom of some refractory shirt that
he could be heard at his best, or, as some
might put it, at his worst. Lees voice
was not a pleasing one, even when exer-
cised on the lower notes only, but when
he had got warmed up and essayed to
reach the higher key it was positively
heartrending. How his subordinates, Of
whom he had two, stood it, is beyond
human comprehension. Lees voice grew
upon him, and when / last knew him he
was a perfect slave to it.
My next laundryman was a character.
lie was about 80 years old, fairly good
looking, judged by the American stand
ard, and spoke English quite fuently.
lie to the name of Hop Wah,
but l always called him Hop for short.
SOMETHING OF A JOKER.
by degrees, n when l had satisfied
Hop that | had no intention of ~patroniz-
ing his rival across the street, for whom
he entertained a profound yet plying
contempt, he told me some of his history.
lie had been ten years in America, and
about six years in Brooklyn. i asked him
one day if his parents were alive. He re.
Piled that he believed his mother was,
and added, old man dead long time
Then he laughed quite merrily, as if the
elder Hops decease was a good deal of a
loke. He went to Sunday school regu-
!arly, and this accounted for his prof
cheney in the English language. He went
to Mott street quite frequently, too, as he
informed me, and in his way l think was
a Happening one afternoon to
notice q God Bless Our Home motto of
the regulation pattern fastened to the
wall alongside of a Chinese almanac, |
asked him if he was a Christian. He
shook his head very emphatically, and
then laughed so that l thought he would
fall off his high stool. When | said that
it seemed queer to find a Christian motto
in a heather place of business, he winked
ut me with great elaboration and re-
marked, jerking his thumb in the direc-
tioc of the card, Catch trade; everything
goes Certainly there were no flies on
Hop, and his knowledge of current slang
vas both profound and aptly applied. By
wad by he got more notices, and in q
cIOIb ltL4e lL!t SlOp ltlsSluG looked ike u
mission school.
''One very cold afternoon last winter
lie was about half frozen when he called
at my room with the weeks washing. As
he laid down the bundle he made some
n'mark about the temperature which
sounded vastly like an expression used by
u-nregenerate Christians and proceeded to
rnb his hands vigorously. Noticing that
he looked afeetionately upon a glass of
InA ,y1sr1-, ~ 1.l I - -.
trewed for myself, | asked him if he
would have one. Hop didn't mind if he
did, and by the ann in which he got
away with the steaming beverage l was
led to believe that it was not by anv
means his first attempt. After this l got
into the way of offering him a horn when
ever he happened to find me in, and I
can't r~ecollect that he ever refused. One
of his weekly visits was made the day be-
fore last Christmas. l was feeling at
peace with the world myself, and when
Hophad got away with his customary re-
fresher i suggested nat another would
not hurt hlni lie agreed with me, re-
marking quite airily THAT ne would have
to go me, and helped himself to us
second drink, an even larger one than the
first, and that was no tablespoonful.
GROWING CONFIDENTIAL.
Not to be outdone in generosity he of
fered me a cigar, which he took out of his
hat, and which / defined, having already
had experience of likewise cigars. Think
Hop must have struck hospitality in other
quarters before reaching me, for after the
second glass of whisky he took a chair
by the fire and put his heels up on the
mantelpiece. He was remarkably good
humored and growing confidential. Said
he was about tired of work, and thought
that he would soon go back to China,
where he would marry and settle down to
/ a life of ease. At the reference to mar
riage he stuck his thumb among my ribs
and chuckled after the fashion of Asiatics.
When he arose to go l saw plainly that in
addition to his large bag of clothes he
would have to carry home with him q very
well developed jag. He waved his hat at
me as he left the room, and l heard him
trying to whistle as he went down the
first flight of stairs. At the head of the
second flight he lost his balance and fell
headlong, striking the street door as if he
had been shot out of a catapult. He was
not hurt, at least he did not appear to be,
for, picking himself and his bag up, he let
himself out, and from the window l next
saw him lacking rather unsteadily down
the street in the direction of his home.
He made no reference to his mishap when
he called again, nor did l say anything,
but Hop got no more whisky.
EARLY In the new year he called one
morning before l was up, carrying with
aim a bottle of rice brandy, Sam Su,' as
1t is called in China, and some Chinese
sandwiches. He said it was some kind of
a feast day among his people and he wished
me to have a share of the good things
hgoing. Finding the Sam Su too rich for
my stomach, l placed it on top of a CON
venient ash barrel in h street. If any
one drank it, l pity him sincerely. The
sandwiches were quite a novelty and taken
before breakfast l found them to be quite
appetizing. Instead of bread slices of
lemon were used, and in place of meat or
cheese green ginger, slightly sprinkled
with salt. These sandwiches, Hop sub
~sequently informed me, were in great de-
fnand in his own country by gentlemen
fwho had made a night of it. Last May
Hop sailed for Hong Kong, taking with