Telegram-herald., 1889-11-23

shs Case - EsF PrSsr@Sssa ytg1 Ht hs>
nzs es1Iss SFare.


a@se4aGss GFeFs.
TIE haHzAT.n Tsaaag Tsen, q ne
Provlnes q so2ns. sAs q philosopher
= ao pars- led hLs tsss2Fchss bsyol.4 80
alsrs concerns u earEA. says = otty
French writes. snd his iusigst snat- ~
htm O. escaps the PITFALLS p1l1 lle IA
tie Pashs ~ those sbo strive FOR useless
riches or empty hOnors. hLs ssrisi4e-
Sl9n m-st have been profound When
after his ds4LA, the s-th critics pro
claimed him A4ppy -nd worthy - sn1'
laaon.
D4v-ng the DAYS which the unknown
rulers II the universe allotted 70 him 20
spend beneath the bnue SKY, among the
flowers, and under the willow and
bamboo, II Was TchugE Tssns custom 70
walk through the ael3s N medit2tion-
One day. ~hi.s wandering ta0s az FAn-
dom Oh ghe h00ery slopes Of tie mount-
ain, Nam Hoa, he cane unaw2res upon
= cemetery where tie deSt rePOSod, ao-
cordlng 20 the custom Of the provinces
under LITTLE mounds oi beaten earth AZ
ths sight u the numberless graves
which stretched away 10 the horizon
the sage medit4rsd concerning the des-
tiny 0f mankind.
As his vision followed his thoughts
across the array of graves IL enc0H-
tered young woman, clad is the garb OK
mourning u the province. = long, plain
robe % coarse white cloth. She seated
herself beside one OF The little m0uaas
and began industriously 20 ply a largo
white fan 20 and fro over the yet moist
earth OF the funeral hillock Curious
% know inc meaning Of this strange
proceeding, Ichung Tsen approached
the young woman with respectful salu-
tations and said:
May ! venture, madam, 20 inquire
who lies buried in this grave. and why
you are az such pains % fan il? l am a
philosopher and search into the causes
OF things; but this one | can not d.
vine"
The young woman, still plying the fan,
blushed, hung her head, and murInured
some unintelligib,e reply. The sage
renewed the inquiry several times, but
without success. She took no further
notice of him, and it seemed 10 him as
though her very soul had passed into
the hand which moved the fan. Tchung
Tsen turned away reluctantly. Though
knowing well that all is vanity, il
was still his won't 10 analyze the mo-
tives Of human actions, especially those
OF women, for those little beings in
spired in him very lively interest.
Slowly resuming his walk and turning
his head at brief intervals TO see thefan
still beating the air like tho wing OF
Freat butterfly, ne shOrsly came up with
an old dame, hitherto unperco iyed, who
beckoned him % follow. She led him in
to the shadow of 4 mound somewhat
higher than its neighbors and said:
Il heard You ask question of my
mistress which she did not answer. L
will satisfy your curiosity, out of my
kindness and in the hope that you may
be pleased 70 reward me with money to
buy Of the priests some magic paper to
prolong my life"
Tchung Tsen gave her a piece Of
money and the dame narrated the fol-
lowing:
The lady whom you saw at the grave
IS named Lu. She is the widow of
the Mandarin Tao, who died some days
ago after long illness, and is buried il
that grave beside which my mistress
sits. They loved each other with
tender love. Even in his death agony
Tao could not reconcile himself TO part
ing from her, and the thought Of her,
battling alone with the world IN the
flower of her youth and beauty, was al
most too much for his philosophy. But
he was Of a gentle nature, and his soul
yielded TO the inevitable. Weeping up
on the pillows of her husbands bed,
which she had never once quilted dur
ing his illness, the wife frantically took
the gods TO witness that she would not
survive Tao, but would share his coffin
as she had shared his couch. But to this
Tao said:
Nay, madam, do not swear thatP
Well. replied Lu, If | must survive
you, If the gods condemn me still to
look upon the light of day when you can
no longer behold X, be assured that |
shall never consent TO become the wife
Of another, and that, as haye but one
soul, I shall have but ono spOuser
Madam said Tao, do not swear
thus
% oh, Tao, Tao She sobhed, let mo
swear, at leost, that I win not marry
again within five yearsr
But Tao said: 'Lu, do rot swear sol
Swear only to be faithful 70 nv memory
while the earth is still moist upon my
grave
..Lu swore a great oath. and the good
Tao closed his eyes 70 open them no
more. The widows grief exceeded any
thing that can be imagined. Her eyes
were blind with weeping. Hardly could
we restrain her from tearing her waKcn
cheeks with hor little nails. Bat all
things have an end. AID the torrent of
her grief at length subsidized. Three
days after Taos death she learned hat
one Of his disciples wished 70 testify his
sympathy for her bereavement, and,
ike a rational being, sho rightly judged
that she ought not 70 deny him. She
met him. sobbing. He con-oled her
He was @ very elegant young man. wi,h
handsome face. He talked go heT a
little about Tao and great deal about
herself lie told her how charming she
was and how great vas bis love for her.
Shetid uotslionoe him. ard when ~ won't
away e. vas with q promise 70 como
again While expecting bis neVt visit,
Ta seated whore You saw her hv Taos
grave. passes tha whole day in drying
tae earth ppon 80 with her Fan
When enc ola Woman bad finished her
recital tho viso TeaanT Tsor rondoroi
iavarilv. and t.ls aas hls como. as.an.