The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-05-23
suddenly and so wonderfully into her

suddenly and SO wonderfully into her
life.
All! Ii Kean, to what sorry mock
cry must your young heart wake from
its first sweet dreams, if it shall wake
at all in this strange world. Happier is
Sho Mai, who feels the same delicious
thrill along her pulses and hears the
same voice calling to her out of the en-
chanted future!
So tho days passed happily, and the
two students bent to their tasks with
energy, while Ii Kean ordered the af-
fairs of the household with o prudence
Beyond her years. Though Sho Mai and
Ii Xiii wcro both intent upon the same
prize, there was no jealousy in their
striving. Each assisted the other, Sho
Mai supplementing the fervor and
strength of the young mans mind with
the subtlety and grace of her own. Ii
Xiii, who had been held the foremost
scholar of the college, now shared the
honor, and felt that he had won a friend
who was worth the sacrifice.
He was a young man of so open and SO
pure a mind that this daily association
with him brought none of that embar-
rassment which Sho Mai had dimly
feared.
In fact, she was far less at her ease
with Ii Kean, whose heart she had
failed to fathom. This poor girl was of
most romantic nature, and she soon
passed the point where her sentiments
were uncertain to herself. She knew
that she was deeply in love with this
gentle and beautiful young stranger,
and she did not fail to suffer in perceiv-
ing that the answering sentiment was
only friendship. 1t is strange how much
of pathos can inhere in situation so
ridiculous. Little Lii Kean grew thin
and pale. She could have borne un-
kindness more easily than this calm
friendship, which was so palpably itself
and not love.
Sho Mai was not unconscious of the
efforts which Ii Kean made to win her
regard; she was ignorant only of the
feeling which inspired them. The
flowers, which never failed to deck her
chamber. pleased her, and she said so
with q frankness which was much worse
than if she had not noticed them at all.
So Lii Kean was frequently in tears,
and she dropped until the eye of her
father began to take note of her condi-
ton. He was not so blind to the cause
of it as was that cause herself, and so it
came about that an invitation arrived
from relation who lived in a city at
some distance, and Ii Yuen Wy was firm
in urging his daughter to accept it.
ITh ia / fnorS Sbn in.
sisted that the little household would
be wholly disarranged by he. going
which was unfortunately quite true
and she plead a thousand such excuses
as come readily enough at such time.
Sho Mai and Lii Xiii took her side of the
question as openly as a proper regard for
the wishes of an elder would permit, and
altogether the old savant found himself
confronted by a difficulty which threat
ened to overtax his philosophy.
In despair he determined to take
young "Tien" las Sho Mai was then
called by them alD into his confidence.
He did so, and there ensued a conversa-
tion which, all things considered, was
as remarkable as we'll could be. For
the first time Sho Mai discovered that it
is not so easy to be man. In her sor-
row and perplexity she was tempted to
confess her secret, and nothing but the
infexible determination which she had
made to let nothing whatever move her
to such disclosure, prevented her from
doing so. 1t was situation in which,
naturally enough, she found her wits at
fault, and she could suggest nothing