Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-05-15
CHAPTER 1.

Sho Mai, daughter of the ex-Prefect
Wong Che foo, went out alone from her
fathers splendid mansion in the city of
Paoting to see the world. She fed from
a home where every luxury surrounded
her and from the care of loving parents.
No childish grief nor petty disappoint-
ment such as will sometimes weigh down
the mind of the young with unreason-
able sorrow urged her to this course.
She fed from the common lot Of her sex,
from marriage and the thousand re-
str2ints which the customs of the En-
pire throw around all women. There
fore 1t was in the guise Of q youth, in
the garb appropriate to a student, that
she left her fathers house and sought
for knowledge and adventure.
Sho Mails remarkable determination
was not suddenly formed; it grew up
steadily in her mind through many
years. To her had been given that edu-
cation which is ordinarily denied to
women. She had been trained from
childhood under the best instructors,
and She had seized upon knowledge with
a mind of wonderful brilliancy and dis
elimination. At sixteen she had bet
ter command OF mathematics, of sciences
and of the classics than most young men
attain during q collegiate course, and
she had the wisdom to see that she had
only tasted of the spring which forever
flows out under the frowning rock OF the
truth as it is in nature. Her ambition
was fixed upon delving nearer to the
mysterious sources of this spring with
an ardor which is gift from on high
md ga NJ no f~,ZpF, in tho hn1r+ She
knew that if her life was nodded after
the fashion of the time her pursuit of
knowledge must cease, and she resolved
that this should never be.
Thus it happened that while the cx-
Project Wong Che foo sat in his library
one night discussing with his wife the
future of their child, the object Of their
solicitude was at that worry moment
taking her future into her own hands.
Il have at last found young man
worthy to be the husband of our child"
said Wong Che foo; and in the chamber
above Sho Mai shut her white teeth
together, and, as if the words she did
not hear were still impressed upon her
heart, she muttcrcd: Il will have no
husband; | will be no mans slave
HE is poor in fortune" continued the
ex-Prcfect. in the library, but what
does that matter? We have no son.
This young man is of exemplary char
acter and of distinguished mental en-
dowmcnt. l will adopt him, and when
he has married our child the estates
which possess will be SO disposed that
they shall descend upon him and Sho
Mai, his wife, when we are gathered
with the dead
II care not for wealth" said Sho Mai
to herself, as she paced her chamber.
Il want freedom and the power to pur-
sue knowledge wherever it may be hid
den in the great world"
''Sho Mai should be a wife of whom
any man may be proud the eX-Prefect
said 81 have caused her to be in
structed in the knowledge of books, and
you, my wife, have trained her in the
gents accomplishments of women"
And while he spoke Sho Mai was, as
one may say, flinging her womanhood
from her. At least the garments appro-
pirate to her sex had been laid aside and
in tkeir place Sho Mai had donned the
attire of young male student; and as
she stood before her mirror she gaZed in
wonder at the beautiful, strange youth
who looked out at her.
Our daughter has been tractable in
all things" said Wong Che foo. "She
will see that we have planned wisely
for her future. You have already told
hec shat husband would be chosen for
her. Go now to her chamber, and if she
be not yet asleep tell her that our choice
has been made and bring me word what
she replies"
And while the wife of the ex-Prcfect
went to do his bidding Sho Mai passed
from the house and stole down the dark
and silent street On her way to see the
world.
''Our daughter did not answer when l
called her name" said Madam Wong
Che foo, returning. Doubtless she is
asleep. | did not enter the chamber, for
it seemed unwise to disturb her slum-
beers. Tomorrow will be time
Tomorrow, then, let it be-" said
Wong Che Foo, and having babe his wife