Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-07-08


Before great house in wide street
she CHANGED to pause, gazing up at the
windows. Shc had no thought of seeing
a familiar face; indeed, she scarcely
noted any thing. She was in kind 1
stupor, from which she awoke to the
consciousness that form she knew had
passed before the window. Again it
appeared, and stopped. Their eyes met
1t was her father, Wong Che Foo.
CHAPTER TX.
A GIRL AGAIN.
When Sho Mai saw her fathers face
she felt that her wanderings were done.
She had no other wish but to seek his
presence and her mothers arms and
tell the story of her fight, her love and
her sorrow. She entered the house,
pushed past the servants, who would
have restrained her, and in moment
stood before her parents. With the
changes that year had wrought, and
the strange garments, they did not
know her until she said: 81 am your
daughter, are your hearts still open to
me?
Then, faint with hunger, weary with
the great labor of the competition,
q
heavy heart. she fell at her fathers
feet. He was SO overpowered with
establishment that he stood for full
minute staring into her face: but the
mothers eyes were quicker to recognize
her child, and coming quickly forward
she raised the fainting girl in her arms.
Then the ex-Prefect gathered up his
scattered senses and assisted IN carry
ing Sho Mai to her mothers apart
ment.
When Sho Mai awoke next day after
long and heavy sleep she found her
mother standing by her side. For
moment she lay wondering where
dreams stopped and realities began.
The whole eventful year she was half
persuaded to place among the visions
which had lowered around her pillow
during the preceding night. For the
year had left little trace in outward
things: She was at home again; she
was to be woman once more with all
the restrictions about her from which
she had fed. She looked forward to
this prospect, as the realities of life
came back to her, with neither fear nor
hope.
She knew that in her own heart and
not in outward conditions she would
find the WEAKNESS of life.
Physically she was much refreshed by
the long slumber. There was no trace
of the illness which her mother had
feared might follow the excitement
through which the girl had passed. She
arose and donned the unfamiliar gar
ments of her sex and went to meet her
father, who waited in no little impa-
thence to hear her story.
She told it simply, and with little
emotion, though the narrative was al
most too exciting for her mother to
bear, and made the ex-Prefect's heart
leap more than once.
"My child, are you not happy to be
with us once mOre?" asked her mother.
when Sho Mai concluded.
81 am not happy, MOTHER" said Sho
Mai, land I shall never be again; but
have accomplished that for which
made this visit to the world. 1 have
seen i and learned its lesson. In one
year it has taught me all that the pro-
foundest philosopher could learn in p
hundred years. Ambition and for and
hopo and love--I have known them all
and tho end of them all, which is disap.
pointment The whole world is in that
word, and those who learn it's meaning
so thoroughly that they can neither
strive nor hope nor fear nor love any
moro have solved the riddle, and may
rest from their labors. This is the phil
osophy of the unhappy; the fortunate
may have one of their own, but shall
not need to know it."
She laughed bitterly at her trite
summary of the worlds lesson, and then,
burying her head in her hands, she
wept.
Her parents exchanged glances but
offered no consolation, feeling that time
must do that. From the street came a
sound of loud voice rising above the
ordinary noises of the city.
"What is this outcry3'' asked the
mother.
"It is the hour of noon," said Wong
Che Foo, land according to the custom
the heralds of the Emperor are an
nouncing the result of the great compe-
| tition. Listen and we shall hear the
Names"
The voice drew nearer. Suddenly
| Sho Mai sprang to her feet, and rushing
to the window struck it open with a
| SlSu En{SAf N :,