The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1894-11-16
CHINESE SUPERSTITION.

| crowds OF people assembled as we ar
rived at the inn, just before sunset, and
among others spotted the fine head of an
old Buddhist priest. After long confab-
ulation and a few strings of cash, which
passed from my pocket into his hands, l
was able to induce him to sit for his pict-
ure, and dashed off sketch in oils be-
fore he had time to change his mind I'm
fortunately the large crowd that had gath
cred round, especially the women folks,
seemed to scold him and talk angrily at
him for his Stiffness in sitting, owing to
the strange notion that prevails in China
and, in fact, nearly all over the east, that
II an image is reprOuce, soul has to be
gwen to it, and that the person portrayed
has to be the supplier of it at his own ex-
pense. The venerable old Buddhist priest,
who was nursing his leash" on his lap
while being immortalized on wooden
panel, and had a curious twinkle in his
eye, as if he knew better, resisted bravely
for some time and sat like statue but,
finally had to give in.
You will die cried an old woman at
him; Il saw your soul coming out of you
and go into the picture. / did, really; l
saw it with my own eyesr'
$50 did l." cried hundred other voices
in a chorus.
By the time the priest had got up they
had half convinced him that at least half
boI " 81
had the soul gone or not, he would go and
take the cash for safe keeping to his home
first, and complain and ask for the restitu-
ton of his lost property afterward. He
was sensible man. So was l, and know
ing what was coming, the moment he had
gone l went into the room and packed the
sketch safely, then took another clean pam
ell and smeared it with the scrapings of my
palette to show him instead, in case he
would come back and wish the picture de-
stroyed. Twenty minutes had not elapsed
when he was back again, of course without
the ''cash," holding his stomach and COM
planning of internal agonies.
Il am going to die" he cried, the moment
he saw me: you have taken away half my
SOUR
Certainly have" said sternly. 'You
did not expect me to give you all that
cash for less than half your soul, did
you?"
''Oh no! but wish-it back, as I feel so
bad now without it,
"All right" said l. Il shall go in the
room and destroy the image l did of you;
will you then be satisfied"
Yes"
Here the other panel smeared with pal
ette scrapings was produced, after making
pretense at destroying it with knife, and
never in my life have l seen an expression
of relief to equal that of the priest He
had not felt half his soul so much going
out of him, but he certainly felt it coming
back again. He could swear by it. He
was perfectly well again!
This wonderful cure gave us all a very
busy evening. All the villagers who had
complaints of any sort came to us to be re-
stored to health. A leper who had lost all
again; and pitiful case of poor child,
only few months old, was brought up,
whose mother, while busy stirring boiling
water in a big cauldron, had dropped the
child in by mistake He was so badly
scalded that l am afraid, though tried to
relieve his pain, the poor child cannot have
lived more than a few hours.