The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-07-17

"uayhap Die One week, Maybe One
Month: Die Ale Same.


geles. the other morning Although ne
was so far away from his native land ne
was tended In his dying hours oy some
OF his cousins" for in CHINA the COUSIN
* any member OF the same family, no
matter how remote the kinship, cnd the
manner OF his death was as IL would have
been II he had died at home. his name
was Hong Tol. He had just been taken
away from Santa Anna to DIE IN TINS
CITY. According 10 a certain chinese SUI
nerstItjon ii is unlucky 10 allow a man
TO die In the same house where he lived
Consequently. as soon as the attending
physician pronOunces the case hopeless,
a room elsewhere Is hired for him 10 o'c
IN. as was done in this case.
Hong TOT was born in Guang-Tung-foo
in 1861. and came TO America Wheh ne
was awenty years OF age. Like so many
OF his countrymen, when he arrived mere
he sought employment in laundry ana
set himself TO make fortune I1S say
ines after a time were large enough to
enable him TO buy an interest In grocery
and before ne died he had laid up soo'vo-
his homes and plans. however. all perish
"a with him. Four months ago he con-
tracto9 an illness common among the
neonIe Of his race. He coughed, grew thin'
and lost his appetite. The American pny-
sicIan whom he employed at first pro-
nounced the trouble malaria, but MS
treatment did the patient little 5000. a
Chinese doctor was consulted later, anu
he declared the trouble 10 be pneumonia
'rHis turned out to be correct, ana the
disease soon proved fatal
Within the last two weeks or MS ne
he was never left alone. His friends ana
cousins relieved one another in the pious
task Of cheering the dying man ana MIN
istering. I'm their heather fashion, TO his
spiritual as we'll as his physical wants.
They read long passages TO him from
their national books such as the works
OF Confucius ard Mencius, the 1ripiteka
Of Buddha, and the verses OF Lao Tszee
and other famous poets. They fed him
with the strange delicate dainties which
the Chinese only can cocOct, and talked
Of home when he vas strc ne enough 10
listen.
Then. as the end came nearer, they
brought out and spread around him nu-
morous queer-looking objects. such as had
been familiar to him IN childhood. ev-
IDENTIFY seeking as they might amuse n
tired child. to bring some pleasant mem
DRY or happy thought into his mind while
yet life might be made a little brighter.
They spread out little SQUARES Of sugar
American children like so well. Queer
cakes We're laid around on tables and
chairs and even on the bed, some with
fruits and some with spices in them,
some with meats, and some with unfa-
miliar Ingredients 10 the Caucasian, very
few Of them We're alike Then they
brought even dolls. fashioned as nearly
after the babyhood Of China as the pic
lures of their native artists are Ike ma
ture-srotesque, quaint, and richly garb-
ed, odd ana pretty. From the ceiling
they hung kites and queer umbrellas, ana
some Of the elegant. fantastic paper Ian
terms that aesthetics delight In. A smile
would sometimes come over his wasted
features but for the most Of the time his
face WAS calm and grave. as L. the wont
Of Cinnamon. IL is a look not unlike that
Of babies wise beyond their days. who look
at all things with Il quiet attention, tnat
seems 10 speak a tolerant half-apprOyal
Ills bed was a narrow bunk, covered
with white mating, and the pillows were
long. narrow boxes, cOfered with up
hoistery. They looked not unlike The foot
rests ia an old English church. Around
the walls hung silken banners OF vivid
scarlet and rich embroidery tracing the
hieroglyphics that stood for verses from
the poet over the mantelpiece were
4tnHlVuN llNANIfc HoL uI4Ahf THOSE litA
hung over the altarS In the Chinese
temples. In the centre was a reDresen-
tation OF God as the Chinese picture ham,
seated on a throne Of barbaric magnih-
cCnce, while on either hand were
pictures of the beings whom they sup
posed 10 personify the powers OF dcstrIc-
ton and reparatOn. On the opposite
wall hung the words of the Christian
hymn. Nearer. My God. 10 Thee" on
the mantlepiece underneath the religious
pictures were a dozen or more artistic
photographs Of ballet girls in the extreme
nudeness OF the modern stage.
In one corner was a bamboo table, on
which were pots Of coal kept constantly
bueling and Of tea kept always not.
Other smaller tables supported bronze
vases, some OF them very costly and ar
tlslc, bronze bowls Of clean white sand
in which were stuck joss sticks. to be
turned 10 from time - time IN devo-
tional exercises, and some forty or fifty
volumes of the writings of Chinese poets.
These We're huge ana cumbrous, but OF
rare workmanship. and must have been
expensive purchases.
The sick mans costume was simple
house dress, somewhat resembling the
pajamas that have grown into popular
FAVOR in America within the last few
years. lie wore Il blouse, loose and with
ont any approach 10 a fit. made Of yellow
muslin, and a pair or trousers or the
same material, only reaching 10 the ankle
ana on his naked feet were a pair OF loose
slippers. This was in his Boston home
A few days ago. his physician having
pronounced his case hopeless, he was re-
moved 10 this city. as stated above.
lie confronted death with all the calm
courage OF the true fatalist. evidently
in fuii possession OF an his mental fac
uities and firm iu hs Oriental faith.
There was not the falntest evidence OF
any fear in his manner or his words,
nor did there seem 10 DE any longing
for lie or desire 90 suppiicato for H. 10
an American whom he knew well, ana
whom he had learned 70 regard as a
good friend. he said as he grasped his
hand The day before he died:
''Mayhap die one week, maybe one
month; die ale same No s0lly myself
All light. solly my mothee my mothee. ."
70 one OF his Chinese friends he said
only a few hours before he breatned
his last and when he was almost unable
10 articuLite. II think I see the drag
ons." IL was the last he said. soon
after he sank into what seemed peace
ful sleep. and save for his labOred
breathing he gave no further evidence
OF suffering. Slowly and more slowly
he breathed, until with a long. gasping
sigh he gave up the struggle and rested
There was no iameniatiOn nor any
evidence Of grief, though II was plain
enough that TO his many friends his
going was a real sorrow. Five or six
Of these friends were in the room when
he passed away and as soon as they
saw that he was dead they began the
preparations for his final dlsposal-Phil-
adelphia Times.