The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-10
THE WHITE FAN.


or honorS.
He must have been profoundly satisfied
with his career, for after his death he was
proclaimed as happy and worthy of envy
Now, in the days the gods accorded him
to pass under green, skies amid howery
bushes, willows and bamboos Tchouang
Tsen was accustomed to walk dreamtly
through the country.
One day, when wandering along the
foWery slopes of the mountain of Nam
Hoa, he found himself unexpectedly in the
middle of a cemetery, where the dead, ac-
cording to the custom of the country, re-
pose under hillocks of beaten earth. At
the sight of these innumerable tombs
which spread above the horizon the learned
man meditated on the destiny of man.
''Alas!'' thought he. behold the highway
where all the roads of life end When
once one has taken place in this resting
place of the dead, one never sees the light
of day again"
AS he was moralizing thus he suddenly
perceived a young woman in mourning
garb-that is to say, in a long white seam
less robe of coarse material-seated beside
tomb, tanning with q white fan the
earth of freshly covered funeral mound.
Curious to learn the meaning of SO
strange an action, Tchouang Tsen saluted
the young lady with great politeness and
said:
Madame, dare ask you without Of
Tense what person is sleeping beneath this
tomb and why you give yourself SO much
trouble to fan the earth that covers it2
81 am philosopher and like to know
the causes of things, and here is one that
escapes me, that 1 cannot even guess at
The young woman continued to move
her fan back and forth. She blushed,
lowered her head and murmured a few
words that the good man could not hear.
He renewed his question several times,
but in vain. The young woman took no
further notice of him, and it seemed as
though her very soul had passed into the
hand that was so busily moving the fan.
Tchouang Tsen went his way regretful
". Although he we'll knew that all is
vanity, he was naturally inclined to seek
the motive of human actions, and particu-
arly those of women.
This little creatures odd occupation
aroused within him malevolent but live
ly curiosity. He continued his walk slow
ly onward, but turned his head OCCASION
ally to watch the fan, which still beat the
air like the wing of huge butterfly, when
all of a sudden an old woman, whom no
had not seen at first, approached him and
made a sign to follow her.
She drew him into the shadow of
mound little higher than the rest and
said to him:
81 heard you ask my mistress a ques-
ton to which she made no reply. / will
satisfy your curiosity, from natural wish
to oblige and in the hope that you in re-
turn will give me the wherewith to buy
from the priests a magic paper which pos
Gesses the power of prolonging my Efe.''
Tchouang Tsen drew out his purse and
. placed piece of money in her hand, and
the old woman spoke as follows:
"The lady that you saw seated beside
tomb is Mime. Lu, the widow of a learned
man named Tao, who died 10 days ago
1>-,1 nd %hn &S.r-a IL a. how
husbands. They loved each other most
tenderly, and even when dying, M. Tao
could not reconcile himself to their sepa-
ration, and the idea of leaving her behind
In the world in the flower of her age and
of her beauty was altogether insupportable
to him. However, toward the end he be-
came resigned, for he was of gentle ma
ture and his soul submitted to the inevi-
table
weeping at the head of NJ. Taos bed,
that she had never left during his entire
illness, Mime. Lu called upon the gods to
bear witness that she would never survive
him, but would share his grave even. as
she had shared his couch.
fBut NJ. Tao said to her, Madame, do
not swear such thing as that AT least
continued she, IF must survive you, if I
am condemned by the genii to still behold
the light of day when you can no longer
see it, know that 1 will never consent to
become the wife of another, and that will
never have but one husband, the same as
have but one SOUL
but 81. Tao said to her: Madame, do
not swear that ooh, M. Tao M. Taol Let
me swear then that for at least Eve years l
will not think of marrying again. But
NJ. Tao said to her: Madame do not swear
that. Swear only that you will keep my
memory faithfully in your heart until the
Garth shall have dried over my grave
FOO hn h md bo ~a1
NJ. Tao closed his eyes never to open them
again.
The despair of Nine. Lu surpassed all
bounds. Her eyes were swollen with
weeping and her pretty, soft cheeks were
scratched to pieces by her sharp little fin
ger nails, but every thing passes away, and
the torrent of her grief soon spent its
force.
''Three days after the death of M. Tao
Nine. LUIS sadness had become human.
She was told that young man, follower
of ID. Taos, desired an interview to ex
press the grief and sympathy he felt ON
this sad occasion. She thought 1t would
not be right to refuse him this privilege,
and she was correot. She received him
with signs.
F'The young man was Of distinguished
hearing and handsome face. He spoke to
her little about NJ. Tao and much about
herself. He told her she was charming
and that he felt be loved her. She allowed
him to talk. He promised to return soon.
In the meantime Nine. Lu seated beside
her husbands funeral mound, where you
saw her, passes her time in drying the
earth which covers his tomb with the air
stirred up by her fam
When the old woman had finished her
story, Tchouang Tsen thought:
Youth is short, the Indictment of de-
sire gives wings to young women and
young men. After all, Mime. Lu is an
honest young person, striving to keep her
promise 1t is an example worthy to pre-