Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-01-01
4 CHINESE ROMANCE

Ding Dong heaved a huge sigh and
sobhed a convulsive sob as he laid his
aching head on his weary arms on the
table and racked his brain in grsat
agony Of spirit The dies ire had come
his day Of reckoning. 1t was the day
before the Chinese New Year's-Feb 3,
according to your calendar-whene every
good Chinaman must settle up or go up
the spout and confess himself dishonor-
ed. He owed only little matter Of 100
taels-not pigtails nor cOwtails, you
understand, but silver taels-equivalent
to 81. 30 in American money. If he had
that many taels, he would gladly have
paid up, for there was nothing small
about Ding; but he didn't, and thereby
hangs a tale.
IfDing had only possessed the glorious
birthright of an American. instead of
worrying over such a trifing matter he
would have let bis creditor do so, get
an extension Of time, and then settle up
at 20 cents on the dollar.
As it was, poor Ding only saw ruina-
ton before him and dilapidation Of his
air castles. Grim despair, like an i'm
mense bat, spread her sable wings and
overcast his sensitive soul with shadows
and dark forebOdiDgs.
Ding Dong was poor and an orphan
not quite as poor as a church mouse,
perhaps, for he still had something bet
ter TO eat than hymn books and velvet
cushions, but still so poor that the
patches on his gown made it look like a
crazy quilt, while its back had received
such deposit Of oil from his braided
hair as would gladden. the heart Of a
Pennsylvania capitalist TO strike.
His father was the famous Ding
Dung, who had been a mandarin in the
service Of the emperor. Dung was a true
father TO the people over whom be was
sent to rule, and, knowing that too
much money would not be good for
them, Squeezed" them on all occasions,
thereby growing enormously rich. But
as be was not prudent enough to share
bis i'll gotten gains with his superiors,
he was denounced by the censors for
malfeasance in Office and had his head
taken off and his property confscated.
His mother having died during his
fathers financial crisis, the younger
Ding found himself at the age of l0 a
lone orphan and penniless. Now that he
had to shift for himself, our hero opened
a school and was so far successful that
he had plenty to eat and good clothes on
his back until ambition and laudable
desire TO letter his condition prompted
him to borrow money to defray the ex-
penso Of journey to Canton, where he
proposed to test his luck and skill in the
public examination. From this literary
contest he came out with flying colors.
He was no slouch as scholar, though
he might be wanting when weighed IL
the scales Of Mammon. In scholastic at
tainments be had few equals and hardly
any superiors. He had vanquished many
antagonists IN the examination halls Of
his native town, where he proved agair
and again that he could quote Confuclui
and other sages at a longer stretch thai
any one, compose poems with greater
elegance and ease and write Chimes
hieroglyphics with finer touch and fin
ish. He led his class in the examination
at Canton, thereby climbing the frs
ruDg on the ladder Of fame and win
ming the seu-tsai's brass button. Their
remained only two more trials, which
successfully passed through, would
land him at the top Of the heap, from
which he could fatten at the public Grill
at his leisure
But bis triumph was shortened ant
his dreams Of future greatness were dis
turbed by thoughts Of the debt he still
owed, whose interest he had been abl
to pay by dint Of economy, bat who's
principal he saw no chance Of settling
= before the new year rolled in.
His creditor was no other than hi
future father-in-law, to whose daughte
he had been engaged while the eide
Ding was making money hand over fist
- and the Ding family seemed TO be Il
the food tide Of worldly prosperity. Bu
when the family was reduced in mum
bers as we'll as in means by order Of hi
II sacred majesty, the son Of heaven, th
} father of the girl said to his wife, "
1. told you So, and regretted his haste il
making the match. The old gentleman
who went by the name of Ju Dun, wa
rich and more worldly minded tina
common. He, too, grew wealthy b
squeezing" the people-not, however
as their father, like Ding Dung. but o
> their ''uncle, whose golden rule was
"Do others or they will do you" Il
was in the habit of loaning little sum
. to people in straitenea circumstances a
10 per cent per month interest, and b
adding this to the principal in case q
its nonpayment at tho end of the month
By this method of comp1unding intel