The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-26
"SEE YUP."
BY BRET HARTE.
copvriohL. 1907. by Bre, Hart,.

pronounced "See Up"-it meant that lifting OF
the outer angle Of the eye. common TO tho Mon
Folian. On tho other hand. l had been told
that there was an old Chinese custom of
afixing como motto or logend-or oven q SEN
tence from Confucius-as q sign above their
shops, and that two or moro words, which might
DO merely equivalent to VIRTUE is its own -
ward" or 'Richcs aro doccitsul,' was believed
by tho simple Californian minor to be the name
of tho occupant himself. Howbeit, 800 Yup'
accepted It with tho smiling patience OF his race,
and mover went by any other. II ono of tho
tunnel men always addressed him rs "Briga.
dicr General Judge" or Commodore" It
WINS understood to DO only the American fond.
moss for ironic title, and was never used except
in personal conversation. In appearance no
looked like any other Chinaman. wore the or.
binary blue cotton blouse and white drawers OF
the Sampan coolic and in spite Of the apparent
cleanliness and freshness Of these garments
always exhalod that singular medicatod odor--
half opium. half ginger-which was recog.
nizcd as the common Chinese smell"
Our first interview was characteristic of his
patient quality. He had done my washing for
several months. but / had never yet seen him.
A meeting at last had become necessary to cor
rect his impressions regarding buttons which
he had seemed to consider as mere x:res.
cences, to DO removed like super1uous dirt
from the soiled linen. I had expected him to
call ut my lodgings, but he had not yet made
his appearance. Ono day during the noontide
recess Of the little frontier school over which 1
presided 1 returned rather early. Two or three
of tho smaller boys. who wern lettering about
tho schoolyard. disappeared with o certain
guilty precipitation that I suspected for the mo.
ment, but which I presently dismissed from
my mind. I passed through the empty school.
room to my desk, sat down. and began to pro.
pare the coming lessons. Presently I heard a
faint sigh. Looking up, to my intense concern,
] discovered a solitary Chinaman whom 1 had
overlooked, sitting in a rigid attitude on q
bench with his back to the window. He caught
my eye and smiled sadly, but without moving.
'"what are you doing herei' asked sternly.
ME washee shifts; me talkee buttons"
o you're See YuR.' are youi"
ALE same, John"
"Well. come here"
I continued my work, but he did not move.
Come here, hang it! Don't you under.
standf"
ME shabbee CONNIE yea But me no
shabbee Mellikan boy, who catchee me. alice
same. You CONNIE yea you shabbeei"
Indignant, but believing that the unfortunate
man was still in fear of persecution from these
mischievous urchins whom I had evidently just
interrupted, 1 put down my pen and went over
to him. Here I discovered to my surprise and
modification that his long pigtail was held
nara anu 1aSU Dy inc ClOSeu WlnQOW De0lnQ
him, which the young rascals had shut down
upon 1t, after having first noiselessly fshed it
outside with q hook and line. I apologized,
opened the window and released him. He did
lot complain, although he must have been fixed
in that uncomfortable position for some min
utes, but plunged at once into the business that
brought him there.
But why didn't you come to my lodRinrs7'' I
asked.
He smiled sadly, but intelligently.
"Mishtel Bally [Mr. Barry, my landlord he
owee me FIVE dolce for washee. washee. He no
payee me. He say he knocke hellee outee me
allie time I come for payee. So me no come
housee, me come schoolee. Shabbeef MeIlikan
boy no good, but not 30 big as Mellikan man.
No can hurtee Chinaman SO much. Shabbee?"
Alas! knew that this was mainly true. Mr..
James Barry was an Irishman, whose finer re-
ligious feelings revolted against paying money
to a heather. I could not find IL in my heart to
say anything to See Yup about the buttons; in.
deed, I spoke in complimentary terms about the
gloss of my shirts. and 1 think I meekly begged
him to come again for my washing. When I
went home I expostulated with Mr.. Barry, but
succeeded only in extracting from him the con-
viction that I was one of thin black Repubn-
can FELIX'S that worshipped naygurs." had
simply madc an enemy of him. But I did not
know that, at the same time, I had made q
friend of See Yup!
I became aware of this q few days later, by
the appearance on my desk of n small pot con-
tanning a specimen Of Camellia Japonica in
flower. 7 knew the school children were in the
habit of making presents to me in this furtive
Misunderstanding their own nosegays Of wild
flowers, or perhaps a cluster Of roses from their
parents gardens-but l also knew that this
exotic was too rare to come from them. I re-
memberod that See Yup had a Chinese taste
- .ardopfp~ md m finland annfhar Chfnar m N
who kept a large nursery In tho adjoining town,
But my doubts were set at rest by the discov.
cry Of a small roll of red rice paper containing
my washing bill, fastened TO the camellia stalk
1t was plain that this mingling of business and
delicate gratitude was clearly See Yup's own
idea. As tho finest flower was the topmost one
pluckcd 1t FOR wearing, when I found, to my
establishment, that it was simply wired to the
stalk. This led me to look at the others, which
] found also wired! More than that. they
seemed to be an inferior flower, and exhalet
that cold, earthly odor peculiar to the camellia
even, as / thought, to an excess. A closer ex
animation resulted in the discovery that. witt
tho exception of the first flower / had plucked
they were one and all ingeniously constructed
of thin slices of potato. marvellously cut to iml
tate the vegetable Weakness and formality o
the real flower. The work showed an infinite
and almost pathetic patience in detail. We
DtIuhBCiS w AZ iOouAe' uA
nirable as it was. Nevertheless, this was also
Hike See Yup. But whether he had tried to de
ecive me, or wished Inc TO admire his skill.
could not say. And as his persecution by m.
scholars had left n balance of consideration ii
his favor. ! sent him a warm note Of thank
and said nothing of my discovery.
As our acquaintance progressed I became FIRE
qucntly the recipient Of other small present
from him: n pot Of preserves OF a quality
nnuld not ,urchaaa In ahnna Rhoaa cnnfenfa III
(Aoir crafty. gingcry discrimination 30 defie'
Geinition, that I never knew whether they wer
animal, vegetable or mineral; two or thre
hidoous Chinese idols, for luckoc," and a dia
bolical fircwork with an irregular spasmodi
activity that would sometimes he prolonge'
until the next morning. In return, l gave hin
some apparently hopeless oral lessons In Eng
lish. and certain sentences to be copied. whic
he did with marvellous precision. j rcmcmbe
INN InninInnn nuhnIA ihla mcmillan fncnlfX of i'm