The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-31
LEE WINGS ENGLISH.
The Chinaman Could Not Understand
why lie was Misunderstood.

why lie WAS Misunderstood.
From a New York Exchange
Lee Wing was ambitious. For three
years he had toned at the washboard.
working day and night, until his soul re-
VOTED at the sight of clean shirts and the
little black beads with which his employer
made change.
Lee Wing decided to get out of the laun-
dry business, and to go to work at some-
thing else, so that in years he might be
come rich and respected.
Not knowing how to go about 1t, he went
down TO see his rich kinsman, Lee Muk,
who had made his fortune, and who own
ed stores In ten cities.
How old are you?" asked Lee Muk.
Eighteen" lie Wing replied.
'oThen there Is time" said his kinsman;
learn the language and the rest will be
easy. The day that you prove to me that
YOU know all about English l will give
you a good position, and In time, II you
work hard, you may be as rich as am.
In few days Lee Muk sent for Lee
Wing.
II have the very thing you want" he
said 20 him; your kinsman, Lee Hi, will
take you up to your new place. study
hard, and come to see me whenever you
have time"
Lee Hi took him up town to Harlem.
They rang the bell of a handsome house
and stout, red-faced gentleman lei them
in.
The two Chinese stood and bowed and
the red-faced man said, "Wie gehts."
Lee Wing" said Lee Hi, him John
wants work"
Gan right" said the red-faced man.
Lee HI bowed himself out and Lee Wing
remained, and the red-faced man put him
4 -
The Ne red-faced man was Wilhelm Bau-
man. He had lived in San Francisco, and
he liked Chinese servants and Chinese
cooking. SO Lee was installed as cook and
man of all work, and soon he was on the
best of terms with his employer, with his
work and with himself.
Nor in his comparative comfort did Lee
Wing forget his ambition, and he studied
night and day TO learn the language. In
this he was assisted by his employer and
his little children, and at the end OF six
months he decided to go down to see Lee
Muk, TO show him how well he was getting
on.
The old man was glad to see him, ana
asked him, after the usual greetings, how
he liked his place. and how he was getting
on with the language.
Lee Wing began and talked for five min
utes At the end of his lesson he looked
from his fingers upon which he had been
counting the words ne nau learner, eApcSt-
ing to see the old mans face wreathed IN
smiles To his disappointment, however,
Lee Muk looked very grave.
"You must try again" said his kinsman;
81 can't understand a word you say.
Six more months passed ana Lee Wing
decided to go down again to see Lee Muk
and tell him all the words he had learn
ed. In these six months he had about
doubled his vocabulary, and he felt salts
fed that at last he would meet with COM
mendation from his kinsman.
But neither Lee Muk, nor Lee HI nor
any one of the twenty or thirty Of his fam
ny that be met could understand word
he said. They encouraged him, however
and. nothing daunted, he went back to
his work.
For another year he studied hard, and at
the end of that time his employer assured
him that he spoke the language as well as
he did himself, and Gretchen and Hans,
the children, said likewise.
50 Lee Wing went down to see Lee Muk
again, but Lee Muk only shook his head
when he heard the young man reeling off
the words he had learned and told him
that he could not understand a word he
said.
With sore and heavy heart Lee Wing
left his klnsman, and got on board an up
town train on the elevated to go home.
As the train neared his station he had a
bright idea. He decided to leave it to the
guard, and to find out from him IL he un-
derstood his English, since none of his own
kinsmen could.
SO he walked up to the guard and asked
him what the next station was The guard
looked at him for a few moments, and