The leader., 1897-02-03
A CHINESE ROMANCE.


,Obbed convulsive sob as he laid his
,ebing head on his weary arms on the
,oble and rackcd his brain in agony of
,ojrit Tie dies irae has come-kis
day Of reckoning. 1t was the day be-
,ors the Chinese New Year's-February
according to your calendar-whei.
every good Chinaman must settle up
or 20 up the spout and confess himself
disbonored. He owed only q little
matter of 100 taels - not pigtails
nor eowtails, you understand, but
silver taeIs-equivalent to $3.50 In
American money. Ii 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 tale.
II Ding had only possessed the glori-
Gus birthright of an American, instead
Of worrying over such trifiing matter
be would have let his creditor do so, get
an extension of time, and then settle up
at twenty 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 inn
nenst bat, spread her sable wings and
overcast his sensitive soul with shad-
eWs and dark forebodings.
Ding Dong was poor, and an orphan
not quite as poor as church mouse,
perhaps, for he still had something bet
ter to eat than hymn books and velvet
cushions, but still SO poor that tie
patches on his gown made it look like Il
crazy quilt, while its back had received
such deposit of oil from his braided
bair as would gladden. the heart of Il
Pennsylvania capitalist to strike.
His father was the famous Ding Dong,
who had been mandarin in the serv-
Ice of the emperor. Dong was true
father to the people over whom he was
sent to rule, and knowing that too
much money would not be good for
them, squeezed" them on all occa-
SONS, thereby growing enormously
rieh' But as he was not prudent enough
TO share his ill-gotten gains with his
Elperiors, he was denounced by the
eensors for malfeasance in office, and
had bis head taken off and his property
eonfscated.
His mother, having died during his
iather's financial crisis, the younger
Ding found himself at the age of Is a
lone orphan and penniIess. Now that
ne had to shift for himself, our hero
opened school, and was so far sue
eeSsiul that he had plenty to eat and
coca clothes on his back until ambi-
eon and a laudable desire to better bis
eOndltlen prompted him to borrow
money to defray the expense of jour
ley 10 canton, where he proposed to
Jest his luck and skill in the public en-
! amnation. From this literary con-
eS' he came out with flying colors. He
was no SLOUGH as scholar, though he
n'sht be wanting when weighed i'll
ae scales of Mammon. In scholastic
s''aihments he had few equals and
Aaiuiy any superiors. He had van
suisned many antagonists in the exam
,Aa'ion halls of his native town, where
As proved again and again that he could
qOote Confucius and other sages at
Uhger stretch than anyone, com
p0se poems with greater elegance and
ssse and write Chinese hieroglyphics
WIN inner touch and finish. He led his
ass IN the examination at Canton,
,Asfeoy Climbing the first rung on the
.auuef OF fame and winning the seu-
''si brass button. There remained
sn TWO more trials, which, success
4. .pny passed through, would land him at
- ,op OF the heap, from which ne
lesure.
a' MS triumph was shortened, and
-. i dreams of future greatness were dis
.noea by thoughts of the debt he still
w whose interest he had been able
- Pay oy dint of economy, but whose
r,ueipai he saw no chance Of settling
l =. The new year rolled in.
as creditor was no other than his
se iather-in-law, to whose daugh-
a.. Ae mad been engaged, while the
sss Ding was making money hand
i ast' and the Ding family seemed
,s.s = IN the flood tide of worldly pros
ssas But when the family was re-
Il IN numbers as well as in means
Il Ssuer OF his sacred majesty, the son
Il. easen, the father of the girl said to
u sne; i told you So" and regretted
Al aaste in making the match. The
4 ,sen'ieman, who went by the name
s;ss a uun' was rich and more worldly
x.s,n Than common. He, too, grew
i, say BY squeezing" the people
~ o~ever. as their father, like Ding
Il g, Dut as their uncle whose gold
sms was DO others or they will dc
iihls ne was in the habit of loaning
cBms, sums to people in straitcned cir
hisrsanees at ten per cent. per month
IN, ~ !, and by adding this to the prin-
N u y = g. case of its non-payment at the
s,na = me month. BY this method OF
lous fs : interest he got many per-
mn a. give up houses and lands. and
1sa'ers. to him IN payment d