The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-08-10

ical Association Buffalo, N. Y.
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to initiate the vegetable Weakness and
formally of the real flower. The work
showed an infinite and almost pathetic
in detail, yet strangely incommensurate
with the result, admirable as it was.
Nevertheless, this was also like See
Yup. But whether he had tried to de-
ceive me, or wished me to admire his
skill, could not say. And as his per-
secution by my scholars had left bal
ance of consideration in his favor, i
sent him warm note of thanks and
said nothing of my discovery.
AS our acquaintance progressed | be-
came frequently the recipient of other
small presents from him; pot of pre-
serves of quality l could not pur-
chase in shops whose contents in their
crafty, gingery assimilation so defed
efinition, that never knew whether
they were animal, vegetable or miner
al; two or three hideous Chinese idols
''for luckee," and diabolical hrework
with en- irregular spasmodic activity
that would sometimes be prolonged I'M
til the next morning. In return, |
gave him some apparently hopeless oral
lessons in. English, and certain SEN
fences to be copied, which he did with
marvellous precision. l remember one
instance when this peculiar faculty of
imitation was disastrous in result. In
setting him a copy, ! had blurred a
word which l promptly erased, and
then traced the letters more distinctly
over the scratched surface. To my
surprise, See Yup triumphantly pro-
duced his copy with the erasion itself
carefully initiated, and, in fact, much
more neatly done than mine.
In our confidential intercourse l
never seemed to really get nearer to
him. His sympathy and simplicity ap-
peared like his fowers-to be good
humored imitation of my own. l am
satisfied that his particularly soulless
laugh was not derived from any amuse-
ment he actually felt, yet could not
say it was forced, In his accurate imi-
tations fancied he was only trying to
evade any responsibility of his own.
That devolved upon his task masterl
In the attention he displayed when new
ideas were presented to him, there was
slight condescension as il he were
looking down upon them from his 1900
years Of history.
Don't you think the electric tele-
graph wonderful?n / asked one day.
"Velly good for Mellican man," he
said, with his aimless laugh, "plenty
makee him jump!"
l never could tell whether he had
COMPOUNDED it with electro alvanism or
was only satirizing our American haste
and feverishness. He was capable of
either. For that matter, we knew that
the Chinese themselves possessed some
means of secretly and quickly COM
municating with each other. Any news
OF good or i'll import to their race was
quickly disseminating through the set
Element before we know anything about
it. An innocent basket of clothes from
the wash, sent up from the river bank
became in some way library OF in
formation; single slip of rice paper
aimlessly futtering in the dust of the
road, and the mysterious effect of d.
verging whole gang of coolie tramps
away from our settlement.
When See Yup was not subject to the
prosecutions of the more ignorant and
brutal, he was always a source of
amusement to all, and cannot recall
an instance when he was ever taken
seriously. The miners found diver
sions even in his alleged frauds and
trickeries, whether innocent or retail
atory, and were fond of relating with
great gusto his evasion of the "foreign
miners tax" This was an oppressive
measure aimed principally at the Chi
nese, who humbly worked the WORKOUT
"tailings" of their Christian fellow
miners. 1t was stated that See Yup.
knowing the difficulty-already alluded
to-ot identifying any particular China
man by name, conceived the additional
idea of confusing recognition by inten-
styling their monotonous facial express
sion. Having paid his tax himself to
the collector, he at once passed the re-
ceipt to his fellows, 30 that the collec-
tor found himself confronted in differ.
ent parts Of the settlement with the re-
ceipt and the aimless laugh, of, ap-
parently, See Yup himself. Although
we all knew that there were dozen
Cinnamon or more at work at the
mines, the collector was never able to
collect the tax from more than two
"See Yup" and one "See Yin"-and 80
great was their facial resemblance that
the unfortunate official for long time
Rugged himself with the conviction
that he had made "See Yup" pay twice,
CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK.