The Delta independent., 1899-06-16
All LON.

ElarEapiy sweet. alDelt Win t1nRe OF
bitterness. She was also prettys with
soft curves in her face and intelligence
in her large. oblique eyesL She wore a
neat frock OF dark blue linen. made
with long square Chinese jacket and
full trousers. A round club Of wood tit
ting the nape of her neck was her pill
low. She could only afford to have her
hair conbed with the seven combs. and
worked into shining cues. stuck fast
with pomatums. then pinned fast upon
her head
For All Lon was not the daughter Of
a rich merchant. but Of q poor seam
stress. who lived in q rickety old buih-
ing. more respectable than many in
China Town. but patronized by rats IL
not by OPIUM iends All Lon and her
mother. Il withered old woman with q
determined temper. lived on the third
floor. and sewed week in and week ont
for the Chinese women who spent the
dollars Of the rich merchants.
Until All Lon passed her fifteenth
birthday she was happy enough. From
her window ,he could look into the
grand restaurant opposite. whose walls
were Of carved wood gilded. and whose
balconies were crowded with palms in
beautiful vases and hung with Chinese
lanterns. There was n banquet almost
every night. and the wealthy merchants
in their satin and crepe garments sat
about the little tables and dined of tiny
plates Of timer portions while women
sat close by and sang in monotonous.
discordant voices. The opium smokers
lay on marble cpnches in the recesses Of
the rooms and looked with filmy scorn
upon the beasts who cared for food.
Once week All Lon went with her
mother to the joss'ouse and worshiped
the magnificent idols Of ivory and gold.
listened for three hours to play she
could not understand But. although
there was no scenery. she admired the
gorgeous gold embroidered robes Of the
actors 80 much that she forgot to be
bored. and finally went to sleep ON her
mothers shoulder.
Beyond thess brief experiences. and
what she saw from her eyrie, All Lon
knew nothing Of the world. Her mother
Ind told her once that outside Of China
town-a swarming precinct not half
mile square-was q great dust colored
city called San Francisco. wherein only
an occasional washhouse bore he faint
est resemblance to any of her native
place. But All Lon had never seen it.
although strange foreign looking people
came sometimes with policeman to
poke their noses about China Town. 10
the pblegInsfic contempt Of the race
that blcd and despiscd them.
'.Mothpr, said All Lon one day,
.'some girls have fathers Have not
oncy''
perhaps" said the mother. whose
wrinlled eye sockets suddenly contract
ed.
where. then. IL her
Under the pavement in bunk.
smoking opium night and dsy-unle-s
he is dead.
All Lon stared ut her mother with
expanded eyes. She knew that life was
not particularly interesting for little
girls whose mothers were poor. but 1t
was her first intimstion that IL might
be ngly. Usually. when her mother
spoke ut all. it was to give her daugh.
ter brief orders Upon rare occasions
Wo Ling talked Of the Flowery Kingdom
Of her youth. rocking herself back and
forth and grooming the while.
.'Will he never come backr''
''Ask no more interrupted her
mother fi.rcely. II have told You this
that you' may know what will befall
you if you marry. He beat me and he
heat yon. but you were too young when
he deserted Ms to remember. We were
not so poor then. and had saved money.
He took it all to buy him opium in n
hole underground. and left us to work
our fingers to the bone. Never shall You
marry NO long us have strength in my
right arm TO beat you."
But are all men alike!'' asked All
Lon naively. She had seen slim and
prosperous ltoking young men sit down
to dinner opposite.
IAN that you will ever meet Talk
no more.
But n week later All Lon came home
one day utter delivering. n dozen little
jackets for merchants child and
found Wo Ling pounding her knees
patient face WAS contOrted, her eyes
glittered with the sunken fires Of her
nature. 1t was the first time that All
Lon had seen her mother excited. and
she dropped the little bag Of silver TO
the floor and stood wringing her hands
''WlrIt is itY'' shs asked ..What i.
it'll"
Wo Ling clsspcd her hands hard TO-
gcther and set her face.
''Your father she said. And IL was
soue mon,cnts before she could speak
aHnin.
HE il dead :" asked All Lon in a
whisper.
wo Ling shook ber heaA Finally abe
.vpOEe. .'He has bssn doing work for