Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1899-08-18

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+ Sister Of Gee 6iinil!

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The long wharf was crowded with PEG
pie Of all classes and colors, watching the
boat from Asia as it came slowly into
the harhor at San Francisco. Outlined
sharply against the glorious sunset, It
came nearer and nearer over the gilded
pathway. Gee Sing, the Chinaman,
walked excitedly to and fro on the long
wharf, keeping his sharp eyes turned to:
ward the ship. 49, u q
Gee Sing was a converted Celestial,
one to whom the ladies of a certain mis-
sion pointed with pride. He was, he
man." His enlightened existence was
Swallowed with only one sorrow and that
was that~his sister was still a heather in
faraway China. Finally he shyly con
fded in the ladies of the mission. They
were at once eager to aid him. Other
missions had educated Chinese women,
and they had returned to their native
land to spread the gospel. Why, then,
should they not do the same? p.
It is impossible to chronicle all Of their
sacrifices, but they schemed and .toiled
and deprived themselves of many things,
and at last the heather woman they
toiled for was coming to them.
Gee Sing was triumphant as he stood
On the wharf. His little sister was com
ing to him at last, coming to brighten
bis home and to; be the pride of the mis-
don. But the home of Gee Sing was i'll
the Chinese quarter Of San Francisco,
and the way to it was an unreadable
puzzle.
Naturally enough the good ladies We're
1lled with curiosity to meet the new
conner but according to the reports of
Gee Sing the little maiden did not seem
10 respond to their kind advances. The
ways of the new world she had come into
were so strange, and she was so shy, he
explained regretfully, that she wished to
remain with him a little while before
they should begin to teach her to be
Christian.
This little maiden of the almond eyes
and mouselike feet was truly a pretty
sight to look upon as she sat pensively
before the window. 1t was small win
dow, far above the busy, narrow streets
Of Chinatown, and the panes were tiny
squares protected by an iron grating.
Gee Sing was wont to look often and
thoughtfully at this little sister of his.
He marveled that this beautiful little
creature was the same little child he had
known so long ago. Then she had been
shy, and her eyes were often full of tears.
1t had veXed him then, for girls were al
ways proud of their tiny, useless feet, so
why cry over the necessary pain of &C.
complishing their desires? But she who
had cried so often and mournfully in the
days gone by cried no more, for she was
very happy.
Gee Sing was puzzled. Her voice was
like the whispering of flowers in the
beautiful Chinese gardens, and her hands
were like the soft petals of roses. he
thought. Was ever Christian woman
so beautiful? The missionaries were
very good, but after all they were very
wise and had the ways of commanders,
he reasoned. After all, was it best for
mankind that women should be Chris
tians?
There was his friend Wang Kee, the
merchant. He was wealthy, and he had
a fat roll of money to exchange for
wife. And so. as the thought came over
him again and again, Gee Sing yielded
to temptation and forgave himself for
doing it.
So it was that the days went by, and
the missionaries had not seen the sister
Of Gee Sing. The days heightened into
weeks and the weeks into months, and
still they had not seen that little sister of
his. Some of the members were inclined
to think that they had been the means Of
booming her to a very dubious fate and
even reluctantly admitted that she might
not be his sister at all. After the matter
had been discussed at several meetings
it was decided that it was a matter for
an Investigation, and accordingly the po-
lice were notified. ,.
Excursions into Chinatown are not
very unusual, and this time it was an
excited band of women, accompanied by
clergyman and a handful of reporters,
that formed the army Of the invasion.
After the party had seen the temples
of Joss and wandered through the>fan-
tastic bazaars, rich with wonderful china
and brocades, the police took them to the
lodging of Gee Sing, which they had To-
Gated previously They questioned him
SO sharply that, had he been any other
than a meek Chinese, and Christian, he
would have withheldI his information
from very contrariness. But be only
gazed at them in mild establishment for
moment and took them to hisNsister. j.. :;
Down through tie dark Railways and
over the rickety stairs he led them They
traversed the narrow, crooked streets
until they came to the better portion OF
this Chinese city. AT last they entered
little hah and allowed their guide up
winding stskv3y., They feuaa the
quaint ea41e1 histles hung with 6le
mating and tAe eoszsss filled with
blooming hHsk 1or3 this. wsu the season
of the; Nsw Yea and the lucky 1lAa Alld
MS lu1esa N 91oooo. ss1sss~s. .s~-