Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-01-03

az it was Nevertheless this was also
like See Yup But whether he had tried
TO deceive me or whether he only wished
me to admire his skill, could not say.
And as his persecution by my scholars
had left q balance 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--a pot OF pre-
serves of quality could not purchase
in shops. and whose contents in their
crafty. gingery dissimulation SO defied
definition that | never knew whether
they were animal, vegetable or min.
eral; two or three hideous Chinese
idols, "for luckee,' and diabolical
firework with an irregular spasmodic
activity that would sometimes be pro-
longed until the next morning. In re-
turn gave him some apparently hope
less oral lessons in English and certain
sentences to be copied, which he did
with marvellous precision. remember
one instance when this peculiar faculty
OF imitation was disastrous in result.
In setting him copy had blurred a
word which promptly erased and then
traced the letters more distinctly over
the scratched surface. To my surprise
See Yup triumphantly produced his
copy with the erasure itself carefully
| initiated, and. in fact, much more neat
ly done than mine.
In our confidential intercourse | never
seemed to really get nearer to him. His
sympathy and simplicity appeared like
his tlowers--to be good humored i'm
iiation Of my own. nm satisfied that
his particularly soulless laugh was not
derived from any amusement he actually
felt, yet could not say IL was forced.
In his accurate limitations ] fancied he
was only trying 10 evade any response
bility of his own. That devolved upon
his taskmas,erl In the attention he
displayed when new ideas were present
ed 10 him there was n slight conde-
scension as IL he were looking down
upon them from his 5000 years Of his
tory.
Don't you think the electric tele-
,aph wondcrful:'' asked one day.
"velly good for Mellikan man" he
said, with his aimless laugh. PLENTY
mskee him jump"
| never could tell whether he bad
confounded il with electro -galvanism
OF was only atirizing 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
communicating with each other. Any
news Of good or i'll import to their race
was quickly disseminated through the
settlement before We knew anything
about il. An innocent basket OF clothes
from the wash. sent up from the river
bank, became in some way library OF
information. a single slip OF rice paper
aimlessly futtering in the dust OF the
road had the mysterious effect Of divere-
ing % whole gang of cody tramps away
from our settlement.
When See Yup was no, subject TO the
prosecutions of the more ignorant and
brutal, no was always a source OF
amusement 20 all. aud / cannot recall
IN instance when he was ever taken
seriously The miners found diversions
even in his alleged frauds and trickeries,
whether innocent or retaliatory, and
were fond Of relating with great gusto
his evasion OF the "foreign miners
tax" This was an oppressive measure
aimed principally ut the Chinese, who
humbly work ked the worDout "tailines'
of their Christian fellow miners II was
stated that See Yup. knowing the diff.
oulty-already alluded to--of identity
ing any particular Chinaman by name,
conceived the additional idea OF confus-
ing recognition by intensifying their
monotonous facial expression. Having
paid his tax himself to the collector, he
at once passed the receipt to his fellows,
80 that the collector found himself con
tronted in different parts OF the settle
ment with the receipt and the aimless
laugh Of apparently See iup himself.
Although we all knew that there were
n dozen Cinnamon or more ut work at
the mines the collector never was able
To collect the tax from more than two
See Yup and one See Yin-and 50 great
was their facial resemblance that the
unfortunate official for long time hug
ged himself with the conviction that be
had made See Yup pay twice and with
held the money from the government.
IL is very probable that the Californian
recognition Of the sanctity OF Il joke ana
his belief that cheating the govern
ment was only cheating himself large
ly accounted for the sympathies of the
rest Of the miners.
But these sympathies were not always
unanimous.
One evening strolled into the bar
room of the principal saloon, which, as
fur as mere upholstery and comfort
went, was also the principal house in
the settlement The first rains had COM
menced. The windows were open. for
the influence of the southwest trades
penetrated even this faroff mountain
mining settlement, but oddly enough
there was fire in the large central
stove, around which the miners had
collected, with their steaming boots
elevated on a projecting iron railing
that encircied it, They Were not at
tracted by the warmth, but the stove
formed social pivot for gossip and
suggested that mystic circle dear TO the
gregarious instinct. Yet they were de-
cidedly despondent group. For some
moments the silence was only broken
by a gasp, q sigh, muttered oath or
All impatient change Of position. There
was nothing in the fortunes of the set
tlement nor in their own individual
affairs to suggest this gloom. The sin
gular truth was that they were one and
all suffering from the pangs OF dys-
pepsia.
IncongruOus as such complaint
might seem to their healthy environ
ment-their outdoor life, their daily
exercise, the healing balsam OF the
mountain air, their enforced temperance
in diet and the absence of all eneryat.
ing pleasures--it was nevertheless the
incontestible fact. Whether it was the
result Of the nervous, excitable tempera
ment which had brought them together
in this feverish hunt for gold; whether
Il was the quality Of the timed meats
or half cooked provisions they hastily
bolted, begrudging the time IL took to
prepare and to consume them; whether
they too often supplanted their meals
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