The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-18
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THE CELESTIAL CARP
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got 10 tn1nk OF typical young SCotllSH
laddie fresh from school, red-haired and
freckled, and smelling of yellow soap and
civilization. turned loose in that Chinese
hell. OF course / hadn't the very faintest
notion of the gulf that separated Shang-
hal from Edinburgh. / don't know what
the modern geography books have to say
about China, but the book 1 learned out
of dismissed it in a couple of paragraphs.
! 1 Just knew that the area of China was,
/ think, five million miles, and the popu-
| lation five hundred millions; and that
there We're two rivers, the Hoang-Ho and
| the Yang-tse- hiang. and three chief
towns, Pekin, Nankin, and Canton. The
| geography book hadn't heard of Shanghai.
Il also knew that the Chinese were
/ heathens, and that heathens were people
| who had never heard about God. Not
having heard of God, they worshiped the
first thing that came to hand, generally
the ugliest thing they could find. To cut
| il short, l believe. like every wholesome,
well-trained British boy. that all for
eigners-or natives, as We call them out
there-were more or less lunatics. l
! thought the Chinese were just degree
feebler than the rest.
Il doubt if my father knew much more
about the people than L did. i thnk the
English have peculiar gift for passing
their whole lives among other races with
out ever coming to understand them in
the least. My father knew all about the
tea. because that was in the way OF BUSH
ness: but his mind was an absolute blank
regarding the real inner life of the men
who grew it. Otherwise he would never
have let me go about Shanghai alone.
In those days European youngsters
We're scare In Shanghai: consequently 1
got good deal stared at in the streets.
took this as compliment, and / rather
enjoyed going into a strange quarter and
seeing the sensation 1 made. AT first all
the Chinese seemed to me exactly alike;
the streets as went-a4ong were blur of
yellow faces and of robes of every colo-
under deaven. 1t was some time before
got so that l could pick out one China
man from another.
There was a little fiowershop in the
street next to ours. and 1 soon noticed
that the Chinaman who kept it took
great interest in me. Every time 1 went
past he would come to the doorway and
stare at me with what l took to be an air
of profound reverence. This made me
more conceited than ever, and 1 naturally
began to show off to my admirer, as /
shop very slowly. and sometimes stop
ped and pretended to look at the flowers.
THE second or third time l did this the
Chinaman came out of the shop with
bunch of red flowers like nasturtiums in
ing with the deepest respect at the same
time. took them. feeling gratified but
little uncomfortable. Then he said
a In ity
baby learning to talk. 1 didn't under
stand it but thought he must be asking
for payment for the flowers, so l pulled
out quarter-dollar. The chinaman fair
ly snatched it out of my hand, and 1
came away feeling rather foolish.
THE next time l passed the fiowershop
l kept on the opposite side OF the way.
1 didn't want to buy any more nastur-
tiums; but out of the tail of my eye /
saw the Chinaman watching as went by.
The next minute / realized that another
Chinaman had come out of the shop and
was following me. This was the man
who is referred to in the cutting you have
read out.
When my father heard the story he was
alarmed. and forbade me to go out again
by myself. / rather resented this. L was
thought of that handful of gold haunted
me till felt quite sick at having refused
to take it. The whole incident reminded
me of the story of Aladdin in the Ara
bian Nights and it vexed me to think
that my cowardice had robbed me of
some splendid adventure. waited few
days till thought my father would have
forgotten about it, and then l stole out of
the house alone.
THE first thing saw was the China
man who had followed me standing oppo-
site the gate, with the lifeless resignation
Of statue. as though he had been there
without moving ever since / saw his
eyes CLEAN under their shutterlike lids as
l came out; but, pretending to take no
notice l walked slowly away toward the
fowershop. The Chinsman at once moved
after me. Finding. / suppose, that | was
not so shy as the time before, he soon
caught me up. AS he did SO he held out
his hand. / turned round. and saw that
this time, instead of money. he was Of
fering me little golden fish,
1.-THE carp?" / calculated. 1f
Gilchrist nodded. The professor made
movement OF impatience at the Interrupt
ton, and the other went on with his yarn.
Il took 1t, determined not to be baked
again. The Chinaman appeared highly
pleased. and at once began talking eager
ly in his peculiar dialect. l made out that
he wished me to come with him into the
little fiowershop: and as l looked upon the
proprietor OF the shop as friend, l con-
scented without hesitation.
THE fiowerseller grinned with delight
when he saw us walk in. He took us
through the shop to room at the back.
1t was a regular Chinese interior. with
mats and cushions instead OF chairs. and
all kinds of little pots and paper screens
scattered about. We sat down-that is to
say, did. and also the man who had Civ
en- me the fish-while the shopkeeper wait
ed on US. The man of the golden carp
seemed to have some authority over the
other
I'VE had tea and sweetmeats, and then
the proprietor of the shop brought in two
tiny pipes, In tho bowl of each of which
was very small pellet Of dark paste.
OF course l guessed at once that this WAS
opium but my ideas about the drug were
quite vague, and / had no suspicion that |
such a mere pinch as that could have any |
serious effect. In any case, / felt so much |
fiattered by being treated as a man in |
stead of a child that 1 would not have |
refused the pipe for any consideration on |
earth.
Although I nave never touched opium |
since that day, l can still recall the sen-
sations which that pipe gave me. 1t was
as though my skin had slipped off me.
leaving me different creature. The lit
tie room in which sat seemed TO me the |
most delightful spot on earth. Existence
became more glorious than had dream
~ 70