The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-09-20

fore thee the knees OF his heart ana KISSES the
dust Of thy most exquisite feet. Oh, breath Of
my life, il thy soul burns for me does mine fol
thee, hearken to my wordsl At sunset tomorrow
there will come a guest to your fathers house,
helpless and poor and old. Despise her not, but
seek her alone and hearken to and obey the word,
Of her wisdom. So shall joy and thanksgiving
await US. From the hand of him whose soul goes
out to meet thine own. HOP HI.
Sing Lo kissed the beautiful letter and
bathed 1t in her tears. Then she hid it in
her bosom, and seeing her mother ap.
preaching she chopped garlic and onions
to account for her fearful eyes.
Next day was the day of the wedding.
The guests were assembled to the feast,
the music of tomtoms arose and the
house Of Whang Lo blazed with lanterns
both inside and out, while hundred flags
adorned its sides and gorgeous kites float.
ed from its roof. Suddenly an old WON.
an, who was passing by, fell down in a
fit, clawing the earth and frothing and
foaming at the mouth.
What could the servants do but bear
her into the garden shed, and there, at
her own request, leave her to recover
alone? But no sooner were they gone
than she arose and, peepiug cautiously
about, made her way unseen to the win
dow of Sing Lo, who, with a heavy heart,
was attiring herself for the bridal. A
few whispered words was all that passed
between them, and then Sing Lo begged
of her parents, as last favor, to be al
lowed ten minutes alone in her chamber
for meditation before leaving the home
of her youth forever.
In his own house, gorgeously attired.
All Sin awaited with his friends the COM
ing of his beautiful young bride. In an
elegantly decorated apartment he and his
sister, with their nearest relatives, re-
eeived her, and when her mother mount
ed upon a three legged stool to remove
her long silken veil his little red pig eyes
peered curiously out to behold the beauty
Of which he had heard. but had never yet
seen. But when the veil was removed
what did he behold? No fair young girl.
but a withered and wrinkled old bag.
with a bald head and no teeth. 1t was
the venerable grandmother of Hop Hi.
Then Mrs. Lo fell off the stool and
swooned away, and All Sin howled and
tore his gray beard. As to Whang Lo.
he rushed off like a maniac in search Of
his daughter. But she was nowhere to
be found. She was gone. and Hop His
boat was gone, and it was soon discov-
cred that a casket of money belonging to
Sings father, with all the costly clothes
and ornaments presented her by All Sin,
had also disappeared. And be sure that
the good and pious Hop Hi Lied his
bride none the less for this token of her
prudence and forethousht.
1t was a whole week before Hop Hi
and his bride returned. Then. one morn
ing. as the sun arose, the boat was seen
moored in its accustomed place, and Hop
Hi and Mrs. Hop Hi We're discovered
seated side by side under the willows on
the island skinning cells.
That night, as they were seated at sup
per. feasting upon the cells. a hideous
noise suddenly arose on the opposite
bank, and they rushed out to learn the
cause.
There were collected Whang Lo and
his wife. with their servants. and All Sin,
with his sister and near relatives, all
blowing trumpets and beating drums and
tomtoms and firing off hidcous rockets
and popcrackers. with the design Of
frightening away the new married couple
and setting fire to their house.
Twice. indeed. the bamboo thatching
kOOA htC, anu u AAOP LII anu LIS
had Rot climbed on the roof and run
around the house all night with buckets
Of water their abode must certainly have
burned to the ground.
All SIN was half wild with fury. He
cursed the bridegroom and called the
bride uncomplimentary names. And at
length. in his rage. he called her toad
and the daughter of viper and dragon
Naxr "hnnn 7 81
for. he being Sings father. was it not
direct insult to himself to say nothing of
her mother. to call her the offspring of
dragon and viper?
So he sharply rebuked All Sin. at
which they got to quarreling and then
fighting. Upon this Mrs. Lo rushed up
and seized All Sin by his pigtail and All
Sins devoted sister tripped up Whang 10
with bamboo, and the fight became gen
eral.
Finally Whang Los cowardly servants
all ran off. upon which he and his wife
were well beaten and with hands and feet
tied together were left hanging helplessly
across bamboo pole. like trussed fowls
on a spit.
Now. no sooner did Hop Hi and his
wife behold this piteous spectacle than
their hearts melted with compassion.
They forgot all their injuries. and. cross,
ing over in their boat. they brought the
half dead couple to their own house.
They laid them on soft mats and rubbed
them down with castor oil and tallow
and held burned feathers to their noses
and poured asafetida tea down their
throats.
Under this affectionate treatment they
revived and were for some days tenderly
nursed by their good and dutiful children
When they were quite recovered. they
went home and made a great feast in
honor Of their son and daughter, Hop Hi
and his wife. But they did not invite All
Sin. neither his sister nor any of his re-
lations. And all the family. including
the venerable grandparents. lived very
happily together >afterward. - Saturday
Night