Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-01
CHAPTER FIVE.

,neet at the mountain home of the
iudsons saturday afternoon. 1t had
,ot been there before for hVe years.
The ladies were to arrive early IN the
iay to sew. and the husbands, broth
RS and sweethearts were to snow up
IN the mountainsde in the afternoon
md be there at supper and IN the eve
ming. The girls and boys were to pop
,orn and make molasses candy in the
evening.
II dunno how on earth | am going
% entertain them" said Betty at the
supper table the day before. When
hey meet at any of the houses in the
village they alters have organ music
ar a piano. We amt got no music at
Ill. and there amt none of us that can
sinC-unless Fun Ting cam? and she
looks at the boy with smile, depre-
aatingly.
I'm furnish music" said Fun Ting
jolemnly.
Joel gasped Betty looked at him as
f she thought he were making fun of
Ter.
You will be entertainment enough
eor them. Ill right" she said. There
amt one out of ten Of them that knows
you are here / guess that some OF
he gossips viii have enough to talk
about. Eut. don't cut up any didos,
Will YOU. DEAR"
No" said the boy. but it was evil
dent that lie was already planning
something in his little round head.
That night when he went up to bed he
went deep into his trunks and brought
out many things that had not been dis
turbcd since his arrival in the house.
After inspecting them and finding them
satisfactory he put them into bag
and hid it under the bed.
Mary's room had been altogether
unsatisfactory to hin;. Tnc cold bare
rooms of the house gave him a chill.
The straight, upright pictures and the
notices God bless our Home" lacked
the fantastic dash of art that was so
necessary to him. The consequence
was that q few weeks after he took up
his abode there Betty was startled one
day to find the room completely
changed in appearance. The walls
were hung with quaint Oriental BAN
ners. Chinese fans were spread out on
tho partitions;' widespread paper UNI
brellaS We're stuck up in the corners:
many colored pictures representing
Chinese life and incidents huttered in
the breeze from the windows. Great
rugs lay across the rag carpet. and in
corner was a large bronze figure of
Buddha with a little urn in front for
burning incense. Betty'S first knoWl-
edge of the transformation came the
next morning after he had put up the
things. She detected fragrant and
not unpleasant odor in the air of the
kitchen and dining-rOom and went up
to find him sitting cross legged on a
mat. admiring his handiwork.
Looks like joss house, don't it,
grandma ?" he said.
Betty looked in silence. She ddn
know what joss house was.
Il wish that Flowering Rose Eyes.
the little girl in Mott street, could see
it," he added with sigh.
The guests We're arriving and Betty
was hurryinE about trying to be agree
able to everyone at the same time.
Joel was at the barn. putting up the
horses. and feeling them. Groups of
men stood in the yard chatting about
farm topics. Women and young girls
were sitting in Bctty's best rooms
prying into her domestic economy in
the kitchen, and trying to discover
something to talk about. The hes,
room upstairs had been designated as
place for them to LAY aside thcir
things" This meant that they We're t.
put their Jackets. hats and shawls
upon her best crazy quilted bed
suddenly there was a scream from a
very shrill throat on the upper land
ing. and moment after the rush OF
skirts on the stairs. and then hush.
Betty heard the familiar creakine
of the loose boards at the entrance tc
Fun Tins's room. and knew what the
commotiOn meant. She had been try.
ing ever since the arrival OF the first
E visitor, TO open the way for an intro.
q duction and explanation about Fur
u, Ilng-and now it had been forced upor
L her. Some one had opened the door OF
Z: ms oriental room and had beer
- startled by the unexpected appearance
Fl OF It, The crush that followed" saiC
~ Betty afterwards. was greater than
IA at the funeral of Deacon Hovey wher
il The undertaken said that all them a.
BIZ wanted to say goodbye might look al
IA his face. Every one hated the deacon
"a ana was anxious to say goodbye an
81 they crowded so they upset the coffin
IA and it fell on the floor and broke on,
IA of the handles
III What the surprised country wompr
III saw was room dimly lighted from the
III windows that We're hung with Jana.
IA neSe screens. In the corner was /;
sis great rug Of brilliant. colors with Il
81 dozen square cushions piled into tn
FORM of couch. Sitting in n com
Portable position. dressed in his stiffcst
81 ana most prim bright red green and
Whltc clothes. sat Fun Ting. He re.
turned their startled looks with his
"a usual stolid stare of indifference
through which his natural Yankee
curiosity dinly struggled to be salts
lcu. low table was covered with
ihesc pcturcs and American baby
DOCKS. Mothc" Goc.c occupied :. proni-
ient place. Near the window was his
aitar with trc bronze statue az
"uuoha. LUofily there was no one
present who had ever seen one before
una $" he w2s not promptly soue,cbed
S 'iic cnalrwoman of the Foreign
i'sSiohafy Society. Before the figure
vas tall slim brass vase from which
."ch ,hrcc or four burning Drave,
SUCKS, the incense oc which aoatcd nm