The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-01-11
XII YIjN'S LITTLE SISTER
The Story of n Chinese Child.
By SIN SIN FAR.

q The Story of Chinese Child. q
9 By SIN SIN FAR. g
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 10000
Ku Yum lived her little life in a large
room in the top story of a San Fran
cisco Chinatown tenement. 1t was
quite a pleasant place, with bamboo
panels hanging on the walls and a gay
mating on the foor-airy and sun
shiny, too, with breeze from the bay
wandering through the windows, which
opened on to a balcony bright with
Towering plants and bowls of Chinese
lilies.
Ku Yum was scarcely as high as the
railing around the balcony, and passers
in the street below who might happen
to glance up could easily discern her
small black head through the rails. 1t
was nearly always there, for Ku Yum
liked well to watch the life in the
street. Besides, Ku Yum was on the
lookout for little sister. There was
nothing in this world that Ku Yum
wanted so much as little sister.
Ku Yum had two small brothers to
play with and an old nurse to look aft
er her. She had an elder brother, too,
but he lived down stairs with her IA
Their and the men who worked in her
fathers cigar factory. He was II
years old and went to the Chinese gov
L hn1
almost as much respect for him as she
had for her parent.
One day Ku Yum said to her nurse,
81 wish had little sister"
And her nurse replied: You have
better than a little sister. You have
brothers"
But more badly want what Is like
myself than what is BETTER" persisted
Ku Yum.
1 was about o'clock in the after
noon. Her father had taken her broth
ers to hill where they could fly their
kites, and Ku Yum was alone with her
nurse. The old woman was stitching
rows of imitation pearls upon q bright
colored velvet band that was to adorn
Ku Yum's head during the first days Of
the coming New Year. The little girl
sat ON a stool learning how to EN-
broider.
Tell me a story, Woo Ma" she
pleaded.
And Woo Ma, the nurse, told her a
story of one who had attained to great
honors because when lad of he had
cheerfully cut piece of flesh out of his
arm to please his mother, who had eX-
pressed a wish to see blood flow.
Ku Yum did not like that story and
insisted that a mistake had been made
in the telling and that it could not have
been the boys mother that had allowed
him to cut his fiesh-that it must have
been his nurse.
"Oh," exclaimed the old woman,
what a tongue the child has. Listen,
then, and 1 will tell you what you will
like to hear" and she began:
Every year when the almond tree
bursts into bloom the Queen of Mercy,
seated on q lily throne, wraps a spirit
sword in q cloth of violets and gives it
to a dove that flies with it into the
heavens
But how can little bird carry any
thing so heavy as a swordr' asked ku
Yum, examining n weapon made of
Chinese cash strung together which
hung over a couch in a corner of the
room, a charm to ward away evil spir-
It's
81 said that it was a spirit sword"
replied the nurse rather GROSSLY. She
did not like to be interrupted.
Some one knocked at the door. 1t
was the tailor's wife from across the
street Her baby boy, who the ely be
fore had completed the moon," which
means attained to the age of one
month, had. according to established
Chinese custom, been shaved then for
The first time The result was Il violent
told. and the mother was anxious that
Woo Ma, who was skilled in nursing
sick children, should accompany her
back to the house. So away went Woo
Ma, leaving Ku Yum alone.
Now there were dreams in Ku Yum's
eyes and longings in her heart, and five
LllllulGS dllCi llC uCl'tl lutt vi w W.
Ma saw the little girl slipping quietly
down the tenement's steep stairs. Up
on reaching the street she looked
around wonderingly and perceiving a
child of about her own age greeted her.
But the child frowned and flung out
her arm as If to strike, and Ku Yum
walked on, saying to herself, THAT is
not my little sister,"
Two little girls carrying a basket be-
tween them smiled at her as they pass
ed. Ku Yum smiled back, but did not
speak, for she thought, ''They are two,
and my sister will be one"
She cast wistful Chances into the
doorways of houses where children
were playing, but nobody in particular
seemed to wish for her company. In
deed, some girls Knocked at her, and
one boy pulled the silk cord out of her
| braid.
Wandering on, she finally found her.
self outside the precincts of China
| town. She had never been so far away
from home without Woo Ma, but she
| was not afraid, and the shop windows
were wonderful. She had paused to
| admire some colored glass balls in 0
showcase, when she felt timid touch
| on her shoulder and saw little Amer.
| lean girl standing beside her. Could q
little American girl be her sister? She
stretched out her hand and touched the
rhild's face lovingly, and the tiny white
maiden moved closer and kissed Ku
| Yum on the cheek.
| 81 have been looking for you" began
| Ku Yum, and then woman rushed ur
and dragged the little American CIR
away.
Ku Yum felt discouraged. 1t was
| getting dark, and she had lost her way
Passersby stared curiously at her
Some paused as If to speak, but seeing
| that 1t was a little Chinese girl who
could not understand them proceeded
on their way.
| Suddenly Ku Yum felt something
| sharp strike her cheek. 1t was peb
BILE. Ku Yum bounded from her corner
like little kitten, and the boy who
had thrown the pebble, Joined by 9th
ers Of his kind, pursued. The appear