The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-02-27


born eyes even so high as Toy !
a Duks little crippled feet, but I'm
this country, where everything is pos
sible, he promptly fell in love with her
on the approved American plan. He
haunted the street in which she lived,
AMI watched her lattlced balcony with
his eyes turned up at the corners in a
very Western way, for Ne was the un-
happy resultant Of the two opposing
forces, Chinese birth and American
training.
AND Toy, also lmbued with the spirit
Of American independence, had so far
declared her emancipation from Orien- !
tai custom rs to return his glances
from behind her shutters. TO be sure
the Stats were scarcely turned, and
she peepcd through her sleeve, but 70
her it was a mad Irritation, and she
tremble1 at her audacity. The doughty
Chew Bang, her father, not only kept
his balcony latticed more securely than
those Of his neighbors, but the lattice
work was Of iron bars, which made the
little balcony strikiEgly like a prison.
And now, after 265 long, monotonous,
colorless days, another Dragon-day had
rolled around-the only day in all the
stupid years worth living, as poor little
Toy thought The sedate little valley
town was, on this OCCASION overrun
with an invading horde of chattering,
jabbering coolies, for there was scarce
ly an able-bodied Chinaman for twenty
miles around who was not looking at
tile great dragon parade.
On this eventful day the Chinese
women are driven up and down long
streets. Toy Duk sat rigidly upright
in a carriage as she endoavored to bal
ance a two-story head-dress of fearful
and wonderful construction, while the
layers of rice powder on her cheeks
fell into cracks as she babbled and
laughed in her enjoyment of this unu-
sual excitement She was a beautiful
little yellow lady, whose slippers were
scarcely larger than an oyster shell,
and, alas! almost as shapeless, who
~hobbled about gracefully with the help
Of an attendant, or squatted on a mat,
a marvel of elegance and dignity And
rs she sat in her gayly bediZened car
rage, her little almond eyes dancing
with merriment, many foreign eyes
were turned admringly in her direc-
ton But from the moment Of the
first excited shout announcing the ap-
pearance of the procession, till, after
much coaXing on the part Of the sol
diers, the glittering dragon was finally
induced to 60 under the low doorway
that led to oblivion till the next par
AIDE, Toy was conscious of nothing but
the wonder and splendor that filed
her eyes on all sides.
At last, however, it was all over, and
Toy Dul's holiday was drawing to
close too, for she was kept almost as
securely packed away as the dragon
From her lGtticed balcony she had Of
ten watched the lmerican girls walk
ing about freely at all hours Of the day
Independent and happy, and had asked
herself what after all, was the grea
advantage of being ''little-foot' WON
an. anyway Old Bangs iron grating
Notwithstanding all his precautiOn wa
not high enough or strong enough t
keep out the microbes of diseonten
that fill the air. Sorrowfully she saw
the shadows grow longer and watched
the minute hand on the clock towe
catching up with the hour hand. Al
her life she had lived in two bare littl
rooms and one high walled porch, an
had been out one day each year, as O.
this occasion. BY and by some on
would buy her, then there would be
change of homes, and she hoped, dt
voutly, the new balcony might not b
so high, but there would still be onl
that one day in all the year worth lily
ing. If she should live to be an oil
woman, say sixty years, that woul
make Just sixty Worthwhile" day
Two months Of an American girls yea
would represent a whole lifetime
her, for Just to be out in the sunligh
to feel free to come and go as 81
chose, to know what was around Il
corners Of the streets below, was q
her hungry little soul craved.
Thus she unused as her carriage sloy
" moved along. Then she raised h
eyes in response to 4 steady look fxt
upon her from the opposite side Of Il
street., and through a mist Of rebellion
tears saw Kee. In an instant Il
clouls of discomfort were clear,
away, and in defiance Of the stupid GU
tom hat had hedged her so close
about all her life, she frankly return
his look. a moment later she dellbe
ately went BIN one better, and smil
with a sudden burst Of mischief til