Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-01-07
IN THE
SHADOW OF
THE JOSS
BY JESSIE JULIET KNOX


A shower OF almond blossoms. a low.
musical laugh. and the world had Just
begun for the young All Gong
II was the week OF the Chinese New
Year, the time when every heart Celes-
tial beats with JOY. and the heart of the
handsome young Chinaman beat with
more than the usual allotment OF joy
as be glanced upward to find the
source OF the snowy shower OF the ON
nipresent almond blossom. Was 1t a
woman who had dared? In that glance
upward his whole soul went out TO the
owner OF the sweet. piquant face as it
leaned far out over mass OF Chinese
lilies and almond blossoms, and his
young heart thrilled with something
that went straight TO the heart OF the
fair one. the one who dared.
With all the cOquetry OF her sex, she
smiled upon him in a sweet, shy way
not TO be resisted by one Of the TEN
permanent OF All Gong. Who could
wonder that in the sweet intoxication
OF that glance he forgot that he had a
wife, A wife who was old and ugly
and like piece Of parchment. not a
sweet, dimpled, perfumed thing like
this.
The fair one. All Leen, had been
burning her incense before the good
Joss and had bowed her pretty head.
glistening with jewels. SO many times
upon the rugs and waved her sandal
wood sticks so dutifully. And while
doing this il had seemed TO her maiden
heart that IL must be lovely TO be good,
as good as joss would like one to be,
and after her devotions she had
stepped out upon the long balcony
overlooking the streets in order to gaze
upon the ever changing crowd.
The narrow streets were lined with
almond blossoms and lilies, and in
front OF every door and on all the pic
turesQue balconies, swayed by the
breeze glowed the great, round Ian
terms, and in every doorway were the
little bowls of burning incense and the
red papers TO scare away the devil. Far
up in the latticed windows burned
large red candles and from these same
windows peeped happy faces.
All Gong looked again, and the more
he looked the more was he convinced
that his soul was in great peril and
that 1t was absolutely imperative that
he should at once repair to the joss
house and supplicate the gods. He
suddenly remembered that he had been
very lax in that respect lately, and
with a boldness quite remarkable for
one who cared nothing for these things
he mounted the stairway and-well-
hearts are hearts the weary world
over" There comes time to every
one when the sound OF one voice and
the glance from two eyes have the
power TO thrill our heartstrings and
make one forget everything except the
intoxication OF being loved. That time
had come for the aristocratc little
Chinese maiden. and through no fault
of hers. 1t was fate-that was all.
She said to the maid: "Ah. Suey.
look. You think bimeby he come? My
harris il pretty? My lips-are they
req? What makes me feel so strange?
VIII the good joss be anglyf"
No. no. You are beautiful; more
beautiful than the almond dowerl
Your eyes are stars. your mouth a rose,
your heart speaks-listen"
And. listening. she heard and saw
with the eyes OF Der soul. and then
he came. and with his coming life was
changed.
First. as the maid reported through
the chinks of the carved woodwork, he
burned his incense sticks and little red
papers before the great joss, his sllken
robes clinging gracefully TO his 1.-THE
form the while, and then he placed his
New Years card, long slip of red pa
per with his name in Chinese letters,
on the carved table.
His deyotions over, what more nat
ural than that he. too. should repair
TO the balcony TO look down upon the
crowd? What more natural than that
the little All Leen should drop her fan
ut that precise moment? She really
did not mean TO do IL. but she was SO
startled by the appearance of the one
upon whom she had showered her al
mond blossoms. He was not like any
one she had ever seen. He was so
strong and handsome and young. not
In the least like the vicious old Gum
Ching. the Highlander 10 whom her
father had promised her In marriage