Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-09-26
CONVERTING All SIN.
chinaman Will Go to Sunday School
For Same Reason as Other BOYS.

chinaman Will Go to Sunday School
For Same Reason as Other Boys.
"I used to think when was a
student" said the curate. that 1
felt the call to go east and convert
the Celestials. My fad even then
was comparative religion. and
got the idea that a people who de-
veloped Confucianism and Taoism
were worth saving. That was the
way I put ii then.
Naturally, as 1 passed a China
man in the street or noticed a Chi
| nese laundry, l wondered what the
creed of the ordinary Chinaman. the
poor coolie, might be. One day an
| inspiration struck me; I said to my
self:
"Why don't you ask one of the
laundrymen? They're just the class
that the multi-millions In China are
made up of, and he'll be just as
likely to know as any one would.
There was a Chinese laundry just
around the corner from my boarding
house, so I resolved to take my col
lars there a few times and pave the
way to an acquaintance.
"At first we only exchanged few
words about the weather and prices
and dates of doneness. At last /
thought we were on good enough
terms, and l plunged into the great
subject. First l used my best Eng
lish and then a few general questions
about religious convictions In China.
"The only answer / got was broad
grin in Chinese.
"Then I fell into that queer idea
that the more asinine my English
. L. ~,
golian. When I tried a sort Of
pigeon dialect on him, the laundry
man looked foolish In reply, but
stuck to looks or to the easy answer,
No undlestan! Probably he didn't;
no one could.
"Then / thought my opening lay
In the proper names. / knew, or
thought 1 knew, the names of all
the founders of Chinese sects. These
argued, must be about the same in
both languages, so with proper i'm
pressiveness I uttered solemnly:
'Buddha!'
"The Chinaman only stared.
''Then, pointing my finger straight
at him, I went through them all.
"'Buddha!'
'Confucius!'
'Mencius!
'Lao-tsen
"Ah Sin began to look scared
about this stage Of the conversation.
He kept a hot iron firmly grasped In
his right hand and backed around
the ironing board.
"Then / rendered fool that / was.
that l was giving the names as
adapted to European tongues by the
Jesuit missionaries. I mentally re-
buked myself and tried again with
ri rhinnCa
conceived them. I stood In front
Of the Chinaman and jerked out:
'Kung-fu-tse!'
'Meng-tse!'
"Lao-tse!
THE Chinaman now evidently be-
| gan to think Of police protection.
He looked anXiously at the door. but
when 1 calculated again. 'Kung-fu
| he tapped his forehead and NUT
| tered: All, yes, Kung-foos. I see;
Kung g-fOos!'-clearly indicating that
he had a mistaken notion as to my
mental condition.
"At last I cried In despair:
but have you no religion at all ?
No church? No Sunday school?
Then a light broke upon him. At
| the word Sunday school All Sins
face became irradiated. He gurgled
softly:
"'Slun skull, New Yawk; Seng Ba
Flomeo; pletty gal tleacha Slun skull,
pletty gal; me come!
at last I had discovered the Ce-
| lestial religion, which. like that of
the rest Of the world, is apt sure
enough, to have too much pretty girl
in it.
Every time All Sin saw me for
many months after he always pointed
| to his forehead and muttered, 'Kung-
| foos New York Sun.