Gunnison news-champion., 1906-06-15
,.s..-..l.se sFons I.sss Necs.
gENpTkk y

wh.n she Ma sas hfr fataors i~gs
she ft.if thai bar ~@lssi. rIflas NeFe done
>ds had ne othcr s1zh hat - -rcs nI=
p-s-snc. and her Hs~-hers arms and
ss.li the story ef her 9 .gnt. her lose ~aa
her -srro~ she entered the hoss-..
psi-h.a past tbe servants. sho seald
A@se Restrained her. and IN a usoment
-teod before her parents. Nith the
changes tEsi a year had srought. and
the strange garments. they did noi
snc~ her UHtil she said. y am yoar
dsaghter. al. FeGE hearts still open 10
aae2
Than. fsint vith hunger weary with
ehs great labor q; th. cumpstitipn-
aud. more Than all, hardened wish
heavy heart. she fel at her father >
feet tie Was - overpaNcred Win
s-touiShment that he stood Tor fuu
aaslate staring into her face. but she
motner's eyes we're qsio sor 10 recognize
her caiia. and coming qaickly forward
she raisod the fainttng girl IN her arms.
Then the ex-f'reiect gathered up his
scattered senses and assisted IN carry
tag sho Mai 10 her mothers apart
uieut.
When sho Ma swokc next dav after
a long and heavy sleep she tound her
mother standing by her side. For a
moment she lay wondering where
dreams s-opped and reslgies began.
The Whole eventful year she was hat
persuaded 10 place among the visions
which had lowered sround s.r pillow
daring the preceding night For the
year had left little trace in outward
things. She was at home again; she
was 70 be a woman once more with all
the restrictions about her from which
she had fed. She looked forward 10
this prospect a. the realities OF life
came back TO her, with neither fear nor
hope.
She knew that in her own heart and
not in outward conditions she would
find the weariness Of life.
Physically she was much refreshed by
the long slumber. There was no trace
Of the illness which her mother had
feared might follow the exci,ement
through which the girl had passed. She
arose and donned the unfamiliar gar
ments of her sex and went to meet her
father, who waited in no little imp&-
thence to hear her story.
She told 1t simply, and with little
emotion, though the narrative was al
most too exciting for her mother to
bear, and made the ex-Prefect's heart
leap more than once.
my child, are you not happy to be
with us once more?" asked her mother,
when sho Mai concluded.
II am not happy, mother" said Sho
Mai, land | shall never be again; but
have accomplished that for which
made this visit to the world. | have
seen 1T and learned its lesson. In one
year it has taught me all that the pro-
foundest philosopher could learn in a
hundred years. Ambition and fear and
hope and love-I have known them all
and the end of them all, which is disap-
pointment. The whole world is in that
word, and those who learn its meaning
SO thoroughly that they can neither
strive nor hope nor fear nor love any
more have solved the riddle. and NAV
rest from their labors. This is the phil
osophy of the unhappy; the fortunate
may have one of their own, but shall
nGr need to know it.
She laughed bitterly at her trite
summary of the world lesson, and then,
hurying her head in her hands, she
wept
Her parents exchanged glanees but
offered no consolation, feeling that time
must do that From the street came a
sound of a loud voice rising above IN,
ordinary noises of the city
"What is this outcry?' asked TIA,
mother.
1T is the hour Of noon" said Wong
Che Foo, 'and according to the custom
the heralds Of the Emperor are an
nouncing the result of the great compe
rition. Listen and we shall hear tbs
names"
The voice drew nearer. suddenly
Sho Mai sprang TO her feet and rushing
To the window struck it open with a