The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1912-03-23

Eu HEN sIrs. Spring Fragrance first arrived
IN Seattle she was unacquainted with
vAA/ word Of the American lam
" guage. Five years later, her husband,
speaking for her, said There are no
7@ 81 ~ more American words for her learning. %
e88SM And everyone who knew Mrs. Spring
vAS&Au Fragrance agreed with Mr.. Spring Fra
EH ~ GRANGE. This gentleman, whose bust
u&A&u ness Sing Yook. a young
4SIB curio merchant Though conseryatvey
orc i Chinese in many respects he at
u the time what is called by the
Westerners "Americanized.'' Mrs.
Spring Fragrance more So
Next door to the Spring Fragrances lived the Chin
Fuens. Mrs Chin Yuen much older than Mrs.
Spring fragrance but she had daughter Of eighteen
with whom Mrs. Spring Fragrance great friends.
The daughter pretty girl, whose Chinese name
was Mai Gwi Far "a rose), and whose American
was Laura. This daughter had sweetheart,
lean born, and ruddy and stalwart any young
Westerner. was noted among baseball players as one
of the finest pitchers the Coast. He could also
sing @Drink to only with thine eyes, to Lauras
piano accompaniment
Now. the only person who knew that Kai Tzu
loved Laura and that Laura loved Kai Tzu Mrs.
Spring Fragrance. For though the Chin Yuen parents
lived in house furnished in American style and
customs ard their ideals of life were the ideals
Of their Chinese forefathers. Therefore, they had
betrothed their daughter Laura, at the of fifteen
to the eldest son of the Chinese Government school
teacher in San Francisco The tins for the consum-
nation of the betrothsl was approaching.
az have just had such a pretty walk" said Mrs
Spring Fragrance to Laura day when the girl
very depressed. 81 crossed the banks above the
beach and came back by the long road. In the green
grass the dafodils were blowing; the cottage gar
1ens the bushes Towering and in the air
the perfume of the wall flower. wished, Laura,
that you with me-"
Laura burst into tears. 'That is the walk Kai Tzu
and love- she sobbed, 'but ah never,
take 1t together again.
"Now, Little Sister, comforted Mrs. Spring Fra
GRANGE, you really must not greve like that. Is
there not beautiful American poem written by q
noble American named Tennyson which says: IT'S
better to have loved and lost than to have loved
at alr?'
Mrs Spring Fragrance was unaware that Mr.
Spring Fragrance had returned from the city, tired
with the days business AID had thrown himself down
the bamboo settee the yeranda, and that though
his eyes engaged in scanning the pages CT the
Chinese World, his could not help receiving the
words which were borne to him through the open
window:
''Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at ALL
repeated Mr.. Spring Fragrance Not wishing to hear
more OF the secret talk of women he and
sauntered around the veranda to the other side of
The house Two pigeons circled around his head.
He felt in his pocket li-chi which he usually
carried for their picking. His fingers touched little
oox. 1t containe da jade pendant which Mrs Spring
Fragrance had particularly admired the last time
she was downtown. 1t was the fifth anniversary Of
Mr.. and Mrs Spring Fragrance's wedding day. Mr..
Spring Fragrance pressed the little box down into
he depths of his pocket.
A young man came out of the back door of the
house on Mr. Spring Fragrances left-hand side.
Good evening". said the young man.
Good evening"" returned Mr. Spring Fragrance
will you please tell me-" said Mr. Spring Fra
GRANGE 1.-THE meaning of two lines of an American
verse which have heard?
Certainly returned the young man, with a genial
smile. He was star student at the University of
Washington, and had not the slightest doubt that
could explain the meaning of all things in the uni
WELL" said Mr.. Spring Fragrance, at is this: =
"'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at ALL"
@Ah." responded the young man. with an air of
profound wisdom. THAT, Mr.. Spring Fragrance,
means that it is good thing to love anyway-even
we can't get what love, the poet tells us,
lose what love- OF course one needs some ex-
perience to feel the truth of this teaching
The truth of the. teaching echoed Mr. Spring
Fragrance little testify; "there is truth in it
whatever. 1t is disobedient to Is it
better to have what you do not love than to love
what you do not haveT'
That depends" answered the young man. 'upon
temperament
Il thank you Good evening"" said Mr. Spring
Fragrance. While he musing upon the unws-
ION Of the American of locking al things inside
he house Laura refusing to be comforted
"Ah no! Nor cried she. eff had not gone to
school with Kai T-u, talked and walked with
aim, played the Accomplishments to his songs
then might consider with complacency, at least
without horror, my approaching marriage with the
On of Man You. But as it is. oh. as it is"
safrs Spring Fragrance knelt down beside the girl.
eho was rocking herself TO and fro il grief
4esping her arms around her neck, she cried in
sympathy:
Little Sister. Little Sister. Dry your tears
10 not despair. A has yet to pass before the
marriage take place. Who knows what the
may have to say to another during its passing?
A little bird has whispered to me"
For long time Mrs. Spring Fragrance talked.
Tor a long time Laura listened When the girl
to go, there a bright light in her eyes.
Mrs Spring I .?-rance, in San Francisco on a visit
to her cousin tie vile CT the herb doctor of Clay
Street havir; a good time. She was invited
everywhere that the wife Of honorable Chinese
merchant could go. tt ere much to and hear,
including mere than a dozen babies who had been
born in the families of her friends since she last
visited the city of the Colleen Gate. Mrs Spring
Fragrance loved babies. She had had two herself
but both had been transplanted into the spirit land
before the completion of neon.
There were also many dinners and theater parties
given IN her honor. 1t at of the theater
parties that Mrs. Spring Fragrance met All Oh
young girl who had the reputation of being Dretti
est Chinese girl in San Francisco and according
to Chinese gossip the nauehtest In snte of all the
gossip however. Mrs. Spring Fragrance took great