Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-17

aHo! Me? VIVA TO? Mus go swap my thee
heather souls TO one Clstian soul? Telee me that"
"Your three souls' exclaimed the rancher :,
"Chinaman got thlee souls when he die. One soul
remain in bones make him comf'abl one other stay
in tombstone, make him lespectable third soul go
Happy Happy place. feel vely nice all time"
"But, Bung, we're both getting Old We can't stay
here forever. We've been together on this ranch tor
good many years, and we're getting mighty used to each
other: You don't like the idea of quitting me, do you
aAh, no, Judge Olivah, me likee quit" said old
Bung with earnestness
well, suppose we both died tomorrow-where
should we go?'
"You 60 up CEstian Hepen; go China Happy
"Would you like that, being separated by all the
of the sky and able to see Judge Oliver or
the folks around the ranch any more?'
Bungs lacquered, unfathomable eye gazed west
ward into the streak OF glory fading behind the Coast
from the tall eucalyptus tree swapping against the
roof of the packing house. Suddenly the Chinaman
rose and went to the door of his cabin.
"Goo' night Mist Boss" he said. Il 60 play my
Joss Mebbe he fix it workee for you IN Chstlan
Hepen."
The white man turned away and left his faithful
servant to his devotions.
RUNG kept the altar of his Joss outdoors for the very
- sensible that the abomnable smudge OF burn
ing aloes punk and rice paper would have suffocated
him in the two by four interior of his hut Tonight he
made elaborate spread at the little shrine hlng three
large tomato with expensive joss sticks, lighting
lucky red waers and burning large bum
die of paper prayers Then he koowed before the holy
place and repeated his peculiar petition: that he be
permitted after death work for Christian without
sacrificing the religion and the piga which he revered
equally to the depths of his three souls.
Bung retired with the chickens, his wonted custom.
The dim kerosene lamp that illuminated his den revealed
the simplicity in which he lived On the walls innumer
able devichasing papers. clipping from the San Fran
cisco @Yat Pc" announcing the death OF the Empress
Dowager, a colored Autograph of President Taft,
hard of flowers n
but there yet another object article OF dreadful
portent, which Bung overlooked in his drowsy mood.
On soapbox the head of the bare board sleeping
bench reclned the evil thinga mirror! 1t was piece
of rank carelessness Bung part leaving that mirror
there during the night; for the Chinese coolies have this
among ten thousand other superstitons,- should
never sleep in the with looking glass; for
the yan-kacei, evil Jinn have way OF entering the
world through mirrors and sliding into ones dreams,
where they drop. unlucky thoughts they fly away,
shreking ttiumphantly.
Twisting his precious pgtail about his head, Bung
recned on his hard pillow knowing nothing of the Gate
of Demons on the wall 1t was only cheap, face dis
tortng mirror the kind any will offer for
dime. But this is what it brought forth:
Bung dreamed he was back the ancestral farm near
Canton, and that the sky all red and yellow. And
this quite natural; for of Chinese dressed
in long frock coats like missionaries, battling
through the heavens with host of fearful green faced
giants. Suddenly of the fends looked down and
saw Bung standing in the midst of the field "Ah
Lee Bung,' howled the yan kace with the voice of
simeon, "why you not with us?' Whereupon the
vast creature swooped down. Selling Bung by the pig
TAIL and started up, up up. Above FARMS rivers and
pagodas they awaited, almost to the heavenly battle
field, when suddenlyhorror!- the hair of Bungs head
parted company with the scalp, and he shot down like
a yellow Lucfer-doHn, down. down
"Ah yi-i-i-i--!' shreked the stricken man, tumbng
out of his bunk to the hard floor Praying in the Ian
guage of his fathers he lit match-and the first object
that encountered his afrghted gaze that accursed
mirror glaring at him from the wall His face
deathly he laid hands the i'll omened thing and
cast it forth into the night, where it broke against
pepper tree
The night still and black and quiet, great dry
feathery peppers and -barked eucalyptus In