Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-10

United States consul at
Shanghai, of DIR. Evanstone. the sur
geon Of the American Mission Hos
pital as they stopped in front of cot
in ward No. 3 where Chinese pa
tient was grooming and struggling
with his uncomfortable bandages. He
seems to be pretty badly damaged
accident, l suppose; was it on board
ship or in one Of the factories
ashore?"
Neither, sir" replied the surgeon,
''he was done up in a street fight not
block away from the consulate. The
police rescued him just in time; If
those brutes had had a few more
whacks at him he would have gone
to the cemetery district. without hav-
ing to stop at the hospital on the
way"
What was he, thief? know they
beat them numerically sometimes
when they catch them in the act. All
Asiatics are little inclined to favor
lynch law. you know, and the English
consul told me last night that in their
own system they believe in furnishing
crime on the spot where it was COM
mitted. So they will chain up burg
lar to the doorpost Of the house which
he attempted to rob and even hang
up the head Of a decapitated murderer
over the entrance to his victims
home-a rather gruesome method of
making the punishment effective.
eh"'
mo. this patient wasn't thief or a
criminal of any kind, from our point
NJ NJ "a oo,,st TIT toI
You will be very much surprised to
know that the only offense of which
he was guilty-and it is a most
heinous one in Chinese eyes-was of
offering to his grandfather a cup of
lukewarm tea" ~
What. You don't mean to tell me
that for this trife they fell on the
poor fellow and put him into this
condition; can hardly believe it."
1T seems almost Incredible, doesn't
It? But it is an actual fact. His
father pitched into him first, scream-
ing, You've disgraced me. you unfilial
wretch Then his uncle and his two
hers-in-law Joined in and threw
him out into the street. A gang Of
wharf coolies passing by arrived just
in. time to vindicate the native code
Of honor by giving him a few extra
blows with their bamboos. and then a
foreigner driving by in his trap sum-
moned the police and they brought
him here"
"But please. explain to me little
more. Wherein does the awful offense
consist? Now confess 1 don't like
lukewarm tea or coffee myself, but I
don't. as "a rule, knock the waiter
down and beat him half to death II
the beverage isn't my exact tempera-
ture. do IT, r....
Hardly. but you see we're living in
another world here and our points Of
view are SO radically different that
what may be very innocent thing
in the west becomes very serious
thing in the east and vice versa"
Just at this point the surgeons
houseboy appeared with the chit
book and visitors card and inter-
rupted the conversation. 'Mas-si-ter,
have got one piece Chinee man your
house side wantchee speakee you"
"An right, ask the gentleman to
take q seat in the parlor and tell him
! will be over in a minute; then,
turning to the consul and showing
him the card, he added: Here's just
the man to tell you all about it. Our
friend Mr.. Wang Foo from Hongkong
Is here in the settlement for a few
days On business and l asked him to
drop in for cup of tea. You remem-
Der him, don't you? He's that wonder
full man that solves all the Chinese
mysteries for the police when they
get beyond their depth"
why, certainly. he's the Identical
one that exposed that bogus miracle
at the White Stag Temple last winter
when the naval officers were there"
"Come over and join US at the house
and we'll put this question Of the hot
and cold tea up to him. while we're
slipping little Of it ourselves"
Mrs. Evanstone received the little
party at the surgeons residence and
after the usual greetings ana compli-
ments Of the day. she took her place
at the handsome samovar which some
OF the doctors Russian patients had
presented him, and presided as the
most graceful Of hostesses over the
tea table.
Let me see." she said. turning to
the native guest. do you take yours
with milk and sugar or with lemon?