Evening star., 1919-09-28
The Golden
Lotus
ny SIDNEY G. PARTRIDGE.


Kiu Kiang on her nigh trip to Hong
kong, aren't all those little puffs Of
,emoke that we see arising from the
sampans and river junks coming from
the boatmen smoking their evening
opium pipes? I'm so Interested to
know'-of course she was, for the
fact was she was travelling as the
correspondent of one of Boston's most
popular papers, though she had never
publicly announced it to the rest of
the passengers.
"No. madam, not at ALL" replied the
gruff old sea dog. that's very popu-
Lar idea with globe trotters, but it's
all q mistake. I'm glad you asked
me. for IL you hadn't, you might have
gone home and written it down In
your book on the far east, just as
lot of the rest Of 'em do who only
stay out here three weeks and then
know it all. Most fools. they say, will
believe anything you tell them. but
the globe -trotting fool is the worst
Of ALL for he doesn't even need to be
told. He'll just put down anything
he sees for gospel truth. he will. And
the fellows who draw the pictures are
Just about as far off as the ones who
write the books, judging from what
I saw the last time / was home
every one of them makes the China
mans eve grow out Of the middle Of
the top Of his head, when no China
man ever born had his cue grow any,
where else but out of the back Of his
head; just look at my table boy there.
II you don't believe me. No. madam.
a. was a-saying, those little curling
columns OF smoke are from cooking
their evening rice and not from
smoking opium at all. Opium doesn't
make any smoke, does 1t, Mr.. Wang?"
addressing dtgnified Chinese gentle
man seated near them at the table.
''very little. If any" answered the
native passenger (who was none
other than the famous Wang Foo or
prince Of Chinese detectives. travel
ing in the European saloon). What
little is visible probably arises from
the smoking wick of the little beam
Oil lamp the habitues use, the drug
itself is volatiiized and gives forth
its strong characteristic odor as
they tnhale 1t. but certainly not
smoke in any such quantity as you
sec It now arising from the river
boats. Capt. Collins Is quite right,
madame. as he generally is on these
FAR eastern questions-you see, he Is
quite an old resident now and under
stands US very WELL" accompanying
this last celestial compliment with a
most gracious smile and bow which
A. oD - al
New Bedford skipper.
Miss Atherton was more than pleased
and surprised at Wang Foo's explana-
tion; she was simply dumfounded at
his English mastery and his scholarly
vocabulary with its fawless accent).
which not only surpassed anything she
had evsr yet heard from a Chinaman.
kut-to tell the plain and honest truth
most everything she had heard from
her fellow-countrymen in the east. not
excepting a few American consuls! She
could hardly wait for dinner to be over
before sins rushed up to CAPTAIN Collins.
3ust lighting hts cheroot on his way to
the bridge, ana begged him to intro
duce this remarkable personage to her.
why. captain" she said, Il never
really dreamed there was a Chinaman
hving who could speak English like
that!"
We'll. there amt very many of
them. can tell you that. ma'am. And
what's more. he knows exactly what
hes talking about. too. which 10 moro
than you can say Of lot Of these that
sFs educated abroad ana just come back
here and chatter on q lot OF big words
tks parrots. Now. II you really want
70 know anything about China and the
Chinese| mean the truth. not the
globe -trotter stun they pick up from
the hotsl-boys and the rick-saw coolies
and put In the magazines and the books
s-hs's, ths very best man In all this
empire for you to get acquainted with"
: Wang Foo was duly presented to
Miss Atherton and her party and It is
no oyasgeration TO say that In less
than an hour they had really learned
more about tho middle kingdom and
1ts people and customs than the miser-
able so-cahed guides" had been able to
give them In . week. "And now, ladies'
and gentlemen" he said. a. they were
About to leave the deck where ne had
been pointing out objects Of interest.
II you really want to see opium smok-
ine, and don't mind . little incon-
venSeuce. we have the golden oppor-