The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-12-17
1.-THE EMPEROR'S AMULET

classics ana SOURCES 81 Nolitira, in
SEPARATION 10 rhinr-
NoW. there wer" a num."r OF
THINKS about this ci'ada which the
poor scholar did not know and
PROBABLY newer would know, since
he was mere learner ~ words ana
met an -thnologist
In ancient China q body was no;
"mha.m"L. Instead. I WAS stuffed
with jadc-Gor Jade Was tn" essence
O: tn" yunS o. NAL" pr!ncip'" Of
the universe which would keep tie
pody from corruption by The yin or
sema,c forces uC tho earth. This
a, least. WAS the theory. Even IN
the Han period. also, There vas
belief in the resurrection % tho
dead. and hence into the mouth Of
the corpse was slipped bit or jade
carved in the shape OF a CiCada.
The CicaGa. Ike the beetle o. N"
Egyptians. WAS 1 symbol Ut the
resurrection, and the jade clcada
laid on the tongue Of a dead man
WIS All uuu'r; t. guide him to the
new III"
leaving iAc s"uth gate, the
scholar passed On to thr group Of
walled temples just outside the city.
catering these by the main gate
W. on the south. the scholar quick
II went to the third and iNnermost
gateway and found himself IN the
temple OF the great general and
minister
With al! the awful concentration
Of scholar, he ignored the gardens.
the lake. the harp arbor' he Ignored
the hall with It's bronze drums
brought by Chu-ko LANG from the
Burmese conQuests, with its mag
nihcent pictures and poems left
there by great artists through hun
dreds OF years as memorials. In
stead OF these things. the scholar
seated himself before IN" stones or
the outer walls, upon which were
inscribed the political testaments Of
he statesman. and set himself 10
study and contemplate and reflect
The scholar was doubtless improv-
ing mis- soul but ne was killing 4
tremendous amount, OF time in do
iIg 1t.
Some time afterwards tho pangs
Of hunger appriaed the scholar that
he had rot eaten. His lunch money
had gone to buy a luck pisce, He
took the cicada from his girdle and
Inspected It critically; in Wow Of
the absent luncheon. he did not now
care 80 much for the thing.
A sound OF cI!nking coins sharply
reused the scholar. He glanced up
to sea a man at his side, gazing at
the cicada and making money talk.
The Inference was obvious. The
man was merchant-an old fellow
with wispy gray mustaches and
hleary eyes. His name was Wang,
and he dealt IN books; also, he waS
learned in many thtngs-a reader OF
his own wares.
Wang bought the c!cada for a
small string Of cash. He bought Il
hastily. without daring to show hls
eagSrness OF to examine il very
closely. and then shuffied of with
tho c!rada clutched in his palm.
whit" the scholar departed 10 seek
substantial nourishment.
Two minutes later Wang paused
outside the main entrance o. the
temple and opened his clenGhed FIST
The very touch Of the cool, sweet
stone thrilled him; the feel OF the
wondrous polished patIAa against
his swcaty old palm was an ecstasy.
He pad no regard 10 the fact that
other men were all around, coming
and going. he was Immensely
proud uS what ~ had just bought,
and was in avid haste 20 confirm
his first hasty impression
he looked =. :hc green stone In
sec: resting in his hand. He noted
The clear quality oE the stone, It's
leaf green color. the dettneSs with
which the artist hud made dark
spots nestle Tx" natural Insect
color!ngs in the wings OF the clcada.
Wang. who had studied much. knew
that this was not tn" ordinary jade.
fetched in from Turkestan by the
hundredweight II was genuine
Chinese tade such IS had not been
found in China except Very rarely
for about two thousand years.
Han yu" The words escaped
HE Inns Tn -aot admi"ation--as much
for his own cleverness - for the
stones beauty. Han yu' Jade OF
the Hans. \ tongue amulet from Il
grave"
He ;lrned over the cicada 10 ex-
anime the two ideographS on It's
belly. bu, they were beyond his ah!l-
itv 20 read Thus, examining MS
ind. he did not see that two men
had heard his exclamation and had
exchanged q swift glance. Han w.
10 any native who knows, has much
the same significance that Free
Gold. by George" would have To an
oll-t!me California mining camp. In
other words. it IS apt TO start some
thing.
Old Wang tucked away the cicada'
his wispy mustaChes, and shuffled
toward tho city gate with a rapt
suila on his silly old face. Behind
him followed two men. who. by their
costume, were evidently members ot
the provincial soldiery maintained
ne the local mandarin. BY their
faces they were bandits "h'ch
amounted 10 exactly the same
thing.
These two soldiers knew that
white man was the guest OF tho