The spectator., 1922-06-23
Her Opinion of Chinanen

Bv JUSTIN WENTWOOD


enough Chinamen to last me as long as l live"
 "Oh. how interestng!" said one f the feminine group which had gath cred about her on the hotel stoop. Do tell us Were you in the interior?'
 interior? No, thank heaven! Only at Tsin- Yang, one of the treaty ports. You see. my brother insisted SD long on my paying him Il visit that at last yielded. Oh, there he goes.'
 All eyes were turned on the some what debonaire figure of the slim young Celestial who. after smiling glance about him, stroled down the steps and made his way toward the rivulet at the bottom of tue grounds.
 Mir. Wings attached to the Chinese embassy. understand said Mrs. Bates. "I was talking to him last night. He seems such an interesting man and speaks English fluently."
 "Oh, yes. they're clever at picking up languages, said Miss Charteris, but they're no good. You can never trust Chinaman. You see. their minds work quite differently from ours.
 For instance. a missionary was tell ing me that the hardest part of their task is to convince the natives that the missionaries don't really take out the children's eyes for charms. Yes, honestly. that's what the Chinese be- lieve They've hardly any human feel ing at all. and they're mass of super sttion under their yellow skins.
 "You can dc anything you like in the way of kindness for Chinaman. but he'll never repay you. And they're so dstrustful The simplest act Is misunderstood. You see, they can't understand that a person can be actuated by genuine unselfishness.
 That's why they say it doesn't pay to have anything to do with them. GEatitude's unknown to them. You can save a Chinamans life. and he'll go racking his brains wondering what you're up to. It's all self with them self. self self all the time"
 Good gracious. what's that?" cried Mrs. Bates.
 tsislNils Nii, bis ''N ~ fallen into the millpond '"
 She leaped to her feet and ran down the grounds. screaming. The others followed her. panic stricken. The dan ger was very real for next door to the hotel was an old disused mill. and the little stream. which had been damned to make a pond. raced like a torrent over the stones.
 And at the lower end there was an artificial descent of a dozen feet. made to turn the rusty wheel. which still revoved. grinding the air. with all the force of its five tons of metah
 Another scream followed the first. Then came a splash. And. when the women reached the bank of the stream with horror
 Hard up against the heavy wheel was the little girls fair hair. And, supporting her round the body. was Mir. Wing. struggling desperately against the torrent.
 The struggle seemed interminable. The race of the stream beat furiously about them. The Chinaman. gripping projecting branch with one hand. was striving frantically 10 pull him self and his helpless burden 10 the safety oi the shore. The screams from the bank deadened even the rush of the waters.
 II was touch and go. No sooner had Mir. Wing planted his feet firmly upon the gravel than they were swept away by the force of the torrent At last. however, with supreme effort, he succeeded in pulling himself and his burden to the bank, where dozen pairs of arms snatched at the little girl.
 Her eyes opened; she sobbed. gasped Her mother clasped her in her arms. Nobody thought of Mir. Wing, who was lying panting on the bank. hut as he stagge' ed toward the group Mrs. Bates turned toward him and clasped his hand impulsively.
 "You've saved my chld's life, and I shall always be grateful to you" she sobbed
 Mir. Wing. raising an imaginary hat which had long since disappeared. be- took himself toward the hotel.
 Miss Charteris kneeled beside the child. Did that bad man push you in?" she asked her.
 No. l tumbled in" said Emmeline.
 Miss Charteris shook her head doubtfully
 "l wouldn't trust her alone with him." she said. You never can tell. It isn't like a Chinaman to risk his life | for nothing. Most likely he intended to sacrifice her 10 his heathen gods"
 "Oh, I'd hate to think that" pro- tested Mrs. Bates warmly. He saved her life"
 My dear, if he did, depend on it that he was up to something. l never saw Chinaman do an unselfish action yet, and don't believe anyone ever has" About Gelatin.