Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1925-07-31
THE
GODDESS OF
THE SEA
By ROSE MILLS POWERS
d By Short story Pub. Cos

| Bne was, the GouuesS VI inc DC"
retained certain dignity that
her abandonment by priest and
worshiper alike could not destroy.
In faded scarlet and furnished gilt
the nfe-slze clay image Of the goddess
looked placidly from her shrine In the
central hall, her attendant divinites,
Favorable Wind Ear and Thousand
Mile Eye, beloved Of sailors and JUNK
men, leaning toward her In worshipful
postures.
Since the days of her royal pa
troness, one of the early expresses OF
the Ming era, the goddess had gazed'
family smiling, on many changing
scenes in her lacquered halls. The
magnlflcence of satin-clad emperors
had trailed itself before her eyes; the
cotton-clad simplicity of seafaring folk
had Frustrated itself at her feet-there
had been bloody warfare at her very
doors and the shrieks of the wounded
and dying had echoed through her cor
ridors-but surely unique was the
scene upon which she now looked
a tow-headed American lad clambering
into her sacred lap and poklng behind
her honorable back with long stick.
From the stone step at the feet of the
goddess, sacred to incense and joss
stick burning since time immemorial,
q little girl, pink-cheeked and fearful,
raised despairing face to the young
vandal.
mo use, Constance" the boy an
nounced after several vigorous thrusts,
your doll is not here. Whew what
dust Let's get out into the court
yard and you can tell me over again
how you came to lose her."
Between her sobs, Constance re-
stated the events that had led up to
the loss Of her doll: With the other
children, she had been playing hide
and-seek and had climbed to hide be-
hind the idol. Tifiin had been called
just then and she laid her doll for
safe-keeplng In the wide, comfortable
looking lap Of the goddess, intending
to return for her after the meal, but
had forgotten all about her until some
hours later. The narrative ended with
storm Of sobs, the boy trying in a
clumsy way to quiet his sister, but to
no avail. Suddenly Constance looked
up with Frightening eyes.
"Oh. David, forgot; old WI was
looking in at the door when climbed
down from the idol perhaps he knows
something about my doll"
who do you mean1" asked the boy.
"Why, you know, old WI who lives
In the little house at the temple gate
and makes the paper toys and mock
money to be burned at the graves"
David's eyes opened wide. Here was
a clew."
"We1l 60 and ask him." he said,
jumping to his feet. "Cheer up, well
t1nd Lady Laura yet"
They descended the long flight OF
steps to the gate to find the little out
building occupied by WI shut up and
bolted.
Hes probably gone to carry a load
Of his things to some funeral" said
Constance. HE had q lot Of paper
animals and clothes stacked up out
side the door when we came this
morning."
David was staring past the sorghum
fields toward the west, where the city
wall ran Its castellated outline against
the horizon. A faint wailing accom-
panied by the clang Of cymbals rose
on the air, and the CLEAN Of embroid
cred trapplngs threw into relief Ions
line of white-robed figures. A funera
was In progress in one Of the ancestra
burying grounds adjoining the cit!
wall. The children, moved by a com
mon impulse, ran toward the scene.
WI, the image and Offering maker
Of Sin Chow, was something Of al
artist In his line. When failing
strength made him quit his profession
Of following the mast, he had takeI
up this trade and had been so success
full that he was known as "Wu Of the
Inspired Thumb" No one could eQua
his dizziness Of touch in making thC
various offerings wrought Of clay, BAN
boo and paper burned by mourning
relatives at the graves of deceased
friends. There was also a touch o.
sentiment about the old sailor, as hi
occupation Of the howell near tn,
temple proved. and 1t was rumoreC
that he daily worshlped at the shrine
Of the abandoned Goddess OF the Sea
When Ii Fan Yin, who was one o
the minor mandarins and a person o
some official importance In Sin Chow
had come to him with a large orde
for funeral offerings for his decease
wife, among other things asked 70
(be II confessed. somewhat shame
facedly by that worthy gentleman
had been a representation Of "foi
eign devil" Mrs. Ii had become az
quaiRted with one of the woman mis-
slonaries and during her last Hines
had taken a strange fancy to havin
this foreign person visit her-abnol
NAL, no doubt, the graduate explained
tapping his head signlhcantly-but a
II was her last illness, he had agree
to the odd within she had expressed
to have an image Of the foreigner i
the retlnue accompanying her to tn
spirit world Could WI undertak
such a commission?
WI, with much servle prostratinl
owing to the somewhat exalted ran
OF his customer, assured him of hi