The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-05-25

aeSCerS sense OF security. 1t
was for that he was working.
Better buy the rug, guess we
can swing it," he added hastily.
1--WE haven't famine yet. I'm
probably borrowing trouble"
There came a day when the
sun, shining as brilliantly as be-
fore from the glittering sky,
wrought some new tension in
the city. Along the streets, in
every house, everyone's eyes
were turned skyward. The ser.
wants passing through the hong
stopped at the windows to look
upward. If there is no rain to.
day, for forty days there will be
no rain, they told Stephen.
Toward noon, a few clouds
drifted across the sky; clouds
emSty of rain they seemed to
Stephen, standing at the win
dow. Then, as if dropped from
the blue, raindrops fell. But
they had no vigor, none behind
them to push them on.
The servants moved through
the hong closing the windows.
THE rain, the rain, it will
come" It did not matter that
the rain had stopped. The
soothsayer had said it would
come like this, at first a little.
INSPIRATION
Early the next morning Hes
ter was wakened by the silence.
Only the gentle and monoto-
nous fall of rain. The shadow Of
famine was gone from the green
valley. But for Stephen there
was less residence of hope. A
partial famine, insecurity
pushed only a little into the
background.
Well before shutdown one
afternoon, the black gates of
Hos ancestral house were
opened wide. The men of the
family, all in white sackcloth,
Ho looming above them, came
forth bearing the things of
the spirit world, all of paper.
Amah called Hester. The
hong windows were full of
servants and office staff. "Ai
YAH" they exclaimed, as the
spirit things were laid in
great pile. Grand beyond
measured"
Even in a city of magnificent
funerals, this one caused
excitement. tits worth all of
ten thousand dollars" MUIR
INJURED the crowd.
That evening Stephen made
his second great contribution
to the corporation. In his
youth, as he had sat on a
brick k'ang watching the
Pickering light of a peanut oil
lamp cast on dirt floor, had
come the inspiration of the
lamp. Then he had seen a
vision of China recreated on
the grand scale of America,
also power and recognition for
himself. Now, in his maturity,
he sat in his comfortable suite
in the hong, seeing success for
the company in fitting the
business into Chinese poverty.
He must think as the man who
sold four peanuts thought, as
millions like him thought, if
he would put a lamp in every
house throughout the province.
A three-cent lamp-many a
mans wages for a whole day.
If he increased the business, he
and his men must be patient
enough to make a shop-to-Shop
inspection of the province.
The tiniest shop which sold
native oil must not be over
looked. He would make a rec
ord of the infinitesimal sales of
the province. After that, the
agents Should be pressed to
make these -four peanut sales"
as Stephen called them now.
insignificant in themselves, gi-
gantic when you multiplied
them by the millions upon mil
lions who bought in such min.
ute quantities.
This time Stephen dreamed
no dreams of personal great
ness. He would try the scheme
out. If it worked he would pass
the plan on to Shanghai to use
as they saw fit. That they
would adopt the idea without
comment if they liked it, now
seemed natural to Stephen.
Copyright. 1884. by BObbs-Merrin ca
Distributed by King Features Syndicate