Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-05-16
N TWo PARTs-PART ONE

IN TWO PARTs-PART ONE
~ OA4ETTAE you may be fortunate
In finding a venerable tale ten.
er, wise, lucid, sentiments
~ about the old Ming romanceS
Persuade him to tell you tho
story Of Nj Shou-lien. On the lips Of
your old Chinese, with the proper flail
for embroidery, the little opera be-
comes an exposition Of those human
virtues which are ageleSS. He viii say
how. in the beginning, Mr. Nj first dis
covered the fragrant Mel, as startlingly
beautiful as q white flower, and sud-
denly knew that he loved her. Project
nj was no callow youth, but a staid
widower Of countless bright summers
with q grown boy to worship him after
he was dead. It was with the thought
that the loveliness Of a flower should
ornament the last few swift years Of
a life almost spent that Project Nj sued
for the girls hand in marriage.
She was the orphan of q respected
scholar. The old man sent lavish be-
trothal pa esents: An exquisite black
| cloisonne water buffalo, a Jade pendant
jeweled with turquoise and pirpoints
/ Of rubies, a lacquered toilet set painted
with legends Of the pote Ii T'ei-po,
whose own mouth the Sun Of Heaven
wiped with his silSen sleeve, a gilded
fan OF ivory, together with divers other
ornaments and bijoutry of amber, por-
celain, jasper and gold.
Nj had a son. Shameful, who, of
ers remarriage and so Mr.. Nj had the
er's remarriage, and so Mr.. Nj had the
ceremony performed in town. The VIII
layers thought them a fascinating
couple, one no more than II, the other
white of hair and wrinkled by three
score winter SHOWS. Mel stood proudly.
wife OF the project, elevated, mistress
Of servants, and decoration in that pal
ace Of decorations. Her father, TO be
sure, had been learned man, poet
and scholar, possessor of a proud and
honorable name Luxury such as this,
however, had been only part Of her
dreams on white moon-shimmcring
nights. It was a miracle come to earth,
and for the sweet benevolent Nj Shou-
lien she conceived q passionate regard.
She was decorously gay, infinitely
happy.
Dark whispers, like rain clouds that
swiftly gather ominously, were newt |
able, as your story teller will make
clear. Shan-chi, Mr.. MIS- elder son,
lily concealed his intense displeasure ,
In what he dubbed an unnatural af-
fair. His sour chances plainly showed
the tenor of his thoughts as he went
about sullenly. With unfilial lack of
piety he complained to his wife. you
would think he had done this thing
to spite me-" he said.
yes" mmmured his wife. Il agree
with you"
His days are numbered. 1t is as
though he purchased new jade lamp
in the market, or a pretty jewel. 1 will
admit that the person, whom consider
q flirt and a pretender, has q degree
of surface charm, and pretty ways
about her-if you are attracted by
that sort of thing. Beneath it all. how
ever, she is no more or less than an
marrying a man of my
fathers agel Why should mtnce
words, or treat the situation with
delicacy? For there is no delicacy about
It, let me tell you. If the truth IS the
measure of your language, then / de- |
clare that the Lady Mel is simply a \
orazen hussy, and for one, am GER
sainly not taken In by her"
ut Is obvious" said nj Shan-cht's
wife.
Furthermore, it is well known that /
he young wives Of old men invariably S
become wild creatures, bringing gos- s
Up and disgrace on ancient and hon
,rable families. They pout and smirk
or the sake of rich Clothes and jewelry, {
ind when the man is dead-which Is l
lever too soon to please them, they {
nince off with the loot of their de- I
)ravity, now enjoying the fruit OF their {
n-gotten gains in the company Of some c
lot-too- particular new young flame. 1t \
S rarely otherwise, assure you. No; S
ct me assert here and now that 4
hail never willingly countenance my b
athers madneSS" +
what you say is favored with the q
Justice of reason and truth" declared o
lis wife piOusly n
MIR. Nj, as our imaginary old ro- 3
nancer will make clear, was far from 8
eing unobServant or q stupid man; g
e realized only too well his sons OBJ a
sctions Instead OF castigating Shan 3
his lack Of filial piety, however. he q
retended to notice nothing, silently a
eeping his counsel. Displeased, he con- n
called the grief well within his heart. K
Tor was Mel Shin insensitive to Shan NJ
hts lack of grace. But neither by
ord nor sign did she show what was a,
erfectly obvious; she was all we'll ID
red tact and politeneSs, the very per- x
1nification of courtesy, observing in CT
he minutest detail the ritual of house 81
old conduct. Things might have gone
a thus indefinitely but for the APP st
arentnesS of an event the realization II
which overwhelmed them all with VI
st0nishment. BY the light of the ninth hi
Don on the ninth day boy was born as
Mel Shih, and no one was astounded "
ore than the white-haired project nj
nou-nen. st
Startled, yet infinitely pleased, his We
tests at the child's first birthday eel II
ration slapped his back and COM de
imented him, repeating endless happy vii
turns of the day-as though their III
ny expression we're not ironicaI The pc
" was given the baby name of IN
hung Yang-erh, and the upghot of IN
e event, as might be guessed, was the w
tier whisperings of Nj Shan-chl. He so
umbled and looked about him darkly, vo
king his wife aside at every oppor-
nifty. And when q year had passed, M
which time the new lad was pre- sh
nted to the year-dish--(a tray on as
jects, such as a pen, knife, coin, but in,
q, brush, ETC.; the boys destiny is sh
ggested by the first object he grasps (tI
}, Shan-chi absented himself for the TO
iole day. much to the chagrin Of the de
-