liiiiBliliiiMBii!ffl!ik..te4i.aiik.j«..^^^^^^^ LEG:END (Qocnell HninetHitg 9Iibtarg Stljara. ^tm %nrk CHARLES WILLIAM WASON COLLECTION CHINA AND THE CHINESE THE GIFT OF CHARLES WILLIAM WASON CLASS OF 1876 1918 GR 335.B87'"i90r""' """" iiSiiijIi'™iiil!iii'*9^"'* 3"** story. 3 1924 023 266 152 Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tlie Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924023266152 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY ' The heavens are still : no sound. Where then shall God be found? . . . Search not in distant skies ; In man's own heart He lies.' Shao Yung. Translated by H. A. Giles. CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY C. CAMPBELL BROWN FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY NEW YORK CHICAGO TORONTO 1907 TO L. C. B. CONTENTS PAGE PREFACE .... .II I. HEATHEN LIFE: THE MATERIAL I. JEPHJHAH'S DAUGHTER : A MAIDEN'S OFFER- ING ...... 17 II. THE KHAI-GOAN-SI : THE NOTRE DAME OF A HEATHEN CITY ..... 25 III. THE GAMIN SCHOLAR: STUDENT WAYS . . 47 IV. ' LOVE STRONGER THAN DEATH ' : THE HUMAN HEART IN CHINA . . . -73 V. BASE METAL: OFFICIAL LIFE, ITS ROMANCE AND CORRUPTION . . . -83 VI. THE BRONZE ANTIQUE: CURIO - HUNTING AND THE HOBBIES OF THE MONEYED CLASSES . 97 VII. THE TAO-TAI'S SEAL: THIEVES AND THEIR MANNERS ...... 105 VIII. THE QUALITY OF MERCY— STRAINED : AN INCl- - DENT IN VILLAGE LIFE. ~ . . -US IX. THE POWER OF THE CROSS : A NEW INFLUENCE IN THE LIFE OF ONE OF CHINA'S SCHOLARS 121 X. THE ELEVENTH HOUR : HOPING AGAINST HOPE . . . . . .131 8 CONTENTS II. CHRISTIAN LIFE : THE RESULT PAGE XI. TRANSFORMATION : BURGLAR, BEGGAR, AND SAINT ...... 139 XII. BROKEN GODS : A CHAPTER IN RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE . . . . • IJI XIII. GREATHEART: ITINERANT PREACHER AND HERO ...... 163 XIV. ' THE HUNDRED OF HIS DESIRE ' : A CHRISTIAN CHIEFTAIN . . . . -175 XV. THE STRONG RUNNER : ONE OF DAVID'S MIGHTY MEN . . . . -195 XVI. STERLING SILVER : A GOOD CRAFTSMAN . . 213 XVII. COMMUTED VALUES : THE CHANGED PEDLAR . 239 EPILOGUE . . . . . .251 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS TEMPLE OF CONFUCIUS . . . Frontispiece CHINCHEW WALL . . . . . .21 VIEW OF CHINCHEW CITY SHOWING PAGODAS . AN EXAMINATION HALL .... SACRED FISH POND IN A BUDDHIST MONASTERY ROCKS NEAR AMOY .... MEMORIAL ARCH NEAR GREAT YAMEN . STREET FRONT OF CHINCHEW HOSPITAL THAW-TI-KONG, THE EARTH SPIRIT ENTRANCE TO SOUTH STREET CHURCH ENTRANCE TO THE MOSQUE IN EARTH STREET 'the SIXTIETH HYMN' {photographed directly from the original) .... BA-HIA ON A PREACHING TOUR . KHEK-PEH ...... COIN ANCIENTLY USED IN FUKIEN 34 59 87 los 132 133 154 182 219 222 240 253 PREFACE 'T^HESE stories come from the heart of a Chinese -■- city. The printed page cannot create memories of living faces, gestures, turns of voice and movements of the hand, nor their background, here the corner of a house or temple court, there a stretch of dusty road or the distant skyline lifted clear against the heavens. There exists no achromatic medium through which to show the men who told the tales or lived them out before the writer's eyes. Nor, failing such a magic lens, is it possible to borrow the cinematographic presentation with which the Chinese raconteur makes his hearers see both men and things as in a moving picture. This being so, the stories have been told as simply as possible, in the hope that their original interest may not have been wholly lost in the telling. The scene of the events recorded in the tales lies in the hilly country of southern Fukien, where the famous old-world city of Chinchew stands, Quemoy, the Island of the Golden Gate, described 12 PREFACE in ' Love Stronger than Death,' being one of the most easterly portions of the province. A residence of ten years in that part of China gives the writer some reason to hope that the local colour of the narratives is fairly accurate. The scenery of the country shares in that power of fascination possessed by its people and its literature. Strange at first, it steeps itself into the mind, and deepens .the original impression at every .contact with the eye — the southern mountains with scattered verdure clinging to their harsh sides ; the rice plains Nile-green, or brown and breathing musty ripeness, according to the season ; the grey walls, bridges, and pagodas of Chinchew ; the farm upon the mountains where the idols met their fate; the red brick village of Tan-tay ; and the room in which the ' Strong Runner ' finished his last lap. A word or two may perhaps be said as to the tales themselves. The first of them, ' Jephthah's Daughter,' stands very much as it was told by a member of one of the oldest literary families within the city. ' The Gamin Scholar,' ' Love Stronger than Death,' and ' The Tao-tai's Seal,' are specimens of stories current among the people. The incident of ' The Bronze Antique ' was recounted by the son of the man who bought the tripod. ' Base PREFACE 13 Metal ' is a narrative obtained from a friend much interested in the history of the local families; it was confirmed and slightly added to by a former servant of the Intendant's, who supplied the de- scription of the great man's personal appearance. ' The Khai-Goan-Si ' is a sketch of what may be called the Notre Dame of Chinchew — the heathen heart of the city — and is an attempt to give some idea of the place the temple holds in the local landscape both visible and invisible. The legends employed in it, amongst which the Chinese form of the Roman ox-hide story is of peculiar value for students of folk-lore, have been collected from various individuals among the literati, artisans, and shopkeepers. Such local indications as may be traced in inscriptions, or the tablet above the main door with its two characters meaning ' Red Cloud,' and the cracked and blackened stonework in the lower courses of the pagodas, have also helped the story. ' The Eleventh Hour ' is an attempt to reproduce an intensely vivid im- pression that remains in the writer's memory. The conversation has been recorded in terms familiar to Western thought, lest the reader's attention should be diverted by unfamiliar phraseology from the essential facts. ' Transformation ' was told' the writer 14 PREFACE by Eng-peh, one who as a boy was severely reprimanded by his teacher for leading the then disreputable beggar through the streets of An-hai. This interesting informant, one of 'the old guard' of Fukien Christianity, was the man who afterwards had his clothes torn from his back, when the house first occupied by Song-peh and his friends in Chinchew was looted. Nor is it possible to think that chance alone induced the old man to repeat this narrative, during what proved to be the last visit which he was to pay his frfend on earth. The tale, which interested those who heard it so much that it was committed to writing at the time, was afterwards confirmed by the accounts of other people who knew something of the chief actor in early days. ' The Strong Runner ' is drawn from materials supplied by the hero himself, and his friend Tek-tsu-peh, the second member of the party which climbed the mountain and explored the city. Some further details have been added to their narratives by means of facts obtained from the letters of Dr. Carstairs Douglas, the foreigner who figures in the story. The remaining eight tales are concerned with people personally known to the writer, and are sketched from the life. PREFACE 15 The object of this book is to show how Chinese people live and think, first when they are heathens, and afterwards when they are Christians. It is an attempt to give a real picture of the native mind and character, as seen to some extent from the inside. Nothing has been extenuated, nothing set down in malice. Some may think perhaps that the point of view maintained in the tales is too friendly to the heathen Chinaman ; others, that less than justice has been done to him : but it is enough to know, that whatever has been true to fact will stand; the rest may go — indeed, the sooner it goes the better. The Author wishes to take this opportunity of acknowledging his indebtedness to Professor J. Gibb, D.D., Cambridge, the Rev. J. H. Oldham, and Mrs. Freeland Barbour of Edinburgh for helpful criticism and advice. His best thanks are due to Mr. R. J. Whitwell, Oxford, for invaluable aid in preparing these pages for publication, also to the Rev. George Steven, Edinburgh, who has most kindly read the proofs, and to various friends who have placed photographs at his disposal for the illustration of this book. EdinbCrgh, 1907. CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY I HEATHEN LIFE: THE MATERIAL I. JEPHTHAH'S DAUGHTER CHINCHEW stands in the midst of a cultivated plain. To the north of it the Clear-spring Mountain and the Breasts rise like a barrier, and on the west lies the mass of Tui Soa, its clean- cut peaks and ridges showing clear against the sky. The wall of the far-seen city rules sharp lines upon the landscape, and above them its great central pagodas stand dreaming of ancient days. The New Bridge, — with its gates and fortalice, its curtain wall and drawbridge, its boat-shaped piers and slabs of granite, its balustrades and Buddhist shrines, — by which the traveller ap- proaches the southern gate of the city, was fresh i8 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY from the workman's hand upon the day of which our story tells. In bygone times, the earthen rampart of the original settlement, with its crowning barricade of thorns, had been replaced upon a wider scale ; but now these defences, already too limited for the increasing population, had been removed in their turn, only the four gates being left astride the lengthened streets to serve as watch towers for the city, while far beyond them a forty-foot stone wall, broad enough for a chariot to be driven along the top, and nearly ten miles in circumference, secured the place. His Excellency Ong Sip-peng, the builder of the new Chinchew, was in perplexity; walls, temples, and bridges had risen beneath his hand, and the city, with its paved streets and ordered houses, its canals and carefully constructed drainage system, its yamens and sculptured pagodas, stood complete. Many obstacles had been swept aside by the great administrator in the course of his labours, but now, at the moment of achievement, an unlooked-for difficulty stood in the path. The wall was finished and the gates set up, but a sacrifice could not be found to ' cease the work.' Had the victim required by JEPHTHAH'S DAUGHTER 19 the ancient usage been but a heifer or a sheep, it would haye taken little trouble to provide it, — even a human sacrifice might have been pro- cured from the crowded prisons, — but the offering called for was different from these. The im- memorial rite demanded that a young virgin ' without shoes or dress ' should worship at the altars of the spirits of the city, laying herself down afterwards upon the new-built wall, a living sacrifice in behalf of the people, Alas ! no maiden could be found, none of the inhabitants being willing to give a daughter for such a service. The Governor was dismayed. His proclamations hung unheeded on the yamen walls. The citizens, torn between fear and selfishness, watched one another, each hoping that someone else might make the sacrifice which he himself refused. The slighted gods would surely smite them. Swift and terrible would be their vengeance if no substitute were found. The fountains would burst among the hills and the springs deep in the river-bed would boil as the Dragon of the flood stirred up the waters ; then the river would overflow, covering the plain and sweeping the city; or thunderbolts would fall, flinging the 20 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY red banner of destruction over the flaming houses ; or plague, the flail of death, would strike their homes. The days passed, and men sat waiting each in his own house. At last, however, a virgin was discovered willing to bare her young body and make the offerings needful for the peace of the city. Ong Sip-peng's perplexity was at an end, but grief had fallen upon his home, for his own daughter was to undergo the dreaded ordeal. The yamen stood silent, and the city sat abashed and solitary. People were lonely amidst their friends, and little business was done in the market-places. The sound of voices was hushed at the wells and the women put no flowers in their hair. On the day appointed for the ' offering of surcease ' folk were stirring at the dawn and soon the whole city was in the streets. Slowly through the crowded thoroughfares the procession made its way, as the officials, attended by troops of soldiers, escorted the maiden from the yamen to the wall. It was a scene to make April in men's souls, the sun glancing on weapons and armour and the insignia of magisterial state, touching the robes of horsemen and the em- JEPHTHAH'S DAUGHTER 21 broidered furniture of their horses, and kindling each coloured pennon in its rays, whilst tears were falling. Ong Sip-peng and his suite took up their position near the alj:ars on the wall. To right and left the ramparts were thronged, and the neighbouring streets, as well as the roofs of houses and temples, were covered with people. There was a sound of trumpets. The brazier fires were kindled, and, as the smoke rose upon the clear air, the girl came forth clothed only in her shrinking womanhood. The rough-hewn granite bruised her feet, and she bent and trembled beneath the eyes of multitudes. To the Eastern maiden, sheltered as she had been from childhood against the public gaze, it was an hour of fierce distress, this ordeal of shame. Her own naked- ness clung about her limbs and blistered them, like the fabled dress of stinging nettles. With brimming eyes and shaking fingers she served the altars, ordering fruit and flowers and incense in seemly fashion and arranging the offerings of food. When all was finished she paused, whilst silence held the breathless people. She turned herself, looking hither and 4:liither, as if about to flee, then she faltered, dazed with fear and strange 22 ■ CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY sorrow, and the pity of her dark hair fell about the rounded girlish shoulders. The women covered their faces and wept. Then, shaking with terror, the girl lay down upon the wall, surrender- ing herself to whatever fate the unseen gods might lay upon her. Again the trumpets sounded ; the sacrifice was at an end, but a sudden access of shame took the maiden, and, unable to fight against her trouble longer, she rushed to the battlements, and threw herself from the wall. Life had left the lithe young limbs when they found her broken body beneath the ramparts. The ransom was complete, and the city-builder, stricken at the moment of his triumph, got him home again with his dead. Ong Sip-peng, like the princely T'angs and all the • fire-led house of Sung,' has passed away. ^ ' We are no other than a moving row Of magic shapes that come and go Round with the sun-illumined lantern held In midnight by the master of the show.' But the grey city, once so fair, recalls the ancient days ; the legend of its builder haunts the moulder- ing wall, and the incomparable virgin woe of the maiden who redeemed it will linger long after its battlements have fallen. JEPHTHAH'S DAUGHTER 23 The tide of human life, heavy with sin and misery, has flowed for centuries witliout cessation through its ancient streets, but of all the lives that have come and gone in them, there has been none more exquisite for sorrow or for shame than hers. Many have come and gone and been forgotten, but against the darkness of the heathen night the figure of a nameless girl stands out in beauty, and across the ages her agony still calls to far Gethsemane. II. THE KHAI-GOAN-SI /^~^ENTURIES ago there was great excitement in ^^-^ the city. Holy men from the West had come seeking land on which to raise a shrine for their religion. The feeling, shared by all the Chinchew people, was at its height within the house of Mr. Nng, upon whose lands the strangers had fixed their choice. Mr. Nng, naturally averse to parting with his property, refused to let it go, but the Emperor of that time favoured the monks, who well knew how to make full use of the influence thus accorded them to sway the minds of those with whom they had to do. The leader of the Buddhists passed many an hour urging with fluent speech the claims of his religion, and dwelling on the lasting merit to be acquired by one who should give up earthly posses- sions for the furtherance of sacred ends. Had not the Emperor Ming-ti dreamt of a golden image which appeared to him, heralding the coming of 26 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY teachers from the West? Was not the advent of the servants of Buddha a plain fulfilment of the vision ? The case was put with skill, but Mr. Nng remained unmoved. " Well," exclaimed the holy man one day, " I shall argue no more of this matter, but you must know that you refuse my plea at peril to yourself. I go," he added, shaking his patched robe as he rose from his seat, " and you are glad to see me go, but remember that if you wish me to return, you may not call for me unless you change your mind and honestly repent of your refusal." " Why should ' the chariot ' ^ halt again at this poor hut ? " said Mr. Nng lightly. " Another visit would indeed be too much honour for the younger brother to support." Shortly after the priest left the Nng household, the unwilling object of his attentions began to feel a , strange depression. A sense of physical discomfort accompanied this lowering of spirits. Presently he was seized by gnawing pains in the stomach. The family doctor was called in, but the remedies which he supplied were of but little use. The pains increased. Mr. Nng's sufferings became acute, and he took to bed. As he lay in torment rolling from side to ' A respectful designation by which superiors are addressed. THE KHAI-GOAN-SI 27 side upon his mat, the priest's warning came to mind. Could it be that these new gods had power to kill and make alive, to punish men who like himself had slighted them ? If it were so, the stranger's threat had been no empty one : his life was now in peril. New fear was added to his pain, and pride gave way to sheer distress. At last, in desperation, Mr. Nng cried out, " O holy man, return and save my life ! " He called his servants, " A Sui-ah, Be-ah, Long-ah, quick, send someone to bring back the priest." A shadow darkened the doorway, and the priest entered, his face wearing its accustomed look of imperturbable suavity, but his eyes glittered as he raised their drooping lids. " What would you with me, O elder brother ? " he queried, in level tones. " Save me from this pain," gasped Mr. Nng, beside himself with agony. " Do you repent ? " said the other. " My heart is changed, I do repent me of my sins," cried the poor man, getting upon his knees in the bed. " Drink this then, brother," said the Buddhist, taking a tiny earthen bottle from his pocket, and emptying its contents into one of the teacups which stood upon a table by the bed. 38 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY Mr. Nng drank the fluid, and was soon relieved of liis sufferings. " I thought that you would send for me, my brother," said the visitor, as he took a chair and seated himself His unlucky host murmured some- thing about the overpowering honour his reverence did him by returning to so poor a dwelling. Presently the conversation turned to the unwelcome subject of the property. Though Mr. Nng was in great straits, he fought manfully for his own. The priest was very gentle and persuasive, but, behind the diplomacies of the conversation, the unspoken argument made itself felt. A benefit had been conferred by the stranger, and it had to be paid for. Besides this, Mr. Nng was afraid, and the priest knew it, and Mr. Nng knew that he knew. "On what conditions will the venerable elder brother bestow some of his ground upon the holy Buddha ? " queried the visitor. " How can the younger brother sin against his ancestors and alienate their lands to gods they neither knew nor served ? Yao and Shun did not teach men to worship idols." " But if Buddha were to approve himself by appearing as of old he did to Han Ming-ti, what then, venerable brother ? " THE KHAI-GOAN-SI 29 " The younger brother doubts his doing so," said Mr. Nng, with a careless laugh. The priest, whose face was set and still like the countenance of one of his own idols, made no answer. Mr. Nng gasped inwardly, for he could not bear the man's fixed look, in which peace was changed to mockery by strange indifference. That night Mr. Nng had little rest. His sleep was plagued by dreams. The priest pursued him ; and amidst the crowding fancies that hung about his pillow, it seemed as if Buddha himself appeared, a shining golden presence, to claim the family fields. There was a restrained emphasis in the priest's tones next morning when he inquired how Mr. Nng had slept during the night. His patient host thanked him with the courteous formality ot his race, but felt perturbed. This suave priest, with his chiselled speech and inscrutable ways, was too much for him. Like the spirits of whom the Master spoke, it was better to 'respect him, and keep him at a distance.' In the conversation which followed he made no reference to the dream, but showed a little more attention to the importunities of the wily pleader. The priest now tried a new line of attack, and instead of asking 30 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY for a large piece of land as on previous occasions, he pled for a small plot. "Would the venerable elder brother consent to give as much ground as might be covered by his suppliant's robe?" 'Twas but a little thing to grant, and the gift would bring lasting favour --to the giver. Let the cost be weighed but for a moment] against the advantages, and no sen- sible person would hesitate to pay it. Mr, Nng, like a man who respects the dog that has bitten him, had a deferential opinion of the Buddhist's powers ; superstition swayed his judgment, and his nerves — even though they were Chinese — were giving way beneath the strain. He conceded a point. "If the presence, whom his reverence worships, really is supreme, let him make proof of it by covering that tree with lotos blossoms," he said, pointing to a spreading banyan near the house. Next morning the tree was decked with white flowers. " Oh, white lotos blossoms are easily brought forth," said Mr. Nng sturdily, when the unwelcome miracle greeted his eyes. "If the Buddha were to make the blossoms red, that would be a clearer proof of his power." Early next day, when Mr. Nng looked into his garden, THE KHAI-GOAN.SI 31 the tree stood resplendent with ruddy bloom. A choking sensation seized him. Despair throttled him with bony knuckles. The lands were slipping from him. He could not explain away the un- welcome evidences thus forced upon him, and when the priest followed these wonders by fresh demands, his unfortunate host, with great reluct- ance, granted his desire. " You asked for a small plot of ground, as much as a cloak would cover ? " " Yes," said the priest. " No larger than the dress you wear ? " pursued Mr. Nng, with the caution of a people who are amateur lawyers by nature and necessity. " No larger than the dress I wear," said the priest, touching the edge of the garment in question. He spoke quietly, but a flash showed black and white beneath the controlled eyelids as they lifted for a moment. The robe was spread upon the ground, but it would not rest where it was placed, for it rose and floated through the air until it looked like a small red cloud, and as it rose its shadow spread wider over the broad lands below. The owner wept with rage and consternation, and threw himself upon the priest, who had already 32 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY begun to mark the outline of the shadow on the fields. " It cannot thus be done," said Mr. Nng ; " I will not give so large a piece of land. This is a scurvy trick, O holy man. The bargain was that you should have as much ground as the robe might cover, not what its shadow covered." The priest said nothing, but, giving Mr. Nng a look that chilled his maj-row, raised his hand with a quiet gesture, and the robe came floating down again until it rested on the earth. Then he took it by the edge and began to pull it, 'jmuttering words unknown to Mr. Nng and his retainers, who stood by wondering what was next to happen. The robe stretched as the monk pulled it, growing larger and larger beneath the victim's astonished eyes, until at last it covered as much land as the shadow had darkened. Thus the ground was lost and won, and the first buildings of the famous temple rose upon the ancient holding of the Nngs, They were added to from time to time, as the cult of Buddha spread in the district ; and when at length the dynasty of T'ang was overthrown, many people of wealth devoted their property and THE KHAI-GOAN-SI 33 their persons to its aggrandisement, rather than let them fall into the hands of the new rulers during the horrors which ensued. So much wealth came to the temple in this way that the number of shrines was largely added to, until more than one hundred were included within the limits of the broad enclosure. A porchway, in itself a temple, with its black- faced guardian idols, two on each side, half hidden in perpetual shadow, fronted the west street of the city. Beyond this porch the chief court opened vast and still, its grey slabs worn by trackless feet as the centuries went on, and haunted beneath the summer sun by the empti- ness of desolation. Cloisters flanked it with masses of cool shade on either side, and dark green banyans threw blue - black shadows upon the pavement; a double line of quaint stone lanterns and lotos flowers led up the centre to a platform of hewn stone, from which the high- roofed main temple towered above the other shrines. Within this building five great idols sat each on its gilded lotos throne, the dream look of a passionless Nirvana on its face. Attendant deities stood by their massive knees, whilst screens of sculptured woodwork curved 3 34 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY behind the shining figures and spread in cloud- like tracery above their heads. Perpetual in- . cense smouldered beneath the dim oil lamps before the central Buddha, while on an altar farther in stood the banzai^ tablet of the Emperor. Streamers of calico inscribed with pious sentences fell from embroidered valances above, striping the gloom with spectral bands of white. Pillars, each a monarch tree, hewn from forests that since have disappeared, rose from their greenstone pedestals to meet the shadowy rafters, and above them angel figures, bearing alternately a trumpet and a book, supported the tinted ceiling overhead. Beyond this stately sanctuary, with a breadth of grey stone court between, was the shrine of Kwan-yin, our Lady of Mercy, where, in a mysteiy of carved and painted art, a myriad heads studded the woodwork behind her throne. But the pagodas, rising from walled enclosures to east and west of these buildings, were the chief glory of the Khai-goan-si ; constructed first of timber, then of brick, and last of all from massive blocks of granite, they hung above the city and showed for miles over the countryside. Each stood ' This well-known Japanese word is formed from the Chinese characters, 'myriad,' 'years.' ' t?ni»»^' ■3 o ?5 '■J o THE KHAI-GOAN-SI 35 on an octagonal platform fenced by balustrades of stone and approached by bridgeways of the same material. The eastern platform, carved with scenes from the legends of early Buddhist missionaries, was more richly wrought than the western one, and was the work of an aspiring 'prentice craftsman who out- did his master and suffered for his ambitious emula- tion. To right and left of the doorways in each storey the pagodas had gods and heroes chiselled in bas-relief. They were five storeys high, surmounted by fluted roofs and lofty pinnacles of copper fixed by chains of the same metal which acted as stays. Centuries had passed away since the temple with its towers had been completed. The Emperor of the time, desirous of securing the succession ot his newly founded line, had employed a famous geomancer to travel through the empire, examining its contours with a view to discovering spots propitious to the birth of rival claimants to the Dragon throne. On returning from his travels the expert was commanded to present his report in person before the Emperor. " Did you find any place within our dominions likely to produce a future ruler ? " demanded the despot. 36 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY " At Chinchew, in the Khai-goan-si, the meanest of the slaves that serve the Son of Heaven has discovered such a spot. For there the contour of the neighbouring hills, the flow of w'ater, and the red earth which forms the soil, provide conditions favourable to the highest promises of fortune. And these natural advantages have been increased by two pagodas which reinforce the propitious influences of the place. It is well-nigh certain that a child of sovereign destinies will be born in that vicinity." " Where did you find the most un propitious piece of ground in our empire ? " continued the Emperor. " Outside the eastern gate of the same city there is a spot the fung-shui of which is so bad that it cuts like a pair of shears," replied the specialist. " The family of anyone buried there would be destroyed within a generation." " We bestow it on you for a grave ; you shall be buried there," said the superstitious prince, fearing lest the geomancer should have secretly reserved some special bit of 'imperial ground' for his own burial, to the treasonable benefit of his descendants. In accordance with an imperial command to destroy the pagodas, quantities of wood, torn from houses pillaged and left empty during the troubles at the recent change of dynasty, were heaped around THE KHAUGOAN-SI 37 the lower storeys, and fired so as to crack the stones and cause the towers to fall. The piles blazed furiously, and volumes of smoke went rolling over the country. By night the pagodas stood like fiery pillars on pedestals of glowing coal, round which the swaying flames hung banners of demon blue and yellow. But the solid masonry resisted the heat of the burning wood, and the superstitious incendiaries gave up their attempt, not daring to lay sacrilegious hands upon the sacred structures. Though the Khai-goan-si has lost its former splendour, there is a more than usual stir about the ancient temple on the first day of the year, when, some hours before the dawn, crowds gather in the West Street and throng the entrance. By means of bamboo screens, a space large enough to contain two rows of chairs fronting each other is roughly portioned off at one side of the hall within the porch. Darkness drapes the place from roof to floor and lies upon the courts beyond. Here and there a spark of candlelight tells where itinerant, vendors of sweets and other eatables ply their trade among the people, whose appetites are stimulated by the hungry night air. 38 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY A chair on bamboo poles carried by coolies and escorted by lantern-bearers comes struggling through the press and stops before the entrance. The crowd sways in the darkness as the people stretch their necks and push each other in a vain effort to see the new arrival. The chair is tilted so as to lower the front poles, and a gentleman steps out and stands for a moment between his servants' lanterns. The excitement dies away again. Waiting is chill work in the dark, but no one leaves, and fresh advents increase the throng. There is a murmur. Several torch-bearers have halted before the porch, driving back the bystanders with a shower of sparks from their flaming brands ; an official palanquid swings into the opening thus formed and is lowered with a jerk to the pavement; the great man descends, attendants making way for him as he slowly walks towards the temple, ascends the steps, and takes his seat on one of the chairs within the porch. Another silken palanquin is put down. Officials of lower rank ride up on caparisoned horses. The rows of chairs are filling quickly with magnates clad in robes of state, who rise, with the courteous ceremohial of their order, to receive each new-comer as he greets them before taking his seat. THE KHAI-GOAN-SI 39 The crowd, anxious to see all that can be seen, presses closer. Meanwhile time has been passing, and in an hour, or at the most two, the tardy winter dawn will come. Some attendants leave the porch and place cushions several yards apart from each other so as to form two rows running down the court in front of the main temple : one for the civilians, on the west side ; and the other on the east for the ftiilitary officials. Tripods, in each of which a fire fed by some inflammable material leaps and dances, stand at equal distances upon the temple platform, some forty feet in advance of the building. The doors of the temple are wide open, and a lamp glows above the central altar, where the tablet of the Emperor is « placed upon a table beneath the knees of the colossal central Buddha. The western pagoda swims overhead in the dim sky, a star striking its needle point of light where the curved edge of the topmost storey shows like hewn ebony against the night blue. Beyond the waiting crowd lie breadths of pavement, where the chillness of the morning lurks and shivers. A faint wind stirs uneasily through the cloisters. The corridors are full of memories, elusive, desolate, that pass and hover, refusing to be recalled. Empty 40 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY spaces everywhere are peopled as with shadowy multitudes revisiting the places of their ancient solemnities. The glancing light from the platform falls on rows of spectral faces where the people line the edges of the central space. The last of the officials has arrived. A signal is given : the yamen runners and secretaries push back the people, and the great men leaving their seats pass from the porch into the open court beyond. As they advance to take their places by the cushions, those of higher rank being nearest to the sacred precincts, fresh fuel is cast into the tripods, and the flames leap higher, illuminating the temple front and platform and part of the court. The officers, headed by the Prefect on the one side and by the General on the other, wait motionless, their faces looking north towards the banzai tablet within the temple and the capital beyond it again, where no doubt the object of their reverence is being greeted at the moment by high officials of the court. It is a glorious bit of spectacular ceremonial : the high-roofed temple with its lamp inside the shadowy doorways ; the broad stone platform banded with flame and diapered by flickering black and gold ; the figures on the pavement in their robes and furs, the rich red of their state cap fringes gleaming as the THE KHAI-GOAN-SI 41 light touches them beneath the banyan branches; the mass of living shadow framing all. Worship begins. The master of the ceremonies gives the word, calling it out with a long, clear cry. The officials in rows prostrate themselves and strike their heads upon the ground, swinging with regular motion as they bow in unison. Another word of command rings forth, and the motion ceases. Again the master calls, and the double line falls forward. The heads swing rhythmically till the triple ritual of obeisance once more is at an end and the shadowy figures are kneeling upright and still. A voice sounds from within the temple. The master of the ceremonies repeats the word, and for the last time the kowtow, almost majestic in its abandon, is per- formed. Again a call, and the figures stand erect. A moment later, the General and Prefect, followed by their assistant functionaries, their respects to the Emperor having now been paid, leave their places, and part with mutual good wishes for the New Year. The silken palanquins disappear, and the crowd makes its way home to breakfast under the paling sky. The ceremonial annual greeting of the Emperor, performed in every city throughout the empire, is over. 42 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY Several years ago some strangers visited the Khai-goan-si, where they were courteously received by the monks, who showed them the high-place with its colossal images and the various treasures which the establishment contained. A pleasant chat over some delicious tea, which was handed to them by an attendant, brought their visit to an end, and after saying good-bye to their hosts they left the temple. Scarcely had they returned from their sight- seeing to the place where they were lodging in the city, however, when they were surprised by one of the native Christians, who came quickly into the room where they were sitting, his face strangely white under its yellow skin. " Have the teachers heard the news ? " he asked breathlessly, without waiting for the usual salu- tations. " What news, O elder born ? — but pray be, seated." " The great idol of the Khai-goan-si has fallen," said the man, still standing near the proffered chair. " What ! — the central image ? " "Yes; the head and shoulders have tumbled, carrying away a hand and one of the knees in their descent." " Well ! " " Worse than all, the imperial tablet and the altar THE KHAI-GOAN-SI 43 on which it stood were broken to pieces by the fall." " When did this happen ? " " An hour after the teachers left the temple." " In what way did the elder born hear of this catastrophe ? " " Everyone is talking about it. There is a tumult in the West Street and throughout the neighbourmg wards of the city, the people clamouring for ven- geance on the foreigners who caused the downfall of the image by their spells." " Why, no one will really believe that we ever did such a thing." " Many believe it, saying that you cast magic on the idols when within the temple. Teacher," con- tinued the man, starting forward, " do not remain talking here. You are in danger. Flee to the yamen with your friends, and ask the mandarin to save your lives." " To save our lives ! Surely you are exag- gerating the matter." " Quick, quick ! The mob may arrive at any moment to wreck the house," " Our friend is seriously alarmed," said one of the foreigners to the first speaker in English ; " let us make as little of this business as possible. If panic 44 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY spreads among the Christians, it will soon be known, and the crowd will be much more likely to attack them and us." " Don't be troubled, O elder born," continued the other, turning to his Chinese friend. " God will care for us and you, and all will be well." After vainly pressing the foreigners for some time to seek the shelter of the yamen, the man at last reluctantly departed. In the evening the Chinaman came back again with a brighter look upon his face. *' The streets are crowded still, but things are not so threatening now," he said. " You think there is less danger ? " " Yes." " What has caused this change for the better ? " " The excitement has partly spent itself, and people are more sensible now. Three opinions have been keenly debated by them everywhere. One, that the foreigners destroyed the Khai-goan idol by means of spells, and that they should be put to death in consequence ; another, that the fall of the middle idol happening immediately after your visit, betokened that barbarians were about to seize upon the Middle Kingdom ; and the third, that what the foreign teachers have been telling men is really true. THE KHAI-GOAN-SI 45 The idols are empty, useless things, for when the teachers only went to look at them, meaning no harm, the greatest idol of all bowed his head and tumbted to the ground." " You think there is less danger, my friend ! " " Yes, for happily the third opinion is gaining ground, and will no doubt prevail in the end." The grimness of the crisis had passed. A sudden sense of humour swept the city, chasing away the angry feeling which till then had swayed men's minds, and with that lightness which is almost French, the people forgot their malice in a joke. The reaction gathered way and swept on gaily. They made merry as men love to do with fallen idols when they dare. " Buddha was polite indeed. He bowed his head to strangers, and tumbled down in ruins." The people laughed again. For long there was a yawning gap of shadow at the centre of the row of shining images. In course of time, however, the monks collected several thou- sand dollars, and after years of waiting the great Buddha was shaped once more in clay upon a wooden framework and sumptuously covered with gold-leaf. The weight of days is destroying the shrines of the Khai-goan-si, but the main temple stands un- broken between its adamantine flanking towers at 46 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY the heart of the city, and the banyan leaves shadow themselves in blue upon the pavement as of old, while stillness waits on creeping desolation. The curse of ancient chicanery and wrong clings to the crumbling walls. Not a finger is moved to stop the process of decay. The surrounding roofs and build- ings drop slowly into ruin, sharing in that general neglect of public buildings which at times suffers even the palace of the Emperor and the yamens of his officers to become dilapidated. On dark nights, when the wind rushes under the eaves and heavy rain patters and splashes everywhere, opium smokers, mad for the drug, loosen the supports and tear down beams from the bowing cloisters to gain a coin or two wherewith they may relieve their insatiable cravings. Nothing is done to guard the place, and despite its many votaries, the downfall goes on more rapidly as the years pass. When all has gone to ruin except the granite pavements and indestructible pagodas, an effort for the restoration of the famous sanctuary will perhaps be made, and it will rise again upon its old foundations — unless, indeed, the fashion of men's hearts be changed meanwhile, and a presence more glorious than appeared in dreams to Mr. Nng claim the ancient temple for His own. III. THE GAMIN SCHOLAR MANY years ago a clever, dirty boy of about thirteen, with the habits of a gamin, used to run about the streets of Chinchew whenever he could escape from school. He loved to creep from the stuffy room, where with a score of other boys it was his lot to drone through the bright hours, and stake a cash, if he had one, on throwing dice for cakes and sugar-cane, or dash and shout amidst a group of urchins at the paved entrance to the neighbouring temple. He was a careless creature, never happier than when playing truant in his seedy clothes and cap, an unkempt queue hanging between his shoulders. When caught and driven back to school none looked more foolish or escaped reproof so hardly, for whilst sharper lads made nimbly for the benches, striking into their lessons with a vigorous chant before their seats were fairly taken, he went blundering into his master's clutches, and fared accordingly. 48 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY His companions left Chiu — for such was the boy's name — far behind at games, bouncing their cotton balls and whirling many times oftener than he could, before' the next hop came, or driving the flying shuttlecock above his head with nimble feet, only to laugh and jeer good-naturedly as he missed his kick, or tumbled down in vain attempts to make the return. He was their butt and boon companion, gauche, kind-hearted, saying silly things ; but, when he had a book or pen in hand, although he looked as fatuous as ever, his comrades sang a different song, for none could match him. Exasperated that such a^ idiot in ordinary life should thus excel them, they would vent their resentment upon the unlucky victor at the close of school. His master's relation to the youth was still more whim- sical ; while he was tried by his silly looks and childish ways, the almost faultless tasks he brought him filled the good man's heart with pride, and qualms of flattering perturbation seized him as he saw himself outdone by sentences that shaped themselves ' full and hard as bronze ' in the com- positions of his loose-hung scholar. The questions of the awkward lad also put the dominie upon his p's and q's, suggesting as they did that his ugly THE GAMIN SCHOLAR 49 duckling was about to launch on waters where he could not follow. Chiu, driven at the point of the ruler, distinguished himself in the magistrate's examinations for junior candidates, and was entered to sit for the first degree at the next triennial visit of the Literary Chancellor. When the great man passed through the streets, borne by eight bearers in his green silk palanquin and attended by a retinue of local officers, the lad was deep in the jostling crowds, gaping with the best of them. The city was thronged by scholars of every condition in life, both rich and poor ; polished citizens in flowing silks ; rough villagers from the hills in robes of cotton homespun ; young lads, the red blood still suffusing their yellow cheeks ; tooth- less veterans of the pencil, faint yet pursuing in spite of wrinkles and white hair. These men, some nine thousand in number, accompanied by an army of servants and followers, were added to the popula- tion within the walls for the time being, and helped to fill the city to overflowing, whilst waiting to be examined according to their districts in groups of from one to three thousand. When the day arrived for Chiu's district to enter upon its trials, he was conducted to the examination hall and pushed in trembling within the gates. He 4 50 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY nearly suffered shipwreck at the outset, when being searched for 'sleeve editions' or cribs, answering wildly and looking so unlike a candidate, that had it not been for his credentials, he would have been driven from the place. Seated at last on the allotted bench, panic took the lad as he looked right and left, where some three thousand men were ranged row upon row in long shed-like buildings, edging a grass-grown stone court. He shifted nervously upon his seat and scarcely dared to lift his eyes to the pavilion at the upper end of the central space, where the Chancellor presided with his secretaries and assistant examiners. An iron gong pealed forth, filling him with fresh perturbation, as two characters from the Four Books, which were to form the subject of the first essay, were hung out upon a board. But he pulled himself together when he identified the passage chosen and grasped the idea to be discussed. As he brushed back his tangled hairs and loosely plaited queue, rubbing down a supply of ink the while, the outline of his essay shaped itself before him. Thus and thus the theme should be enunciated, thus expanded, so it should be turned and countered to the verge of plain denial, thus it THE GAMIN SCHOLAR 51 should be twisted back again, reaffirmed, illustrated, and driven home. By the time the bamboo pen was in Chiu's hand, the fright which had threatened him disappeared, and the clear brain sat regnant over the ungainly body, gathering its powers into- play as the essay began to unfold itself. The other candidates, if they noticed him at all, saw only an ill-clad figure, huddled over the bench and a pen that moved steadily, save when raised to dip for ink or to be cleansed from some impurity by a careful blackened finger. None of them could have divined the lad's mind striking swift into the heart of things, shaping its ordered line of thought, and ransacking the world of letters for allusions to ' gild and jade ' the phrases of the growing argument. He laughed within his heart; he knew the creator ecstasy. Then his pen stopped and he awoke to find himself sitting cramped and weary, with aching wrist and forehead, the leaves of the finished essay lying on the bench before him. A slight cough caused Chiu to turn his head at this juncture, and, when he looked, there was crafty Chhoa, an old acquaintance of his, signalling furtively for help. Forgetting the warnings of his teacher and others as to silence, Chiu began to whisper, but 52 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY ceased immediately on seeing heads near begin to turn in his direction. On- this he wrote a hint or two upon a strip of paper, which he rolled into a pellet and blew along the wooden boards towards his neighbour. Seeing him still sitting in motionless despair, he recklessly began to whisper once more, and just escaped ejection from the building for his pains. Chiu's father nearly beat him from vexation, when he found him playing chuckstone on the pavement with a group of ragamufifins after the examination. When seized and asked how he had fared in his ordeal, he made silly answers, and the old man let him go in desperation, protesting that one so ' weakly soft ' would never make a figure in the world of letters. But when the horizontal notices, with the names of successful candidates arranged in circles on them, were posted in the city, Chiu senior was among the first who went to scan the lists. With heavy heart he searched among the bottom names, and failing to find the one he wanted, was about to go disappointedly homewards, when curiosity led him to look again to see who headed the list. Adjusting his brass-edged spectacles, he examined the list with care ; he took them off and rubbed his eyes ; he put them on again and stared. THE GAMIN SCHOLAR 53 " My grandfather ! " he exclaimed in wonder ; " Goa ! " he shouted in glad astonishment ; for he was looking at his own son's name. The boy was caught upon his father's return and duly impressed with the new dignities which now were his. The blue robe, state cap and girdle, silken boots and tinsel flowers, used by a sew-tsai, or scholar of the first degree, were provided, and he was conducted through the usual ceremonies at the yamens and temples. He was fdted by his friends and made much of, but the old nature remained unchanged, and he hung about as helplessly as ever. His relations, proud as they were of the distinction he had won for the family, could not hide their wondering contempt at times, and even the coolies who carried him in his decorated chair on the ceremonial visits which he had to pay, made merry at his expense. After this achievement, Chiu studied more care- fully than he had done before, and, despite his slovenly ways, astonished his teachers and companions by his work. " He understands at one glance," they would say in the common phrase of the people ; " he has all the books in his stomach." Very soon he began to think of attempting the next step in the path of literary advancement. When nearly 54 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY ready for this further venture he went with a party of friends on a ' dreaming ' expedition to the famous hill shrine of Sangk'eh-soa. His companions like himself were students, studying for the second degree and looking forward to the severe test of the examinations at the provincial capital. One or two were men of means, but most of them were poor, and among them was a one-eyed scholar who looked rather down at heel in his patched dress and worn shoes. The • temple to which they bent their steps was famous as a place where people passed the night in hopes of finding portents from which they might read their fortunes. The party, after climbing the mountain, reached the temple above a slope strewn with boulders, and passed the night in rude beds arranged like bunks around a squalid room. Next morning it was discovered that whilst the majority, wearied by the march, had slept without dreaming, one of their number had dreamt that an aged scholar with a rugged face had appeared to him, pointing to a sheet of paper on which the symbol for honour was inscribed. This character, like the majority of those used in Chinese writing, is a composite one, being formed by joining several simpler signs together. The first of these components is ' t'ung,' which means to hit the THE GAMIN SCHOLAR 55 middle, or graduate ; this is followed by a single stroke separating it from another symlaol beneath, meaning ' knot ' or ' eye,' which rests in turn upon two sloping strokes representing ' man.' When the dreamer mentioned what he had seen, the two men of position among the party were jubilant, concluding that someone who was held in honour and respect would graduate at the approaching examination ; the other members of the group, and especially the one-eyed scholar, being correspondingly depressed. Long and keen were the discussions which followed as to the exact meaning of the dream, but, failing to arrive at a unanimous con- clusion, the party resolved to write the character upon a piece of paper and ask the first person they met after descending the mountain to interpret its bearing upon their affairs. On reaching the plain, they came upon a man in straw sandals resting by the wayside with a bundle lying on the ground beside him. Greeting him after the friendly^ fashion of the country, they told him their business, and handing him the paper, asked what conclusion he drew from the character of which their comrade had dreamt. " But the ' honoured presences ' must understand that their despicable younger brother cannot read." 56 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY " Let the venerable uncle kindly trouble himself to look at the word written upon this paper ; 'tis but a simple one, which everybody knows." The man looked carefully at the ' character ' and then at the faces of the scholars standing round him. " What does this hollow oblong with an upright line dividing it in the middle mean?" he asked, pointing to the top of the symbol. " It means the middle, or to hit the middle as an arrow striking the target. It also means to graduate or hit the mark at an examination," answered one of the group. " The presences are about to go to Foochow to be examined, are they not ? " " Yes." " Then this means that one or more of their number will hit the mark there." " Goa ! " said the men of the long robe, prolonging the full vowels in delight and surprise at so encouraging an interpretation. " The straight stroke next below means ' one,' does it not ? " said the man, moving his finger and pointing immediately beneath the portion just explained to him. " Correct, O venerable granduncle," said one of THE GAMIN SCHOLAR 57 the scholars, promoting the stranger by an increase of seniority in the respectful epithet he used to address him. "And this square divided by two inner lines below the ' one,' what may it stand for ? " " A knot or eye," " One eye, one eye," the man repeated, pausing for a moment. " And these two sloping strokes beneath it again mean ' man,' do they not ? " he continued, pointing to the bottom of the character. " Truly they do, O venerable grand uncle." " One, eye, man." He went over the words slowly. There was a sudden stir in the group, the scholars turning instinctively towards their companion in the patched gown. The countryman noticed the move- mertt, and, following their gaze, saw that the object of their scrutiny had lost an eye. " The one-eyed man will graduate," he said, the words almost jumping out of his mouth, so surprising was the coincidence. When the time approached for the examinations at Foochow, Chiu, in accordance with the time- honoured custom, called upon his friends and received considerable help from them towards the 58 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY ejfpenses of the long journey he was about to make. The necessary preparation being completed, he travelled with some other scholars, bound upon the same errand to the provincial capital, each having a bundle of clothes done up in small compass, with writing materials and a few precious books stowed away inside it, every one of them being accompanied by a poor relation, or hired servant, to attend to his wants when he should be a prisoner within the examination hall. The money they had borrowed or collected enabled the candidates to travel most of the stages of their hot journey by chair, and each night they put up together at one of the primitive inns to be met with at the halting-places upon the high road. Arrived at Foochow, the travellers found quarters at a lodging frequented by Chinchew people, and were very merry together, save when engaged with final preparations or in the schools. Chiu, as usual, was at the centre of the fun. The young sew- tsais laughed at his maladroit ways and speeches, but'it was fortunate that he was among good- natured comrades, who, however they might tease him, checked his childish propensities and kept him from wandering off to loaf upon the streets. J J o H THE GAMIN SCHOLAR 59 After the first of the three examinations, at which he had been all but suffocated in the tiny cell allotted" to him, our hero employed himself in strolling idly about the city, trying to kill time until the next trials should be due, a few days later. Now it so happened that on one of these rambles he found himself, along with two or three companions, among a number of the Foochow literati, with whom he fell into a discussion on the writing of essays. The Foochow men, misled by Ghiu's uncouth appearance and careless ways, discounted his opinions, and fell to teasing him, maintaining that provincials like himself knew little or nothing of letters. Chiu and his friends on their part retorted that ChincheW, their ancestral city, had produced more distinguished scholars and officials, in proportion to its population, than the city of Foochow. They had a good case, but Chiu put it badly, and got himself laughed at for his pains. " Chinchew people have no ink in their stomachs. They are white water men," gibed the scholars, playing upon the meaning of the symbols for ' white ' and ' water,' whicU together form the first of the two characters used in writing the city's name. 6o CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY Stung by a taunt implying that they were illiterate bumpkins, and vexed by the contempt which Chiu's futile speech had drawn upon them, the Chinchew scholars challenged their tormentors to prove the assertions they had made. " With pleasure," replied the Foochow men in chorus, resolved to teach these country cousins a lesson. " Let a number of your scholars meet an equal number of ours in friendly contest at a place convenient for the purpose. Some disinterested graduate, from one of the prefectures other than Chinchew or Foochow, shall set us a theme upon the spot, and our dispute can then be easily determined from the essays written by your men and burs. The side which loses shall pay a forfeit to the other." " Done," cried Chiu and his companions, without waiting to consider whether their friends would be willing to join in such a competition or not. It was settled, therefore, to have the meeting next day in a neighbouring building which the Foochow men had at their disposal. After this encounter Chiu and his companions strolled lazily back to their quarters, where they told their comrades of the dispute and what it had led to. The Chinchew men were disgusted at being THE GAMIN SCHOLAR 6i committed to so serious a matter without previous consultation, even the two or three who were parties to the bargain meanly refusing to take part in the contest. On this Chiu, at his wits' end, went from one inn to another in dilatory fashion, still hoping to beat up recruits, but met with scant encouragement. His fellow-citizens looked upon him as a fool, and practically told him so. No one took him seriously. His words had little weight, and when he spoke people did not listen. They laughed when he grew earnest, and sent him limping back to his dog-eared books and guttering oil lamp. There was a scornful ripple next day when Chiu shufifled into the room appointed for the competition, to find eighteen of the - Foochow men ready for the fray. He was the only Chinchew representative to make an appearance, but the local men, considering that an affront had been put upon them, determined to hold the competition and to exact the forfeit by default. Chiu said that for his part he would keep to the compact, and compete as best he might for the honour of his prefecture. When he asked timidly to be allowed to write several essays, if the time allowed, so as to make up for his absent fellow- citizens, and that each of these essays might be pitted against one on the other side, his request 62 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY was granted, not without some witticisms on the unlikelihood of his achievements in such a direction. The subject was given out. Down went the heads, and silence fell upon the busy room. Chiu lost himself in his work, kicking off his shoes as he bent his back over the paper. His mind, stirred by gibes and stung by the defection of his friends, was fully awake perhaps for the first time, and flung itself into the contest. His thoughts, stimulated by the excitement, grew limpid. The pages multiplied beneath his hands. Soon the first essay was com- pleted, and turning to a fresh view of the subject, he plunged into another one. The sentences flowed from his pen. When the second essay was finished he took up the theme in a different aspect and began again. The Foochow scholars, counting upon certain victory, wrote at their ease, and scarcely flung a glance at the huddled figure, which, save for the racing pen, sat almost motionless on the opposite side of the room. On went Chiu's brush, swiftly driving down the lines. He worked, scarce knowing whether it was himself or some other that wrote thus, reproducing upon paper the immediate in- tuitions of a spirit. Another essay was completed and another, and as each was laid aside he moved THE GAMIN SCHOLAR 63 to a different standpoint and discussed the fresh ideas that rose before him. By this time the Foochow men began to notice that something not quite ordinary was going on at the table where the solitary lad was sitting. They paused in their work to note the hand moving cease- lessly over the paper and the growing pile of essays. " Demon pen," they muttered, half laughing, as they stretched their arms and yawned. On went Chiu. Some of his opponents having completed their own tasks, strolled over to look more closely at what he was doing. A glance sufficed to arrest their attention. They looked at him and then they looked at each other, standing in amazement like children at a street play. The lad worked steadily without lifting his eyes.- Something chivalrous began to stir their hearts, in spite of their previous vexation, as they grouped around the solitary scholar. He was not much to look at, but he had ' a good pluck,' and whatever his work might amount to, where others had flinched, he was fighting single-handed for the literary reputation of his city. The word went round to give him time, and as the day was long, and there was little else, to do, the scholars waited with sceptical good- nature, quizzing each other as they smoked their 64 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY water-pipes or watched the pages turning one by one. When at last the limit of the Foochow men's patience was almost at an end, Chiu gathered up his scattered pages and began binding them together with twisted strips of paper for string. One, two, three, — he counted out his essays, — the Foochow men gathered closer, — four, five, six, — their eyes opened as he proceeded, — seven, eight, nine ; and so on until, amid invocations of " My father ! " " My ancestors ! " " My grandfather ! " he reached the tale of eighteen, and handed them to the judges chosen to preside upon the occasion. The surprise of the local sew-tsais shortly after- wards was changed to consternation, when it was discovered that Chiu's essays were better than their own. Deserted by his friends and. condemned by friends and foes alike, he had fought for his own hand, and won. The forfeit was paid, and although it was with difficulty that the victor was prevented from wasting it in thriftless ways, the foolish-looking lad had gained for himself an imperishable renown. If the Foochow scholars hardly dared to lift their heads when they met their conqueror, his fellow- townsmen were scarcely less crestfallen as they realised how they had been made a public show THE GAMIN SCHOLAR 63 by one whom they had openly despised. His essays were passed from hand to hand, and the scholars laughed with exquisite vexation over the contrast between the force ot a transcendent literary gift and the outward slovenliness of its possessor, Chiu passed his examinations for the second degree along with the one-eyed candidate, and afterwards distinguished himself when he graduated as Chin-su among the highest scholars of the land. The dignities which came upon him thus were not congenial to his disposition. He loved the feasts given in his honour, where he might stuff himself with dainties, but he missed the pleasant freedom of the streets, from which his rank ought to have barred him. Fame brought him fresh vexation, for whilst he failed to profit by his honours, it drew attention to defects which would have passed unmarked among the common crowd. The Chin-su's monetary dealings were a proverb. On one occasion, having some silver which he wished to keep securely, he wrapped it in cloth and placed it in a hole left by the builder's mould stick in a wall of pounded earth. When he had deposited the money inside it, he covered the mouth of the 5 66 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY aperture with a piece of paper, on which he had carefully written the words: "This hole does not contain fifteen ounces of silver belonging to Chiu the Chin-su." Some time after he had made this hoard, the good man was found by one of his friends fruitlessly poking the recesses of the hole with a bit of bamboo and pausing at times to peer disconsolately into its depths. Nothing would induce him to tell his neighbours what the trouble was, but for half a day he occupied himself with futile visits to the wall, and only after repeated efforts to solve its mystery did he desist. What might have been expected had happened. The hole was empty. The puerile falsehood had come true. Our gamin scholar kept his predilection for the gutter to the end, loving to roam the streets on all occasions. When returning rather late at night from one of his vagrant expeditions, he got into trouble; for with more than ordinary carelessness he had forgotten to provide himself with a lantern, thus breaking the ancient rule, by which every reputable citizen is bound to carry a light when walking in the city after nightfall. THE GAMIN SCHOLAR • 67 Other people no doubt broke the salutary stipu- lation with impunity, but our hero upon this occasion ran his head against the wall as usual, stumbling carelessly into the midst of a patrol of watchmen. " Who are you, sir ? " queried the officer of the watch. " It's me," said Chiu, with a nervous laugh. " Why do you walk the streets without a light ? " continued the officer. " I have been to see a friend, and I forgot to bring a lantern." " Been to see a friend at this time of night, when all good people are in bed ! A strange story," said the man, raising his light that he might scan the stranger's face. " Hngh," he said, as he lowered the lamp, not at all reassured by this brief inspection, " but why do you creep through the streets without at least a torch, as though you were about some doubtful errand ? " " Been to a gambling den," volunteered one of the watch. " Going to break into some house, more likely," said another of the men. " Take him to the lock-up," cried the officer. 68 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY " But, but " protested Chiu, all his wits flying from him in his extremity. " Give him a beating if he objects," said the officer, and with a whack the poor fellow was quickly overpowered and dragged away. When Chiu was brought before the authorities, his disreputable looks, and the figure which he made when under examination, so damaged him that he was ordered a beating. Just as he was about to be laid under the bamboo, however, he happened to let fall a casual remark about his elder brother, muttering half to himself, " I wonder what people will say when they hear that the brother of a Chin-su has got himself whipped in this fashion ? " " Stay ! " cried one of the police, " This man says that his brother is a Chin-su ; we had better take care." Upon this Chiu was led back into the presence of the superior officer to be examined again. " Did you say your brother was a Doctor of Letters ? " " Yes, of course," said Chiu, naming him. " What, the famous graduate ! " exclaimed the THE GAMIN SCHOLAR 69 officer, starting on hearing the name of one of the most influential personages in the city. " If you had only told us so before, we would not have brought you here," cried the functionary, vexation mingling with surprise as he began to tremble for his own skin. " I did not think of telling you," said Chiu, with a foolish smile. " But, venerable sir," said the man, becoming respectful, " if your brother is a person of such position, how comes it that you walk the streets in the dark without a servant, and dressed — forgive my saying so — like a beggar ? " Chiu chuckled and made irrelevant remarks. "Well, then, what are you yourself?" queried the officer, inclined to be doubtful in spite of his apprehensions. " What do you do ? " " I read books," said the captive simply, looking as if he "did not know the character for heaven.' " Are you a scholar ? " " Yes." " Oh, venerably great one, we did not know it when we seized you," said the watchmen with one voice, realising what a coil they had got themselves into by striking a member of the privileged class 70 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY of literati, who could not legally be struck or beaten. " Do not vex yourselves about the matter," said Chiu, in a wandering way, " I forgot also to tell you that I am a Chin-su myself." The astonished head of the patrol rose from his seat on hearing this remark, and stood with servile protestations beseeching the ' great man's ' mercy, for he knew full well the reprisals of which he stood in danger and the power of injury possessed by scholars like Chiu, in a land where high attainments bring an almost princely influence to their possessors. The watchmen prostrated them- selves upon the floor. " Never mind," said our hero amiably; "send a torch-bearer to convoy me home, and you will hear no more of this night's proceedings." Chiu lived in his native city, the inconsequence of his ordinary dpings unredeemed even by the unquenchable light of genius. Possessed of ample qualifications for the highest office, he failed to win the goal of Chinese life, seeing one after another of his companions preferred to honourable posts whilst he remained obscure at home. This oriental Goldsmith revelled in the world of letters. Nor was there anything he touched THE GAMIN SCHOLAR 71 within it that he did not adorn — his divine gift, infallible, absolute, but ungoverned by judgment, achieving little more than a piquant reputation for one whose life exhibited the wisdom and the follies of ' an inspired idiot.' IV. 'LOVE STRONGER THAN DEATH' There is no passion in the mind of man So weak, but it mates and masters the fear of death.' npHE Island of the Golden Gate is one of the -*■ seaward barriers of Chinchew. On summer afternoons its ruddy beach rests on the sun-touched water like the scalloped rim of a copper vessel upon a cloth of purple shot with gold. But on most days of the year the island is threshed by monsoon wind and torn by volleying breakers. When the world is in a stormy mood, its black peaks stand up bitterly between the heaving ocean and the heavy skies; one low hill, gashed by a landslip, showing white above the foam. In more changeful weather, the mountains, partly lost to view beneath soft clouds, show haunting violets and greys among their shadows, and now and then a break in the sky-drift makes morning for a moment, where the light falls upon some red-roofed human habitation amidst the green of cultivated fields. 74 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY In the valleys between the mountains of the island, and in sheltered places by the shore, lie villages inhabited by fishers. When not employed at sea, these folk give up a portion of their time to farming crofts in sheltered hollows, or now and then to trading with the people of Amoy; whilst feuds and piracy fill the remainder of the year. Life lived in such surroundings is difficult. The powers of nature fray the islanders and possess their minds. Their eyes are filled by changing waters, and the wind buffets them body and soul. Cut off from their fellows by a treacherous channel, obscurity hangs over their doings, of which little is known by people on the mainland, save when some clan difference or deed of blood drives them to seek the magistrates on shore. Several hundred years ago, before the last native dynasty had passed away, two lovers lived in a village on the island. The girl had been betrothed when but a child to the son of a prosperous family in a village situated at some considerable dis- tance from her father's home. The lad, a growing youth, dwelt in a house near by. According to Chinese custom, the two were dead to one another, so far as marriage was concerned, for a girl betrothed in China is bound as closely as a wedded woman. ' LOVE STRONGER THAN DEATH ' 75 But love, forbidden by the law, came all unbidden into these young lives. The relentless usage of their people rendered such love mere madness, for, though the law is weak among these sea-bred folk, custom is strong, and the vendetta ^ follows quick on despite done to family ties. At the moment when the old-world story opens, the lovers' secret was still unknown. They dreamt of joy together in their pitiful paradise, and put away the thought of losing it. To hearts unschooled like theirs, love was a great discovery — a happy land reserved for them alone in all the world — a shore unvisited by human foot before. It was a childish ignorance, yet most natural in a country where the romance of Western life is scarcely known, and men and women who have never seen each other come together at the bidding of their parents. In the mean time, an auspicious day had been chosen for the appointed marriage, and preparations had begun. The girl went secretly and told her lover. Possessed by grief and terror, she passed the hours in weeping. In vain she pleaded for some delay : her parents turned deaf ears to all entreaties. It was • " in China, especially in the south, the vendetta is no less obliga- tory than in Arabia or in mediaeval Italy." — Cycle of Cathay, p. 112. 76 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY unseemly that a maiden should presume, even where her chief interests were engaged, to discuss matters already settled by her elders. Her only duty was to hearken and obey. Watching her opportunity, the bride-elect crept forth to meet her lover on the day before that chosen for the wedding. The end was very near, but love is sweet close under the shadow of death. Another day, or perhaps two, and all that they held dear would cease. Only by an expedient of the most desperate kind was it possible for them to meet again, but they were desperate, and love like theirs flings prudence to the winds. So they resolved to make the venture, and laid their plans to meet again upon the morrow. Early next day the bride was dressed in her embroidered robe of crimson, in spite of tears and wild remonstrances — what more fitting in a Chinese bride than floods of tears? Her family, though somewhat moved perhaps, were greatly comforted by this seemly behaviour on the part of a daughter of the house. Even the neighbours felt that maiden fear and filial regret found adequate ex- pression in such dolorous reluctance to leave the ancestral home. As soon as all was ready, the customary black veil was put upon her face; and LOVE STRONGER THAN DEATH ' 77 when she had taken her place in the wedding sedan chair of carved wood, painted red and gilded, the doors of it were closed and sealed with strips of paper bearing the usual inscriptions. Then the bridat canopy was placed upon the roof of the chair, and she was borne to her new home, accompanied'by a retinue of attendants carrying baskets, furniture and boxes, all of red. When the procession reached its destination, the chair was put down in the front court of the house, just inside the gates. At the same moment the bridegroom, dressed in robes of silk, long boots, and ceremonial hat, was brought forward by his friends. On reaching the front of the chair, according to the usual etiquette he turned his back, and stepping between the carrying poles, kicked the door open, breaking the paper seals, and immediately withdrew. Two old women then received the bride with whis- pered encouragements, patting her shoulders and stroking her with their hands. Music was played by a band of hired musicians, and after all the due preliminaries, the young people knelt down to worship Heaven and Earth, and offered their devotions before the ancestral tablets of the bridegroom's family. After the wedding ceremony, there was tea- 78 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY drinking within the chamber, where the bride, supported by her mother-in-law, served tea to the guests, each of whom left the accustomed piece of money in his cup. Whilst everyone was thus engaged, the girl's lover slipped in unnoticed among the crowd of guests and concealed himself within the room. A little later, tables of red lacquer were set in the family hall and a feast was spread, the festivities being continued until late. Thus it was nearly midnight when the bride and bridegroom were conducted to their bedroom, and the guests departed. The swinging lanterns, red and yellow, and the remnants of the massive candles were extinguished, and silence fell upon the house. No sooner was the door of the bedroom shut upon the crowd of smiling friends and relatives than the bride quietly bolted it. Her lover then emefged from his hiding-place, and with the girl's help gagged the astonished bridegroom, and forcing him into a crouching attitude, bound him to the foot of the bed. When they had made all fast, and tied his queue in such a manner that he could not move his head a hairsbreadth without excruciating pain, the pair kept watch in turns, guarding their prisoner with a knife lest he should struggle to get ' LOVE STRONGER THAN DEATH ' 79 free. Had it been possible, they would have forced the window and escaped under cover of the darkness, leaving their captive to his friends. But they had no chance of evading the sleepless vigilance of the close-built village round them. And even had they passed beyond its limits by some lucky chance, there were hamlets everywhere, and beyond these the pitiless sea, ringing them in on every side. Besides, they did not think of life so much as of a love which made them willing to die, if only together. Next morning the relatives came to the door of the room and found it shut. Later in the day they knocked again, but were refused admittance. The desperate pair, explaining through the closed door how matters stood within, demanded rice for themselves and for their prisoner. They added that they would dispatch him should food be refused them, or in case of an attempt to force the door. The family, terrified by what had happened, and fearing lest the only son of the house might suffer, provided food. For two days the siege continued. On the second night, however, the bridegroom's father, determined to save his son if possible, engaged a skilled housebreaker to force an entrance into the 8o CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY room and effect a rescue. About midnight the thiet climbed the single-storeyed house and quietly made his way from point to point, until he found himself upon the roof above the bridal chamber. Choosing a spot suitable for his operations, he prized off the lime and gently moved the tiles aside, until there was a chink big enough for him to watch what was going on in the ceilingless room below. Seeing that all was quiet, he gradually enlarged the opening, working with stealthy caution so as to make as little sound as possible. He wrought so deftly that only now and then was there a faint grating noise, such as rats make when they creep along the rafters and stir the tiles. At intervals the cunning fingers, busy as death, plied their task swiftly, at intervals paused in their work and waited. The breathless summer night favoured the thief, for the air being warm and still, no draught fell through the aperture to set the lamp flame flickering by the wall. The rats seemed to be active that night, but the inmates of the room beneath scarcely noticed the accustomed sound. At last the hole was large enough for a man's body to pass through. The thiel uncoiled a light rope from his waist, and laying it on the roQf beside 'LOVE STRONGER THAN DEATH' 81 him, bided his time. It was the woman's turn to watch. Worn by fear and strong emotion, she nodded drowsily at her post. Then sleep over- powered her, and the knife fell from her hands. The lad lay motionless upon the bed. The thief leant his body through the hole and tied his rope securely to one of the pine rafters. Then he drew back again and waited, lest his movements might have disturbed the sleepers. Peeping cautiously once more, he saw that all was quiet in the chamber, and that the girl had sunk in heavy slumber to the ground. The man now slipped through the opening and came down the rope, landing on the floor of the room with the silence and adroitness of a Chinese burglar. Immediately he cut the bridegroom's bonds and, opening the door, threw himself upon the lad on the bed. The relatives rushed in and seized the bride. The capture was complete ; there was a faint scuffle and a cry or two, then all was over. Sown with salt by the sea wind, and barren of human interest, the scene of this story lies amidst its tangled shoals as it lay centuries ago when these unschooled lives were lived in it. Obscurity hangs dark above their memory, as 6 82 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY when the storm rack veils the Island of the Golden Gate and the mountains disappear in shadow, but where the light breaks through, their human love in tenderness and terror flames for a moment on the edge of doom. V. BASE METAL MANY years ago, in Chinchew city, a lad whom we may call Tan lived with his widowed mother, in the one wretched room which served them for a home. When old enough he took service as ' boy ' in a cash-shop, so as to do his share in providing food for the 'two mouths' of the family. Tan's master kept him busy running errands, cooking rice, working sums upon the abacus, and sorting out money, good and bad, for those who came to change their silver at the counter. But, while thus employed among strings of copper cash, the lad snatched precious moments in which to practise writing on such stray scraps of paper as he could find. In the dim twilight of the dusky shop or under its smoky lamp, he would sit plying his brush till called away, and soon showed such skill in the all-important art of forming letters, that his master, with the interest in literary efTort so 83 84 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY characteristic of the people, encouraged him to persevere. The lad made rapid progress ; from the practice of handwriting he went on to composition, evinc- ing considerable ability in building such essays as are required from the literary candidates at the examinations. One of the neighbours, a scholar named Nng, noticing the promise shown by the young student, spoke to the lad's mother, saying, " Your son is cut out for a man of letters ; you should not leave him longer at his present occupation." " But the child must help to earn his living," said the woman ; " a widowed house cannot support a student." " Don't worry about that, my friend," continued Mr. Nng ; " if your son will come to me, I can train him myself, and his studies will cost you nothing. He may repay me by and by, if he wishes to do so, when his efforts have been crowned with success." Young Tan profited so much under his benefactor's teaching, that, when only twenty years of age, he took the bachelor's degree, graduating as Master of Arts some two years later. Such were the boy's gifts and such his industry that no test seemed too great for his powers, and he reached at length the BASE METAL 85 highest goal of scholarship, entering the ' Forest of Pencils' and becoming member of the Imperial Academy of Letters. The boy who had toiled early and late for so many years in Chinchew, developed into a remark- able personality ; big-boned and of imposing presence, his strong face marked with heavy eyebrows and his authoritative voice claiming respect from all. A sound scholar, he was also prompt in action, showing capacity in business matters and a re- markable aptness for the diplomacies of yamen life. After occupying several minor posts under the Government, the widow's son was appointed to the important office of Intendant of Circuit at Seleng, in the province of Kansuh. Among other matters calling for immediate attention at Seleng, he found that several complaints against Buddhist monks had been left unsettled by his predecessor. The monks in question lived within his circuit, at a place called Pek-hoa-si, or White Flower Monastery. Most of the undetermined charges laid at their door were for abducting women and bestowing them no one knew where : in connexion with more than one of these suits the monastery had been "searched and every possible source of evidence ransacked, but without result. No proofs sufficiently incriminating 86 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY had been discovered, and although the monks were known to have the women hidden away, they had managed to elude detection. Mr. Tan's interest was attracted by these cases, and he determined to settle them if possible. Rumour had it that the monks were very wealthy, and as crafty as they were rich. Here then was an enterprise worthy of all his efforts ; where others had failed, he would succeed. Thus, urged on by duty and self-interest alike, he laid his plans with care. When the Intendant's scheme was perfected, he chose a fitting time, and, having arranged for the discharge of business during his absence, proceeded to the monastery. It was necessary to act promptly, for the plan in part depended on his person being unknown to the monks. A journey of some days brought the traveller to his destination. It was a lovely spot upon a wooded hill, where the shrines were buried amidst the cool green foliage of trees. The soft summer wind breathed in their shaded courts, whilst a tum- bling stream echoed among the rocks below. Here and there in chosen places were summer-houses, where visitors from busy cities rested themselves in dreamy ease, and others, more earnest than their fellows, in dreamier contemplation ; whilst ever and Q z o Q a a; 'J BASE METAL 87 again the sound of an unseen bell, chiming far within the recesses of the mountain, floated past. Having taken up his quarters at the monastery, the Intendant made a friend of the Abbot, who was head and brain of the community. He cultivated the society of the monks, passing the sunny hours with them among the shaded courts and shy pavilions of the holy place. He lingered on the paved terraces among camellias and citron trees, spending many an hour chatting over thin- stemmed water-pipes, garlanded with white jasmine flowers, or drinking tea more delicately fragrant than the odorous blossoms in the gardens ; he visited the pampered pigs and fowls, the buffaloes and querulous camels, kept in sacred ease at the monastery stables by merit-seeking devotees ; he watched the lazy carp splash for biscuits in their guarded pool; he worshipped night and morning in the dim centre temple, where the gilded images sit with dreamy faces amidst the shadows. Thus time passed ip an amiable, careless way, as though the claims of office were all forgotten, and the monks came to regard the familiar presence as one of themselves. On a certain morning, Mr, Tan noticed one of the monks open a secret 88 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY door behind the shrine of Kwan-yin, the goddess of Mercy, and disappear. Next day he left the mountain for the city ; he had got what he wanted. The key to the mystery of the White Flower Monastery lay in his hands. Soon after his return to headquarters Mr. Tan summoned the chief people of the district, and taking them into his confidence, explained how he had determined to bring the famous monks to a reckoning. The people's help, however, was in- dispensable for carrying out the project which he had formed. The villagers must give their aid under- the bond of secrecy; not a word must be said which could alarm the priests and put them on their guard. It would be best to take the monks at unawares, and by craft if possible, rather than by force : since they were skilled in blowing deadly iron arrows from their mouths and so numerous that to attack them openly among the mountains might lead to serious loss of life. The village headmen, anxious to be free from the malpractices of such formidable neighbours, joyfully consented to do their part in carrying out the scheme. Forthwith the work was put in hand. On a given day the villagers, acting on instructions BASE METAL " 89 from their chiefs, sent to the monastery from all the surrounding country for priests to perform thanksgiving ceremonies, or the usual rites for warding off calamity. Thus it was brought about that the monks were scattered in twos and threes. Secret orders had already been given to the families with whom the priests were lodged; and during the night following the ceremonies for which they had been summoned, they were put to death. Early in the morning, after the night fixed on for the priest-killing, the Intendant, having borrowed two hundred soldiers from the military authorities of the district, surrounded the monastery. As he approached the place, the Abbot, attended only by two young priests, came out to welcome him, but filled with suspicion at the strength of the escort accompanying his friend, he fled. The monks, less wary than their master, were seized by the Intendant and compelled to show where the valuables of the temple were concealed. This they did, pointing out its various stores of goods. On passing through the hidden door behind the idol of Kwan-yin, Mr. Tan discovered a passage leading to a rift in the hills, the sides of which were formed by towering cliffs and go CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY precipices. At the bottom of this little ravine lay a level bit of ground, occupied by buildings, from which over thirty women were recovered. At length, choosing a moment when the soldiers were scattered through the grounds and build- ings of the establishment, the monks asked their captor to dismiss his personal attendant for a moment, as they had something of importance for his eye alone. On his complying with their request, they led him into a secret chamber filled with the ill-gotten treasures of the monks, where the once destitute boy was dazzled by the sight of silver beyond counting, not to speak of three images of the goddess of Mercy with their attendant Lo-han idols, all of gold. The precious metal had been carefully painted over to conceal it from uninitiated eyes, so that, but for his in- formants, Mr. Tan would have failed to recognise the full value of his find. The greatness of the discovery staggered the explorer. Here was wealth beyond his utmost hopes. A sudden mad desire seized him, his clear mind grasping in a moment what this treasure trove might mean for one who should have nerve enough to venture all for its possession. Learning, office, fame, what were these in com- BASE METAL 91 parison with immediate enrichment ! In a flash the choice was made. Ruthless measures were taken lest the monks should speak to others of the painted gold. His Excellency, as in duty bound, had the silver packed up and forwarded to the Emperor; but he kept the images, saying, " I will worship these myself." When the idols had been conveyed to his own quarters in the city, the adroit functionary employed two goldsmiths, whom he had bribed to secrecy, to cut them up into thin slips. These slips were placed between the pages of books, of which he purchased large stores, as oiificials often do when ~ returning from office to their native cities. The gold having been prepared for transit in this fashion, the unfortunate workmen were made away with, lest they should betray the nature of their labours. The Intendant's chief difficulty, however, was to secure the silence of the leader of the soldiers, a certain Tin-tai. To him therefore he gave an archer's thumb-ring of precious jade, possessing the virtue of colouring fluids green to such an extent, that if he dipped it in a large tub of water, the whole would be tinctured by it. But 92 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY fearing that the Tin-tai might betray him, not- withstanding the bribe, the guilty man afterwards accused him of appropriating this ring, and had him beheaded by order of the Emperor. Having thus succeeded beyond all his expecta- tions, Mr. Tan asked for sick leave, praying the permission of the Dragon Throne to return to his native city, where he might be cared for at his own home by physicians acquainted with his malady. The silver which had been forwarded to the palace having smoothed the way, he obtained the leave asked for, and went off carrying his precious books with him. What more natural than that an official whose career had been founded in love of letters should devote part of his well-earned gains to the acquisition of a library ? Tradition, it is true, con- spired with public opinion against a mandarin's returning from his post with trains of baggage borne behind his silken chair. The mere appearance of having multiplied possessions, whilst acting as ' father and mother of the people ' under the Son of Heaven, was to be avoided. No one would venture to complain of books, however, whilst quantities of any other luggage would have raised suspicion in every town and village through which his retinue might chance to pass. BASE METAL 93 Thus at one throw the fortunes of the Tan family, if fortunes they may be called, were founded. His Excellency did not resume his northern Intendantship. The climate of the south suited him better. The monks, several of whom had escaped the ruin of their community, were burning for revenge, and they were not men to be trifled with. No one knew this better than Mr. Tan. The practised administrator was, however, a match for his enemies. A man less gifted had been lost, for only a nature joining snake-like subtlety to the clear eye and relentless spring of the tiger could have escaped. The priests, for their part, knew the powers of the man with whom they had to deal, and, much as they longed to punish their enemy, they feared to place themselves within reach of his claws. Reports continued to be spread in the north as to the Intendant's precarious health. A wasting illness was said to have fastened upon him; his strength was failing ; his mind was sick ; soon death would end his sufferings. It was impossible for one so shattered ever to resume the cares of office. Mr. Tan was never to be seen in the streets of Chinchew. Indisposition confined him to his chamber. 94 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY The monks, who had a subterranean news agency of their own, learned, as was intended, of this prolonged confinement. It was true then, the out- raged idols had avenged themselves, smiting the sacrilegious robber with lingering death. Time passed, but his Excellency kept close, like a Chinese tiger crouching in its cave. He had scanned the book of life too well not to foresee some further action on the part of the monks. He was right. The Abbot, almost as wily as himself, resolved to visit Chinchew, in order to verify the rumours that had reached him at the White Flower Monastery ! The visitor, whose arrival at the Tan mansion was not unexpected, was received there with a simple courtesy. On inquiring for the great man, he was told that his Excellency was very ill. The fourth son of the family entertained the honoured guest with due formality, but without any marked attention. The holy man's name was un- known to him, but that was not surprising, his venerated father had so many friends in distant parts. Had his Excellency been able, he would no doubt have gladly welcomed one who had come so far to see him. The whole family would cer- tainly have joined in detaining his reverence had there been any reasonable hope of their venerable BASE METAL 95 chief's speedy recovery, but that, unfortunately, was not to be expected. Ah ! thought the Abbot, the Intendant is really ill ; the home-going was not a ruse ; we may leave him to the vengeance of the gods. Young Mr. Tan dismissed the visitor, after pro- viding him with a sum of money sufficient for his homeward journey. Thus a dangerous interview was avoided, and the matter of the images was at rest; for the monks, who knew that by their ill- gotten wealth they had incurred the odium of rulers and people alike, did not dare publish their loss by openly seeking their stolen treasure. The Abbot, seeing that further efTorts would be useless, left the city and returned no more to Chinchew. But wrongful gains did not bring lasting wealth. In course of time the great man died in the hand- some red brick house adorned with beautiful rockery gardens which he had built for himself within the city. The tablet marking his rank as an acade- mician remains above the doorway, over whose threshold he will never pass again. His family has dwindled, the gardens and summer-houses which he constructed are in ruins, and the gold for which a glorious scholar, forgetting 96 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY honour and pity, sold the outcome ot so many patient years, and a promising official vilely cast away his seal, is lost, with all the other idols of the man's undoing ; but the account is still to pay. VI THE BRONZE ANTIQUE THE house of Tsng Han-lim, the famous scholar and virtuoso, was full of books, bronzes, and precious porcelains, its chief treasures being col- lected in the ' book room,' a small but well-furnished chamber with a suite of several apartments opening out of it. Here, among calligraphic scrolls and rubbings of inscriptions, hung the picture of a phoenix, which, viewed from a distance, showed the ' empress bird ' in graceful outline, but looked at nearer, changed into a mass of ruddy feathers, and on still closer inspection resolved itself into a whirling red mist. The porcelain hat-stand, and other ornaments upon the dais at the upper end of the room, were of fine Kiangsi 'five colour' ware, and on a carved stand at one side stood a ' sang- de-boeuf vase, the highly glazed enamel of which re- flected the objects in the room. Opening off the study was the library, and in the room beyond it again a collection of ancient Chinese coins. The quest for 7 98 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY such objects had occupied Mr. Tsng for years, in- creasing until it had become a passion which led him into serious extravagances, interfering sometimes also with his discharge of public business. Indeed, it was supposed that where all other gifts had failed to influence him, a well-timed present of a piece of ' Fukien white ' or an incense burner of genuine ' Ming ' bronze was almost certain to produce the desired effect. The academician's mania for collecting was so well known, that dealers pursued him even upon his travels. On a certain occasion, when the duties of Literary Chancellor had carried him into the province of Honan, word was brought by one of these men, that some individual in the vicinity had come into possession of an ancient bronze vessel of considerable value. Mr. Tsng caused inquiries to be made as to the whereabouts of this treasure, but for a time without success. The dealer, however, undertook to find the bronze and have it brought to the neighbouring prefectural city, where the Chancellor was shortly due. After some days, this man wrote stating that he had discovered the object of his search, which proved to be a tripod, worn by age and exposure to sea-water, but with an almost legible inscription in THE BRONZE ANTIQUE 99 curious ' tadpole ' characters upon it. The metal of which it was composed was thin and light, but un- broken. Its owner, however, refused to allow it out of his own keeping, and being much occupied with affairs, declined to bring it to the city where his Excellency then was. In fact, it was doubtful whether he would sell it for any price, as he seemed convinced that the tripod was historical; since the ancient books referred to a vessel of the same description which had been thrown into the sea not far from the place where the bronze in question was actually discovered. This message raised the Chancellor's expecta- tions to white heat, and he sent off a messenger instructing the dealer to spare no expense, but to bring- the tripod and its owner with all dispatch into the city. Still the man lingered, and it was only after a considerable delay that a second letter arrived, explaining that the possessor of the bronze was not inclined to part with it. Fresh inquiries from the Chancellor brought the reply that the man would sell if he got his own price, but that he would not accept a smaller sum than twelve thousand taels of silver. This was a crushing blow, for such a price was staggering even to a\ Literary Chancellor, into whose pockets money flowed loo CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY like water. His Excellency, however, was fairly in the toils ; the collector's lust had seized him, and though wincing at the price demanded, he ordered his agent to have the bronze brought into the city before the close of the examinations should render it necessary for him to leave the prefecture. After some more procrastination the dealer at last appeared bringing the precious tripod and its owner with him. The man, who was conveyed into his Excellency's presence within an hour of his arrival, answered the questions put to him in a simple and apparently straightforward manner. He had found the tripod while fishing in the bay near his own home. It had got entangled in his nets, and had been dragged with difficulty from the mud at the bottom of the water. Noticing that it was very thin and light, and that the lettering upon the surface was ancient, he had shown it to people skilled in such things, and had learned that possibly the tripod might be as ancient as the times of Yu the Great himself. Despite the improbability of this last suggestion, the Chancellor was impressed by the man's story, and his eyes gleamed with excite- ment as he looked at the ancient vessel. Then, fearing lest his eagerness might betray itself further, he dismissed the man, saying that when he had the THE BRONZE ANTIQUE loi leisure to do so, he himself would carefully examine the tripod. No sooner was the owner gone, however, than his Excellency sent for such catalogues and encyclo- paedias giving descriptions of old bronzes, as were procurable within the city, and spent the evening studying them, in the hope that he might discover something about the date and value of the vessel. As he was turning over one of these books, he came upon a woodcut so closely resembling the tripod that it arrested his attention. Beneath the woodcut was a description which gave detailed measure- ments and an account of the tadpole characters engraved upon the surface of the bronze described. Dumb with eagerness, he conned the page, comparing the vessel and the picture. The more he studied them, the more exact did the resemblance between the two appear to be. The measurements corre- sponded ; the inscription, allowing for long exposure and erosion, was the same. The metal was strangely thin, however, giving only a dull wooden sound when struck ; but that was said to be a mark of very ancient bronze. The weight was considerably less' than that mentioned in the book, but this fact, as well as the thinness of the material, might easily be accounted for by the vicissitudes of centuries. I02 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY Calling one of his secretaries, a relative of his own whom he could trust, the Chancellor told him of his discovery, and made him test each detail of the resemblances so that there might be no mistake. The secretary was soon almost as enthusiastic as his chief, and the two began encouraging each other in the belief that one of the long-lost treasures of ancient China stood before them. Next morning negotiations for the purchase of the bronze were begun, and after several days of cheapening and strife, the Chancellor secured the coveted antique for six thousand taels. When the bargain was completed, the chief officials of the city and the leading members of his retinue were invited to ' drink wine ' in honour of the occasion. A feast was spread, and when the guests had ' eaten to the full,' they were conducted to a room where, upon a large table, the newly acquired tripod was placed, with the book containing the description lying open beside it. The measurements, weight, and in- scription were pointed out to the guests, who hailed each new coincidence with pleasure, draining the cups of wine handed to them in celebration of such indubitable evidence that they were privileged to see a famous relic of bygone ages. The lettering of the difficult inscription was studied long and THE BRONZE ANTIQUE 103 ■ carefully, in its turn confirming the opinion that the ancient vase was genuine. More wine was called for and drunk amid a chorus of congratulations. " Ah," said one of the scholars, whose eye had fallen on the book upon the table, " there remains a test which has not yet been applied to his Excellency's tripod." " What is that ? " queried another of the company. " We have not proved how much the tripod will hold," answered the scholar. " See, in this description of it the internal capacity of the vessel is given." " Our friend is right," cried the Chancellor. " Ho there ! Let the proper amount of water be brought and carefully measured into the tripod." In obedience to the summons a servant fetched some water and poured the required quantity into the bronze. It filled the tripod to the brim. Shouts of acclamation greeted this fresh proof of genuine- ness. More jars of wine were called for. The guests with new congratulations surrounded the table, and raised their beakers again to celebrate their host's good fortune, when — ' pee-uk ' ; a slight cracking sound was heard, and streams of water burst from the tripod, flooding the table and pouring upon the floor. The famous bronze had broken, and was melting into pulp before the eyes of the I04 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY astonished revellers. When the Chancellor and his friends had shaken off their stupefied surprise they discovered that the tripod was a counterfeit of papier-michd, treated cunningly with clay and verdigris and covered with brown varnish so as to resemble ancient bronze. It was an exquisite imitation, the chef d'ceuvre of a master craftsman, a manipulation scarcely possible outside of China, where, if anywhere, the last word of finished guile in human handiwork has been spoken. VII. THE TAO-TAI'S SEAL AT the end of an alley, with its back against a huge boulder, stood a house over the front court of which a neighbouring banyan spread its shadowing shroud. Silence reigned outside the dwelling, for even when their traffic was at its height, the clamour of the streets did not reach this quiet corner, and at the time of which this story tells, the town was already hushed for the night. Inside the house, however, there were lights and the stir of voices. Paper lanterns, covered with dim red lettering, hung in the dining-room, casting a subdued radiance upon a group of men who were feasting at a square table, while people were coming and going in the other apartments. Basins containing soups, fish, chicken, and other delicacies, came in succession from the kitchen hard by, and were placed before the guests ; and on the arrival of each dish their cups were filled afresh with wine. 105 io6 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY The house was a poor one, its furniture consisting of benches, tables and shaky wooden bedsteads, all of the meanest description. The clothing of the inmates appeared to be in keeping with these surroundings, though an observant eye might have detected signs of prosperity here and there, such as a silver-mounted tobacco pipe leaning against the wall, or the edge of a quilted silken jacket, or a fringe of lamb's fleece lining peeping from beneath a cotton garment. The viands which came smoking from the kitchen, together with the quality of the liquor upon the table, also showed that the inmates of the dwelling were not reduced to the last shifts of poverty. The feasters were, in fact, a company of thieves, assembled to do honour to one of their profession, a Mr. Lo, who had lately come to the vicinity. When the guests had satisfied their hunger, con- versation began to take the place of that steady feeding, which silences the first stages of a Chinese feast. The stranger was now subjected to a series of courteous inquiries, by which he was led to speak of his professional experiences. He told how, like others of their craft, he had learned in boyhood to run up a ten-foot wall by means of a rope and stone THE TAO-TAI'S SEAL 107 thrown over the top; and how he had captured chickens by blowing grains of rice so that, when a bird advanced to peck them, the V of the opened fore and middle fingers swept rapidly beneath the beak, and carried her under his jacket, where a twist and squeeze finished the business. He described also how he had graduated ifl ' mouse-thieving,' or the lighter branch of the art, stealing the mat from beneath a man in bed without wakening him, by gently tickling his ear with a feather and giving the mat a slight pull each time the victim moved away in his sleep to escape from the annoyance. As the wine circulated, the thieves talked more freely, each recounting his experiences with gusto ; but the guest of the evening outdid his hosts, telling among other things how he had broken into a temple, and, unnoticed by the priests who slept within, had built a scaffolding of altar tables, and completely scraped the gilding from an image of the god of war during the night. In spite of their polite speeches, the local men were nettled by Mr. Lo's stories, and one of their number, whose tongue was loosened by the wine which he had drunk, challenged the new-comer to give some proof of his vaunted powers. When the man asked what evidence would suffice him, several io8 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY trials of skill were suggested, but without approving themselves to the company. At last, however, one of the thieves, a wizened old fellow with an eye like the slit in a money-box, broke silence : '' If the master craftsman desires to show us a specimen of his handiwork, let him steal the Tao-tai's seal from the great yamen." This proposal was hailed with acclamation by the revellers, who now turned inquiring glances towards their guest, awaiting his response. The new-comer, though staggered as well by the difficulty of the task suggested, as by the serious consequences which its accomplishment would involve, felt that his reputation was concerned, and accepted the challenge. Once more the wine, cups were emptied, and, wishing their visitor good speed upon his enter- prise, the guests departed. Mr. Lo set about his work in leisurely fashion, reconnoitring the ground with a skill which proved him to be no ordinary workman. Providing himself with the outfit of an itinerant barber, he hung about the streets and came and went within the yamen itself, picking up scraps of information from his customers as they sat beneath his razor. In this way he gained a fair idea of the place, and when called to shave the children in the THE TAO-TAI'S SEAL 109 women's quarters of the Tao-tai's home behind the offices, he was able to complete his survey. In the course of inquiries the thief discovered that the Tao-tai's seal, carrying with it the powers of office as it did, was strictly guarded. It would be impossible to snatch it from the custody of its keepers in the daytime, and every night it was carried to the magnate's bedroom, where it was placed in the ' box pillow,' on which he laid his head when he retired to rest. The only chance of gaining possession of the seal, in fact, was to enter the private dwelling, and steal it from beneath his Excellency in his own bedroom. But to reach the house behind the other buildings was no easy matter; for the yamen, tenanted by an army of runners, attendants, and officials, lay between it and the entrance gateway. A wall of considerable height, too much exposed to be dug through with safety, surrounded the entire block of buildings, whilst his Excellency's residential quarters were cut off from the rest of the yamen by strong doors, which were locked at night. To make the great enclosure doubly safe, the outer wall was topped by thin tiles, placed upon their edges and cemented in pairs so as to look like rows of the letter V in- verted, a horizontal layer of tiles being placed upon no CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY the topmost row of all. In this way the compound was protected by a flimsy, card-like structure, ready to fall with a crash should a rope or ladder be employed to scale the wall. So difficult was the place to enter, indeed, that the thief had almost repented of his undertaking; but it happened that, whilst walking disconsolately at the back of the yamen, he noticed a banyan growing within the enclosure, which sent a large branch over the wall, looping down low enough into the road to be reached by a vigorous jump. A glance sufficed to show him that here was a way out of his difficulties, a bridge by which the obstacles in his path might be got over. Fortune indeed had favoured him, for the Tao-tai's house lay just inside that portion of the compound where the tree was growing. Having thus discovered a point at which an entrance might be made into the yamen, he saw his way more clearly. A plan of action, simple enough in its conception but calling for both skill and daring, shaped itself in his mind, and he set about effecting it forthwith. In order to carry out his idea, the first step was to look for an empty out- house, or corner among ruined walls, such as may be often met with in Chinese towns, where his final THE TAO-TAI'S SEAL iii arrangements might be made close enough to the scene of operations. A short search sufficed to discover a neglected shrine suitable for his purpose, standing in a bit of empty ground not far from the Tao-tai's house. Here, amid a pile of decaying ancestral tablets, he concealed an earthenware bottle, two or three tiny pots of pigment, a bit of rope, and some other things necessary for his attempt upon the yamen. About twelve o'clock on a windy, moonless night, Mr. Lo went to the shrine to make ready. Divest- ing himself of all clothing but a short pair of cotton trousers, which he rolled as far up the thigh as possible, he oiled the exposed parts of his body, so as to slip easily from the hands of those who might try to grapple with him. His queue he knotted in a bunch and filled with needles, so that no one could seize him by the hair. The next step was to paint his face black and white, in ghastly likeness to the popular representations of evil spirits, and to place a double-pointed knife between his teeth, so as to be able to stab by turning his head and shoulders, whilst keeping his hands free for action, should he be set upon by the Tao-tai's servants. A light rope, with large knots at intervals of about a yard, and one or two housebreaking tools, completed his outfit. 112 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY Quietly making his way to the deserted street behind the yamen, the thief got below the over- hanging bough where it dipped lowest over the wall, and, after several failures, managed to spring high enough to clutch it with his hands. Then he drew himself up, and, clinging to the rough bark, slowly worked his way until he reached the trunk of the tree. After resting there for a short time, he wormed himself along another limb, from which at length he clambered down, by means of the knotted rope, landing gently upon the roof of the Tao-tai's quarters. Crossing the tiles, he reached a flat space used as a roof garden, from which a door opened upon one of the passages within the building. Here he paused and listened to hear whether anyone was stirring. All was quiet, however, but for the rush- ing of the wind in the branches and the rattle ol woodwork about the house. . To make an entrance from the terrace was an easy matter for so experienced a workman : the door yielded at the first attempt, and the thief was inside the Tao-tai's lodgings. Guided by information which he had obtained beforehand, the man crept from passage to passage, until he found himself outside his Excellency's bedroom. Peeping through a hole in one of the THE TAO-TAI'S SEAL 113 paper-covered windows of the partition, he saw that the chamber was illuminated by a lamp burning upon a table close to the wall. Without pausing longer than was necessary to offer a brief petition to his patron god the tiger, he entered the room, and, going straight to the bedside, drew apart the curtains and struck the magnate a sharp blow upon the chest. The Tao-tai opened his dazed eyes, when, seeing the unearthly figure standing over him, he made sure his end had come, and fell into an agony of terror. The thief, keeping his diabolical visage fixed upon his victim, calmly stretched out his left hand and drew the pillow box, containing the precious golden seal, from beneath the ' great man's ' head ; at the same time blowing out the lamp, he disappeared into the darkness. The Tao-tai, bemused with sleep and sure that no mortal dared lay hands upon him in such fashion, had little doubt as to the unearthly nature of the visitation. Superstition mingled with his drowsy fancies, convincing him that he was undef ghostly summons from the nether world to give account of his administration ; and he swooned away, failing to recover consciousness until long after the robber was beyond pursuit. Thus the thief maintained his reputation, but the 8 U4 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY great official was ruined. The successful cracksman, too wily to stake his safety upon the loyalty of his fellow-craftsmen at the house beneath the boulder, left the town forthwith, and it was only indirectly that its instigators learned how the amazing burglary had been performed. The Tao-tai spent a fortune in trying to recover the seal ; but it was never seen again. Search was made in all the pawnshops of the district, special agents were everywhere employed in efforts to discover traces of the thief, proclamations offering large rewards for information as to the missing treasure were published far and wide, but all in vain. His Excellency was a broken man, and finally surrendered himself to undergo the severest penalties for carelessness in his custody of the high powers represented by the seal, and his consequent failure to keep the charge intrusted to him by the Emperor. VIII. THE QUALITY OF MERCY- STRAINED T ATE one afternoon, the fall of flying feet, ^ — ' accompanied by panting as of lungs nigh bursting, echoed loudly in a narrow passage behind the ' worship hall ' at Ho-Chhi, and these sounds had scarcely passed away when the scampering rush of a crowd in full pursuit poured clamorously through the lane. At this point a visitor, who had just reached the place, eager to know what was happening, left the church, and passing beneath a banyan tree outside the building came upon a number of men and boys. In the thick of the crowd he found two stalwart fellows grappling with a man of about five-and-forty on the brink of a cistern which was filled to the brim with liquid manure. The prisoner, who was resisting desperately, had his right hand forced between the back of his head and one of his captor's fists, in a frantic endeavour to prevent his hair from being ii6 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY pulled out by the roots. In spite of his struggles, however, the wrestlers, one of whom was dragging him by the queue, whilst the other pushed him by the waist, were slowly edging him towards the pit. The work was done methodically: there was a grip and a tussle; the wretch had lost another inch. The men rested for a moment, holding him firmly the while ; then came a fresh effort, and again the remaining space was per- ceptibly shortened. The victim's face had a set, almost indifferent expression, but his bare feet were eloquent of resistance, the toes striking into the red earth and scratching the surface where they slipped. He was already within a yard of the hole; a few more minutes and he would have been choking in its fetid depths. " What are you doing ? " said the stranger, as he went up to the group. " The man's a thief; we are going to drown him," said the fellow who held him by the waist, as he looked up over his shoulder. " What right have you to kill the man, brothers ? Is not this a land possessed of courts of law and magistrates, before whom you may accuse him?" "The magistrates are no good," growled a bystander. THE QUALITY OF MERCY— STRAINED 117 "To assume the power of life and death is an offence against the guardians of the law." " The mandarins care for nothing but how to fill their pockets ; the people must protect themselves." " The man is an incorrigible thief," said another voice. "That is no reason why you should break the law." , " An evil son," cried someone else. The crowd, having by this time recovered from the sudden inroad which had interrupted its pro- ceedings, now began to surge and clamour. It scarce allowed itself to be heard. But voices louder than the rest came stabbing through the chorus. " Robber." " Villain." " Scoundrel." " Not to be borne with longer." " The village is of one mind to punish him." " Dead dog." . " But the teaching of the ancient kings speaks of benevolence as well as justice. To drown the man would neither be benevolent nor just. Not to give him another chance would scarce be merciful. To punish him untried would be just neither to him nor to your country's laws." ri8 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY Another burst of exclamations came from the onlookers. " Unfilial son." " Wandering rascal of the streets." " Drown him, villain ! " " Drown the thief." Upon this the executioners gave the man another heave. " Hold, brothers ; what has he done ? " " He has stolen taro root." " Brothers, forgive him ; we all are sinners." The tumult lessened. " Stay a moment. If you kill him, you will do it with a bad conscience, and bring trouble on your- selves, perhaps clan fighting, more murders, lawsuits, and a heavy fine." " He ought to die," came from the crowd ; but the body of its unrest thinned and dwindled as the clamour died away. " If you forgive him, your hearts will be at peace, feeling that a good deed has been done." " You do not know how bad he is, elder born." "It is said, ' What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.'" The storm having spent itself, silence fell upon the crowd, only an angry voice breaking the calm THE QUALITY OF MERCY— STRAINED 119 here and there, as the last ripples of its resentment died away at the edge. There was a pause — one of those moments that seem unending whilst sense remains suspended in emotion. The man's life hung in the wind, — a flame flickering amidst invisible shadows. Would light or darkness win? A word came from the depths of the crowd ; the captors loosed their grasp and turned aside with sullen faces. For a moment the prisoner remained half dazed beside the pit; another second, and he was erect. The crowd stood silent as the man passed through its ranks, a bitter word upon his lips. He scrambled slowly up a sloping bank and gained the grass-grown edge of the mountain's spur behind the inn. Here his breath failed him and he paused, his limbs trembling beneath him as he looked back upon the people. The wretch's clothes were torn and stained with red earth, and the skin gaped through. His set face furrowed and broke in fury, the eyes gleaming under drawn brows, and the yellow teeth showed to the gums beneath a canine lifting of the blue-grey lips. He raised one hand painfully to his dishevelled queue, and with a scornful gesture the reprobate, untouched by mercy, disappeared. I20 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY The afternoon sun shone on the green plain among the hills, picking out its red-roofed villages. Already there were deepening wells of shadow in the mountain clefts, black, bewitched with the blue of the coming Eastern night. The crowd, half astonished, half pleased by its own behaviour, eddied round the corner of the inn, seeking if possible to learn more about a creed which, while it counsels mercy, teaches also a redemptive justice unknown in heathen lands. And as the people, fresh from an unexpected conquest of themselves, passed beneath the banyan on their way into the church, there seemed to be 'a singing in the branches that was not of the breeze.' IX. THE POWER OF THE CROSS /^^NE sultry afternoon late in the Chinese spring, ^-^ a group of some twenty men and women were assembled in the guest-room of a red brick house, where once a scholar gathered pupils round him, now used for the purposes of a village church. The river, which flowed through the neighbouring hamlet, had almost disappeared from its bed of granite detritus beside the building, and the rice in the fields hard by languished for lack of water. The court on which the ' worship hall ' of the church opened, was paved with tiles, fan-shaped and marked with curved lines, producing a conven- tional wave pattern upon its surface. In the centre of it stood a ' Ningpo tub ' of goldfish, whilst an unglazed window in the farther wall, with granite mullions carved to represent bamboos, gave on another court beyond. Through this opening, and above the wall, the eye caught glimpses of a glossy tree which filled the place with delicate fragrance. 122 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY The back wall of the room where the people were assembled was painted red and decorated with gilded phoenixes, the wings and feathers so arranged as to form circles in a regular pattern, showing that here the ancestral sanctuary of the building had once been. The male portion of the congregation sat on benches near a raised platform, which served the preacher for a pulpit. Tin-peh the joiner, much in request as a maker of water-wheels and farming implements, occupied his usual place in the front row next the wall, the- centre of his face half hidden behind horn-rimmed spectacles, whilst a New Testament, printed on yellow paper, lay upon his knees. Tin-peh's son, Tsang-ah, a boy of ten, sat close by, and struck with the end of his queue at passing flies, whilst waiting for an opportunity to escape his father's eye and slip out for a minute's play or mischief. Ah-Poah, with two companions from a village farther up the valley, were the other occupants of the first bench. In the next row sat Koan-peh and his sons, who had walked ten miles from their mountain farm that morning to be present at the service. Near them was Ah-Kim, lately returned from Singapore, resplendent in new clothes, a silver watch and chain adding much to THE POWER OF THE CROSS 123 his importance, though somewhat distracting the E^ttention of the younger members of the congrega- tion during duller moments in the sermon. Ah-Ko the actor, loose-hung and weary-looking, sat farther back near the door, the effects' of plays prolonged till dawn, heavy marches, and the privations of a stroller's life showing in his listless eyes. Khi-peh, straight and decorous in plain dress and white hair, with his small dog snug beneath the bench, sat near, where he could rest his back against the painted panelling. A pathetic figure, with a child in its arms, hovering outside the open door behind the pulpit, was Tin-peh's wife, who, conscious of eyes inflamed in watery red sockets, and cheeks eaten away by some leprous malady, dared not enter. The other women — Ah-Ko's wife, Khi-peh's daughter, and the rest — were placed behind a screen at one side of the church, sore let and hindered by restless children, but doing their best to follow what was going on. At the close of the service, an elderly man in the long gown and short outer jacket of the literati rose from a chair where he had been sitting near the wall, and began to speak to the people. His clothes and hands were dirty. His forehead was hidden in the depths of a ' wind cap,' or hood, which 124 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY fell to his neck and shoulders, and his eyes were almost lost to view amidst deep wrinkles. " It is true," he said, speaking slowly, " that men should help each other, as the teacher has just told us. To care for the sick, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, is indeed our duty. We ought to show benevolence to those around us. The -Supreme Ruler cares for us His children. He sends the rain and gives us food. More than this, He caused the Lord, la-so, the holy Sage of whom the teacher has been telling us, to proclaim the laws of heaven anew upon the earth and die for men." The speaker, who up to this point had been talking in a low monotone, now threw out his arms with an expressive gesture and raised his voice. " The Holy Man was fastened to a cross like this," he continued, holding his hands at full stretch and turning his eyes from one to the other. " Nails pierced Him here, and here," he added, driving a forefinger into his palms alternately and then return- ing his arms to their cruciform position. " Bad men fixed Him to a ' letter-ten frame.' ^ His feet were wounded : He bled : He hung beneath the sun : He died." The people listened as the voice increased in ^ The Chinese symbol for ten is shaped like a cross. THE POWER OF THE CROSS 125 volume and the heavily clad limbs made graphic movements. The scholar's pallid face grew animated as, with the dramatic gift of his race, he rehearsed the scene. He saw it all : he lived through it : he agonized. The presentation was a telling one, simple, vivid, full of meaning ; and the effect of it, coming unexpectedly as it did upon the congregation, may well be imagined. " We have our sacrifices," the man continued, " but they are only outward forms with no meaning in them. As ' the Master ' indicates, ' sacrifice does not come to a man from without, it issues from within him, and has its birth in the heart.' " " The Western Sage, of whom you have been hearing, teaches the same thing, calling men to seek more than ' the outer skin ' of ceremonial in worship. He gave Himself : He died for us : He teaches men to give themselves for others." The speaker stopped abruptly, and sat down. It was as if the ' stone general ' by the forgotten bridge at the roadside had opened its granite lips and spoken, so unexpected was the utterance. The people waited in silence for some moments after the voice had ceased, then slowly left their places and dispersed. Mr. Nng Giok, who was a sew-tsai, or scholar of 126 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY the first degreCj seldom visited the gathering of humble folk at the red house by the river. He was a Confucianist like those of his order; but in the course of general reading he had met with the story of the Saviour, and had been attracted by it. It was strange indeed that he should have penetrated so deeply into the meaning unaided ; it was stranger still that he should speak of it in public, despite the bitter prejudices of his class; but strangest of all it was that, having learned and said so much, he should have stopped short where he did. According to the loveliest of Chinese legends, the Goddess Kwan-yin, when about to enter heaven, noticed a cry of anguish rising from the earth beneath her, and, moved by pity, paused as her feet touched the glorious threshold. And there still she waits to help the sad and wretched into that paradise which, for their sakes, she refuses to enter. It was from no such feeling, however, that Mr. Nog halted at the door of happiness whilst in the very act of pressing others to go in. Who shall say what hindrance, subtle or otherwise, what fear or interest, prevented his openly joining the followers of that Sage whose precepts he had proclaimed so forcibly in his un- expected address at the village ' worship hall ' ? The dead hand of custom and the power of local THE POWER OF THE CROSS 127 politics, the toils of a ubiquitous superstition and the calls of leadership in a village life completely touched to heathen issues — these, on the one hand, and the moral weakness induced by handling truths without the power or will to follow them upon the other, no doubt did much to hinder him. About two years after the incident here recorded, the preacher who had been present when Mr. Nng Giok spoke in the village church, happened to be in the scholar's neighbourhood and went to call upon him. A mile's walk brought him to his destination, a gaunt house standing by the roadside amidst fields of rice and taro. Passing a roomful of school- boys, who seemed half awed, yet turbulent, he found himself in the reception hall of the establish- ment. The earthen walls were unplastered ; naked beams and pillars of needlewood supported the unceiled roof; the floor of beaten clay was clammy underfoot ; but the stark room, though scant of furniture and decoration, was not without a certain gaunt dignity. The old man received his visitor with grave courtesy, whilst his wife, a delicate-looking woman, set tea and cakes before him. He was full of con- versation, speaking of books, of Western civilisation, and of religion. When asked to rejoin the gatherings 128 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY at the 'worship hall,' he consented, but with a courteous accent of reserve in his tone, discounting what he said. The conversation flagged ; Mr. Nng looked preoccupied, as though something were on his mind of which he wished to speak, yet could not bring himself to utter. At last, when the visitor rose to go, the old man, , conquering his hesitation, turned with an earnest look, and, opening his eyes wide in spite of all their wrinkles, said to him — " I have been reading the story of the Lord la-so in the book you gave me." " Yes, O elder born ! " " It is a strange history. There is something about it which I do not understand," he continued, his expression changing. " What is that, O elder born ? " " It does not move the passions as the record of ' the Three Kingdoms ' does, but it affects one in a deeper way." " In what way does the story move you ? " " I cannot quite explain it, but when I think of Him who was so good, ,who taught men what was right, and spent His life in doing works of mercy, my heart is stirred. " And," he went on, " the other day when I was ■ THE POWER OF THE CROSS 129 reading of how the people badly used and did to death this Holy Man, my eyes were filled with tears of sorrow." The speaker paused, and then, after a moment's silence, added wistfully, like one awaking beneath the touch of some power hitherto unknown — " I cannot understand how the thing happened — I wept. 'Twas very strange ; I never felt like that before. Can you explain it, elder born ? " X. THE ELEVENTH HOUR *" I ^HE curfew from the southern watch-tower had J- rung forth deep and mellow, its slow notes booming through the city. The sound of passing feet was dying at the Cross, and dead in the thoroughfares, where lights were disappearing one by one. An unwonted illumination, however, broke the sombre line of East Street at the magistrate's yamen, where lamps and torches burned before the gates. The mythological monster, upon a wall opposite to the main entrance, moved in the flickering light, as if at last awakened to its fabled duties, and about to visit with destruction the venalities of a corrupt ofiRcialdom. On either side of it the magisterial insignia shot mast-like through the glow, to lose themselves in the night overhead. A few paces from the yamen gates, and somewhat to the left of them, a body of policemen were keeping guard around a man who hung by the 132 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY chin inside a wooden cage. This structure, six or seven feet high by three feet square, was formed of perpendicular bars socketed into wooden frames above and below, the top frame having two movable pieces of wood out of which half-circles were cut, so as to permit the victim's body to be lowered within the bars, his feet swiilging clear of the bottom, whilst his head remained outside the cage. A dense crowd filled the area in front of the yamen, pressing close up to the armed guard and their prisoner. It was a strange contrast, that one fixed head higher than all the rest, looking as if it had been laid on a charger, and the sur- rounding sea of moving faces. The prisoner's features were darkened by exposure to the sun and attenuated by want of food ; the nose being preternaturally sharp and meagre, whilst the > half-closed eyes paid no attention to the gazing multitude. The man thus exposed in the ' death cage ' had been guilty of robbery with violence upon the high- road between Chinchew and Amoy, For once Chinese justice had not miscarried, and the right man was suffering for wrong- doing. At the point we speak of, there was a stir in the JIEMOKIAL ARCH NEAR GREAT YAMEX. STREET-FKOXT OF CHINCHEW HOSPITAL. THE ELEVENTH HOUR 133 crowd, as two men made their way towards the spot where the group of guards was stationed, and began speaking to the condemned man. How ghastly the sun-beaten face showed under the lamps, with its blistered lips, its sunken features, and blood- shot yellow eyeballs, a crop of harsh bristles covering the once shaven surface of the crown above the forehead. " Brother," said one of the new-comers, using the customary salutation of the people, " we have a message for you." There was whispering among the bystanders as they pulled each other's sleeves in expectation of some fresh excitement. But these men had not brought a pardon for the prisoner, as some people in the crowd at first imagined : they had come hoping that they might point him to another source of consolation. Too late : why not leave him to die as he was ? This was no time to speak of spiritual things to such a soul in such a case. No man could make him understand. True, but there was One who could, and man might point the soul, with its awakened powers, to Him who said to such another, " This day shalt thou be with Me in paradise." Could the life be 134 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY changed as in a moment beneath some spell of words ? Nay, not by man, but to the touch of the pierced hands all things are possible. Folly ! What though the wildered sinner says he grasps at God, and hardly comprehending, lets his lost life fall into the Saviour's hands. Delightful folly! How the music of the gospel sounds in the soul at such a moment, when all other systems fall away, and human wisdom sinks in impotent dumbness. How the old simple message rings true in that pause upon the verge of the un- seen, when human guilt looks God in the face, and knows it has to die. Too late ? Is Calvary so far, then ? May thieves be penitent no more ? My brother, had you stood there, with shadows falling round you deeper than the night, outside the lurid circle at the yamen door, and had you seen the misery of heathenism, the powerlessness of man, the might of death, gathered into one living point of agony in the eyes of a tortured felon, you too would have blessed the tender words of the unmerited evangel as a sick child blesses his mother's hand. It were a folly worth much so-called wisdom, to sieek to bring this dying man to that Saviour who understood his need, and it were sovereign joy to THE ELEVENTH HOUR 135 hope that the hand of Mercy might touch him in the night. The prisoner threw off his indifference as with an astonishing display of strength he thrust his feet sideways against the perpendicular bars of the cage, thus gaining leverage enough to relieve his chin for a moment from the weight oT his body. " What ! " he cried to the strangers, despair hunting for hope in his eyes, " can you save me ? " " We cannot save you from the punishment of your crime, my brother, — ^you have broken the law, and by that law must die, — but still God pities you. He can deliver you from what is worse than death." " But does God care for me ? " " He does. Though you have wandered from the right way, and wronged His heart by wickedness. He longs for you." " Is it possible ? " " Yes, and we have come to tell you that God is willing to forgive and to deliver you from doom. He has prepared a way of escape." " What do you mean ? " " Listen : we cannot rescue you, but your Heavenly Father can save your soul even at this last hour, if you but turn in sorrow from your sin and cast your- self upon His mercy." 136 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY " But I am ' an evil son,' a thief, a murderer." " Yes, it is true ; yet, bad as you are, you are still God's child. A wayward, sinful one it is true, but none the less His child. He paid the penalty of your guilt, terrible as it is, long ago. He paid it with the life blood of His Son, who died a felon's death for you upon the Cross. ' Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.' " " You say He died for me : how do you know it ? " " God tells us of it in the ' Holy Book ' which He has given to men ; and besides. He has told us of it in our own hearts. We two men who are speaking to you now know it to be true. Look to this Saviour Christ ; look, and He will receive you as He did another dying thief years ago. Tell Him that you do not understand, ask Him to receive you; He knows how, for He Himself has said, ' Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out.' " " I believe your words : I pray His mercy," gasped the thief. The man's feet slipped down the bars, and the weight of his body fell again upon the tortured neck and chin. After a pause, he braced himself THE ELEVENTH HOUR 137 once more to listen, and again the strangers spoke such words of hope and love as came to their lips. At the chill of dawning, when the guards stretched their limbs, flapping the dust from their heavy- sleeves and yawning themselves awake, it was known that their watch was over. " Dead," said a man to his fellow, who was passing along the pavement ; " see, his legs hang straight down." II CHRISTIAN LIFE: THE RESULT XI. TRANSFORMATION CHHIM-HAW is a fishing village by the sea, its red-roofed houses crowding over a narrow promontory, like boys let loose from school; here filling the opener ground, there pushing one another down precipitous places to the water's brink. North of the village lies a sandy bay, whose generous curves recall the sweep of far horizons. This bay is the glory of Chhim-haw, which looks back from its sea- worn point over blue waters, where the wind splashes the waves with flake-white, and the sun scatters flying gold. Landward stretch low dunes and sand- blown farmsteads with glossy saddle-plants on the field edges, spindling sweet potatoes in the drills, and wild chrysanthemums, that shyly star the rocks with yellow. I40 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY Where the bay ends and the spit starts seaward, masses of granite break from the sand, rising into weather-bitten hills as the land narrows. Among these boulders the village finds foothold for its bustling life. Its chief street skirts the harbour, sometimes dropping to the beach level, sometimes transforming itself to rough-built quays. Here twists of flax grass and bales of cotton mingle with foreign-looking boxes, while tubs of shoes, packages of sugar, and bulging bamboo bottles of oil rub shoulders with deep-bellied crates; there fish, both dried and salted, whitened amphorse containing native spirits, jars of salted vegetables, bundles of tobacco, nets, and bags of rice, are vigorously handled by troops of coolies. The damp pier stones are hustled by sharp sea- wind and dashed with spray, whilst big junks, sadly reduced each year, it is true, by steamer competition, strain their hempen cables as they tumble heavily in the harbour, or, at the ebb, lie floundered on the sand. On the day our story opens, a man with shaven head, black turban, and loose blue jacket, paused outside a cotton warehouse near the harbour of Chhim-haw. Glancing through the unglazed windows TRANSFORMATION 141 at its worn counters, its earthen floor, and low- roofed outer room, he entered the door and mingled with the busy crowd within. Presently, choosing a moment when everyone was occupied, he crept up a narrow ladder at the back of the place, and disappeared inside a loft where cotton bales were kept. Adroit as Khiu-goan, the hero of the events here recorded, had been, his movements did not escape observation. The owner of the warehouse had noted them. For the rest of the day he kept an eye on the ladder from the desk at which he was posted, and with the patient per- sistency of the Oriental, he sat on through the night, watching and working until the dawn. Khiu-goan lay close among the cotton bales, not daring to move. Next day the blockade con- tinued, for, busy as the merchant was, he kept the ladder continually in view. On the second evening the good man sent a servant with eight hundred cash to buy wine and other necessaries for a feast, and had dinner served in' his office for two persons. The employees were given a night off, and went to their homes. When the shutters were up, and the door carefully barred behind the last of the 142 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY men, the merchant had a look at the table, and, going to the foot of the ladder, called his un- known guest — " Elder brother," he said, " you must be hungry after two days and a night in the loft ; come down and eat with me." The invitation met with no response. " Elder brother, come down and fear not," he repeated. " I am here alone, for the men have gone; and see, I mean well by you — your dinner waits." After some persuasion and many promises, Khiu-goan, finding himself discovered, crept from his hiding-place and descended the ladder. He was stiff and hungry, and not a little abashed ; but the merchant was courtesy itself, and presently he found himself seated at his table as if they had been friends for many years. When the meal was nearly over, his host turned to him with the question : " Well, brother, why did you come here to rob me?" " But, venerable uncle, I " " Brother, I have followed the profession myself, and know exactly what you were about when you climbed into my cotton loft. Tell me, why did you come here?" TRANSFORMATION 143 " I was in debt for twenty dollars, and knew not where to find the money." " Oh, if that is all, I think that I can help you," said his entertainer, and leaving the table for a moment, he returned with the money in his hand. Early next morning the merchant rose and sent Khiu-goan away before anyone was stirring. Some days afterwards one of his sons happened to go into the loft. A gleam of light caught his eye among the shadows. The boy looked again, and there, among the cotton bales, a heap of treasure was lying. It consisted of silver hairpins such as Chinese women wear, with rings, buckles, and other ornaments of the same precious metal. Unable to contain himself for wonder and delight, the lad called loudly for his father. When the merchant saw the silver, he said, "This is the usufruct of the twenty dollars. Our friend has been here to show his gratitude, for honour among thieves is strong." Khiu-goan's second visit to the cotton ware- house cost him dearly, however. With great daring he had broken into a pawnshop, and carried off, among other things, the silver with which to repay his benefactor. With no less skill 144 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY he had evaded his accomplices, re-entered the merchant's premises, and left again unnoticed. But the gang of which he was the leader, greatly dissatisfied by the amount of silver which he had appropriated, demanded its restoration. " It is true," they said, " that we depend upon your skill and daring in such an enterprise as we have just achieved, and you deserve the lion's share of the spoil, but we ought also to be con- sidered. You endangered your life by breaking into an armed pawnshop, but surely we risked some- thing whilst waiting at your call outside. Why should you rob us of our just proportion of the plunder ? " It was impossible for Khiu-goan to say what had become of the silver. His lips were sealed. The laws of the lawless are inexorable ; by them he stood condemned. His reckless followers seized him. A bamboo cylinder, fitting the socket, was placed over each eye in succession ; a peculiar tap was given to the upper end, and the ball jumped out. Khiu-goan's career of brilliant burglary was at an end. We next find our hero at Anhai, the principal trading port of the city of Chinchew. Here he became king of the beggars. These people form a TRANSFORMATION • 145 considerable and almost an independent community within the body politic of most Chinese towns. Over such an imperium in imperio blind Khiu- goan now found himself the ragged emperor. He administered its affairs, directing, no doubt, its campaigns of annoyance and other methods for extorting money from the neighbours, settling dis- putes, assessing blackmail to be paid by shopkeepers and others for the privilege of immunity from clamorous ladrones, detailing skirmishers to scour the country, and leprous or otherwise loathsome mendicants to blockade the doorways of refractory citizens, till loss of custom and disgust should have brought them to terms. Khiu-goan also became a banker, lending money to the beggars at exorbitant rates. The sums were small, but the interest, payable monthly, was extorted to the last penny. On one occasion he was seen escorting a tatterdemalion debtor under arrest. He had the wretch's queue fast- coiled around one fist, and in the other he carried a long bamboo pipe. The street resounded as the pair slowly passed along, a cry from the victim every now and then, marking where the captor had punctuated his clamorous reproaches by a vicious pipe-thrust. 10 146 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY Khlu-goan's ancient craft was not forgotten. Unable to join their expeditions as of yore, he acted as trusted counsellor to the thieves of the district. One day some of them came to consult him on a matter of importance. Foreigners had occupied a building in the town, ostensibly for the proclamation of new doctrines. The place was reported to be full of valuable things, such as lamps, clocks, and watches. Would the venerable master craftsman, who could see better than any of them, pay the place a visit and find out the lie of the land? Khiu-goan having accepted this delicate commission, his first step was to attend the service at the church. He accordingly joined the congregation one Sunday, and listened to strange things ; to words chanted after barbarian fashiop ; to uncanny talking with someone, who, so far as he knew, was not in the room ; to pre- sumptuous discoursing, at imminent risk no doubt of His sovereign displeasure, about the Supreme Ruler. The blind thief showed his disapproval of these things by making disparaging remarks, and otherwise disturbing the proceedings ; but, in spite of all, there was something in what he heard that impressed him. After the service Khiu-goan was courteously TRANSFORMATION 147 entertained by the unsuspecting Christians. They were a miserable, unpatriotic set of people, whose hearts had been changed by pernicious forteign drugs ; but the tea they gave him was good, and it suited his plans to sit and talk with them. He became gradually interested in what they had to tell. Besides, they were kind to him, as if his being blind and a beggar made no difference to them. Was it possible that what they said was true — ^that God cared for men, that death did not end all, that sin might be forgiven? The questions he had meant to ask with burglarious intent died away upon his lips, and feeling strangely indisposed to carry out his investigations, he put them off for the present, meaning to pursue them some other day. ' The thieves were surprised by Khiu-goan's report of his visit to the barbarian ' worship hall' It was quite unlike the spirited performance that had been expected of him. When he continued to attend the services, the beggars grew suspicious, and refused to lead him thither. But when thrown over by his associates, he did not lack guidance, for a Christian lad used to conduct him to church ; though the boy's former teacher, happening to meet the incongruous pair, complained bitterly to the lad's father of the disgrace brought upon himself by one of his 148 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY pupils associating with so notorious a character as the blind beggar. Khiu-goan never carried out the thieves' com- mission, and the plan to rob the church came to nothing. Light broke in upon his mind at last. His heart was blind no longer. The sightless chief of the beggars saw the glorious King, and fell at His feet. A thrill ran through the place when it was known that he had changed his ways. Before the old man was baptized, he had an interview with the small Christian community of Anhai. In the presence of these friends he pro- duced with fumbling fingers a book, much worn and soiled. It proved to be a ledger of accounts, containing notes of all the sums due from his many debtors, with the interest accruing thereupon. What a record of sordid avarice and cruelty it was may perhaps be imagined by those who have seen usury at work in a land where flesh and blood are available assets, and the scale of interest begins at twelve per cent, per annum. Picture that group of humble people : their rough blue cotton dress, their shaven heads and yellow faces ; the blind central figure ; the words of confession wrung from a changed heart, as the man who had been forgiven much forgave all who owed him and renounced his TRANSFORMATION 149 darling sin. A fire was kindled, the book was burned : what represented a fortune to the blind beggar was destroyed. It was but a gathering of common folk in a dingy room, but the fire of God fell there as the book turned to ashes, and the last sparks died from its crackling pages. Shadows, darker than the shade cast by the guttering lamp upon the earthen floor, lay round those sin-stained lives ; but the scene rises into majesty as one looks back upon it, for it is touched by sacrifice, and the glory of the Lamb doth lighten it. A few days later, Khiu-goan was received into the Church ; but so bitterly opposed to Christianity was the heathen community of Anhai, that the ceremony could not be performed within the place. To get over the difficulty thus occasioned, a junk was brought round from Amoy and anchored in the creek not far from the village. When all the preparations necessary for the service had been made, the little handful of Christians slipped quietly through the busy streets, and found their way on board the vessel. There, free from danger of interference, with the tide washing through the inlet, and strange craft dropping seaward under press of brown mat sails, or hauling painfully against the ISO CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY stream to the creak of oars and the plunging splash of bamboo poles, the floating Church received its congregation. One can see the swaying low-roofed cabin, the quiet company of worshippers, the grave faces, — that of the blind man with a light in it, as if the reflection of the brazier fire had not wholly died away, — the bowed heads, the simple service, the hush of the ancient rite, the joy of the unseen Master, as Khiu-goan and three others, the first- fruits of Anhai, were baptized into the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, one God. As to the last scene of all, — where, when, after what fashion was the home-going of Khiu-goan, — I cannot tell you. But I know that the waters were weaving their sea-magic in Chhim-haw Bay, and the sand whispering on the dunes, when the call was given. Whether the tide was flowing beneath the turquoise sky, or ebbing seawards through the darkness, I do not know ; but it was setting home for him. And this is certain, that if we knew not the manner of his passing, Jesus did. XII. BROKEN GODS AH-CHHOANG'S village clings to the moun- tain's shoulder, at the lower edge of a small plateau, above which stands the rock-strewn summit of Sang-keh-soa, with its dream-haunted temple. Somewhat higher on the hill is the ' ocean glimpsing stone,' from which at dawn upon clear days the blood-red glimmer of the sun shows upon the distant sea. So steep is the shoulder's edge that the village houses seem to have paused for breath where they stand, as pilgrims do sometimes when climbing to the famous shrine overhead. From Chhoang's front door you pick your steps by an irregular stairway down the slope, till you join a narrow path that skirts the brink of a tumbling stream. The fields of his farm have been cut, one above the other, into the side of the hill, and each one banked at the lower side by a rough stone walL A little higher up, the head waters of the rivulet have been waylaid, and flow over from terrace 152 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY to terrace, watering the green rice as they go, to escape at last from the lowest field of all and splash into their proper channel. Chhoang's wife was ill, and his sister-in-law, much hampered by hens, pigs, and children, — not to speak of a web waiting half woven upon her loom at home, — was speaking her mind to him. " We cannot let things go on like this," she said ; "the wife is the main stave in the bucket, and without her the home must go to pieces. Consult the priest without delay, and see what can be done to save the house-mother before it is too late." When Ah-Chhoang paid his visit to the priest next day, he found him taciturn and unresponsive. He presented his gift, however, and told his story ; but it was only after much urging and an additional offering that his reverence consented to unbend somewhat and give the needed counsel. " The trouble arises from the Earth Spirit who sits at your own ' hall head,' " said he. " He is much displeased with you, and has sent a demon to destroy your wife." " And what does the holy sage consider should be done ? " queried Ah-Chhoang, now seriously alarmed. " My brother, you must buy twelve hundred cash worth of gold paper and incense, together with food BROKEN GODS 153 proper for sacrifice, and offer them before the idol. Perhaps such gifts may turn away his anger." Chhoang followed this advice, and, hurrying from the mountain, brought home paper money, sticks of incense, fat pork, fish, fruit, and cakes with characters stamped in red upon them, from the market of Ho-Chhi. The food was cooked and placed, with piles of white boiled rice, properly ordered upon the altar table in the guest-hall of the house. Three sticks of incense were duly lighted and waved with reverent gestures, as prescribed, before the idol, being then stuck upright in the grey ashes of the family incense burner. Leaves of paper money, each with its central square of imitation gold, were thrown one by one into an iron pot and burned upon the floor. Chhoang approached the god and said, " O Earthly Grandfather, my wife is sick ; 'tis you have made her so ; be pleased to change your ways and make her better. O Earthly Grandfather, your slave, my wife, is sick; a demon is affraying her; why should you treat us thus? Have we not offered incense at your shrine, and gold, and sacrificial gifts? Have we once failed in due observance of the appointed days ? Be pleased to hear my prayer ; recall the demon, and restore my wife." 154 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY Leaving the hall for a moment, the devoted worshipper entered the sick chamber, where he found the patient somewhat better. Hope and excitement, born, no doubt, of a superstitious belief in his majesty, the Earthly Grandfather, had buoyed her spirits and filled her with expectation of an immediate recovery. He returned to the sacrifice elated. " See," he said to his son, " how profitable it is to serve the idols ; your mother is already better, and will soon be well." Then he piled paper money in handfuls upon the fire and offered thanks. Again the good man entered his wife's room, this time, alas ! to find her worse. The excitement had died away; her head was sunk upon the bamboo pillow, and her breathing came slow and painful. Chhoang's rising hopes were changed to disappoint- ment. Sudden anger seized him. He had been deceived, his gifts contemned. Rushing from the room, he seized a wood chopper, and taking the Earth Spirit from his throne, dashed him to the ground and cut him into matchwood. " What, you " — he said as the hatchet fell, " you would destroy my wife, you, you, you," he cried, making the splinters fly at every word. Then, turning to the other idols that stood upon the altar table, he served them in the same fashion. THA\V-TI KONG, THE EARTH SPIRIT. BROKEN GODS 155 Another moment, and Ah-Chhoang had left the house. Down the mountain path he sped, his anger sobering as he went. What sacrilegious rash- ness, what temerity his had been ! There was some cause for anger, but what mad folly to attack the gods. What mortal man might hope to fight against them? Even now, no doubt, the mighty spirit of Thaw-ti Kong, the Earth Spirit, with all the train of injured deities whose images lay shattered in the house, would follow him in dread pursuit. Thoughts such as these spurred him down the stony stairs and slopes by the river and along the slippery edges of paddy-fields on the lower levels. After our hero had travelled some distance, he met with an acquaintance, who, noticing his dis- ordered dress and manner, stopped on the roadside and spoke to him. " Why, brother Chhoang, how goes it with you ? Is something wrong to-day ? " " Hai-yah ! Woe is me ! I have great bitter- ness." " Why, what has happened ? " " Alas, my father ! I am at feud with all the gods." " What ! " cried his friend, " at feud with the gods ! That surely cannot be." IS6 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY Chhoang told his tale : his wife's illness, his sister- in-law's advice, the fruitless offering, his. rage and sudden wild revenge. The man's face changed, and he drew back a pace saying, " Yours is trouble in- deed, Ah-Chhoang. The gods are strong and can seize men." Ah-Chhoang's fears redoubled at the words. " There is, however, one thing which you may do," continued his friend. " What is that ? " cried Ah-Chhoang, swallowing his emotion. " Listen, and I will tell you. The barbarians have opened a ' worship hall ' near the inn by the big banyan tree at Ho-Chhi." " And what of that ? " said Ah-Chhoang, en- deavouring to be calm. " The Supreme Ruler, whom they worship there, is a most powerful God, they say, and much opposed to all the idols. Go quickly to his temple and beg his aid. He, if anyone can, is likely to protect you." " But in what fashion ought one to approach this foreign God ? " " Do not wait longer here, but hurry on, lest vengeance overtake you by the way. The teacher at the ' worship hall ' will tell you what to do." BROKEN GODS 157 Down the path sped Ah-Chhoang,. ever down through the paddy till he reached the plain, where the mountain torrent became a river, the track still following its course. Hurrying through the market- place of the town, he made his way past the smithy and along a bit of open road. There at last was the banyan tree spreading its wide arms, and close beside it the barbarian ' worship hall.' Was it possible he yet might reach it before the anger of the idols fell upon him ? Bursting into the ~ church, our hero greeted Ah-Chhun the preacher, and Toa-peh his helper, protesting that he had come to worship the Supreme Ruler. They thought him mad, so wild was his eye, so strange the story which he told in breathless, broken sentences. They were gentle with him however, listening attentively to what he had to say, although somewhat on their guard at first. But when he had rested a space and was quieter, they made him tell his troubles over again, scxrthing his fears and endeavouring to reassure him by showing that the idols were of no account. Had he not seen proofs of this himself? Why, when spiders spun webs upon their faces in the temples, they coiild not move a finger to brush them away; and when the rats 158 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY .gnawed holes in their sides for nests, they sat unheeding. Had he seen the broken roof at the shrine upon the Pang-san-nia, where one of the beams had smashed the idols in its fall? The idols were false gods, unable to protect themselves and how much less could they protect or injure men ? But the Supreme Ruler, who made the earth and sky, sending the rain and ruling the sun, was mighty, sheltering and upholding men and things. Let him then come and seek His care, like a child creeping to its father's arms. Ah-Chhoang did not wholly understand all that his new friends said to him, but in his desperation said that he would try to do as they advised. He was not quite comfortable when the good men made him stand with bowed head whilst they spoke aloud to their God in his behalf, although he hoped the mighty spirit, in answer to their requests, would protect him and heal his wife's disease. Chhoang went back to the mountain with some- thing akin to hope stirring his heart, in spite of dark forebodings. After toiling painfully up, he breasted the slope and saw his house above the climbing path. There it stood as he had left it ; no lightning stroke had crumbled it in ashes. But what of those within ? He scaled the last of the ascent : with a BROKEN GODS 159 gasp he was over the threshold. He reached his wife's room, to find her better. What he had heard from the barbarians was true, then, after all. The idols were no use. The Supreme Ruler alone was mighty. The God of whom the preachers spoke had heard their prayer and spared his home. The slow days passed as Ah-Chhoang watched his wife regain her health. The altar table stood empty. No sticks of incense smouldered now before the door or under the eaves at close of day, nor in the hall upon the first and fifteenth of the moon. The villagers waited for the misfortune which, they felt, would surely come upon their sacrilegious neighbour. They were disappointed, however; his wife recovered, the children throve, the pigs and chickens did not die, his crops were neither worse nor better than their own. On worship days Ah-Chhoang left his home at dawn, dressed in his best, a new hymn-book in a blue cover put snugly in his pouch, and a handful of rice or sweet potatoes for the midday meal tied carefully in a bit of cloth. As the Sabbath of God's rest came into his life, fear passed out of it ; and though he had too little introspective- ness to have said much about his feelings, he loved i6o CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY the quiet days spent with the knot of worshipping people, who gathered week by week beyond the hills' last spur, in the little church upon the plain.' Some years went by. The passing days had taught Ah-Chhoang a nobler fear, begotten not of slavery but of love. He worked hig fields, spending long days at times cutting fuel among the ferns upon the mountain. It was the old hard life, but with a difference ; for more and more, iri simple fashion, he sought to serve that One Supreme, beneath the shadow of whose wings he had come to rest. There was a blessing on the scanty life that brought sufficiency. The neighbours wondered, and possibly their prejudices were somewhat shaken. Perhaps Ah-Chhoang had left more superstitions than his own shattered among, the broken idols on the floor. One day the little group of worshippers upon the plain found themselves in a difficulty. It was necessary to replace the lowly room which served them as church by a larger building, and the funds were difficult to find. Time had been spent in making plans and gathering money, but little had come of it, and the brothers of the ' Jesus Church ' were losing heart. They met together and talked the matter over. Then they prayed about it. BROKEN GODS i6i Next morning Ah-Chhoang walked a distance of some fifteen miles to Chinchew city. ■ Entering by the north gate, he made his way through twisting streets and open spaces to the house of a friend, who might, he thought, help in the matter which lay so closely to his heart. Leaving his shoes in the passage, he removed his turban and let down his queue, in token of respect as he entered his friend's room. He was ' one who did not understand how to speak words,' as he said hipiself, but there was an eloquent pucker in his forehead as he told his tale. " They had discussed the business in every way at Ho-Chhi," he said, "but talking was no use. The funds were short, alas ! nothing would make them button over." " Have you prayed about this matter ? " " Yes ; prayer is good. I have prayed, and " Here he lifted the edge of his cotton jacket, and thrusting one hand into his pouch, worn sporran- wise, produced a paper package. It proved to be a roll of silver dollars. "Thus it is, O elder born," he said, speaking hesitatingly, as if about to do something doubtful. " You see I think I can help with the ' small work,' i62 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY the unskilled labour of carrying stones and other things, when the building is begun, but how can it be begun if we have not silver in our hands?" The brown fingers slowly opened the folded paper. " Here are ten dollars," he continued, and rising he carried them respectfully in both hands and laid them on the table. " But, brother Chhoang, you can not afford to give ten dollars." " I sold one of the fields, a field I bought myself," he added deprecatingly, as if to avoid the possible imputation of having alienated any of the ancestral possessions of his family. With that the visitor laughed nervously, as he sat down again upon the edge of his chair ; and shifting one bare foot so as to press the toes firmly upon the other, began drawing his turban cloth through his hands. His friend said nothing, but his eyes dimmed and the words came surging to his lips — " You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din." No wonder that churches are built in China, when the love of money, that dearest of all the idols, lies shivered in humble hearts, and simple people like Ah-Chhoang bring such messages from the hills. XIII. GREATHEART ' I ""HE granite road outside the Earth Gate of -»■ Chinchew city -lay shimmering in the sun, its endless succession of rough-hewn slabs lengthen- ing into an interminable line of white upon the green plain. An east wind scourged the bending grain in the fields, and dried the juices of man and beast ; whilst overhead a bleak haze bronzed the cloudless sky and beat down the heat upon the baking soil. There were but fevy people to be seen among the farm villages and scattered houses of the neighbourhood, though travellers came and went upon the highway. Toa-peh and his companion followed the twist- ing road, turning off by side paths every now and then to visit the homesteads and dusty villages lying back from the main route among the fields. In most cases they found them left to the pigs and dogs and a few women and children, not to speak of perverse Chinese goats that wandered everywhere. 163 i64 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY Old Toa-peh walked bravely in his loose calico socks and stout patched shoes. He wore a cap of black satin, greasy and somewhat out of shape, topped by a button of twisted red silk cord. His short sleeveless coat, once brown, now bleached a greenish yellow, was worn over a blue cotton robe which nearly reached the ground. He was under- sized, the lower limbs being scarcely long enough for the body, whilst the arms were too long. The neck was short, and there was a curvature of the back, though he bore himself like one naturally well made, who had been stunted by poverty and the carrying of heavy burdens m boyhood. His face was that of a peasant, its features plain and roughly put together beneath the dull skin. But the eyes redeemed all. They were quick and bright like a bird's glance, and flashed as he greeted you. To describe them as dark brown with a spark in them would be inadequate. There never were such eyes ; eyes so full of fire and tenderness and moving light. The stunted figure, the plain countenance, the ungainly clothing were all forgotten when Toa-peh looked at you. It had been a blank day for the pedestrians. The villagers were invisible, the world was full of dust and glare, and a hot wind puffed in people's GREATHEART 165 faces, making the lips crack and the eyelids tingle at the edges. But the companions journeyed on, hoping to find a place where there might be a better opportunity for giving their message. "You are tired, Toa-peh," said his comrade, breaking a long silence ; " let us look for a rice shop, where we may rest awhile and eat." "Not tired, O .elder born," he answered, with a haunting smile which lit up the homely face for a moment, and quickly died away again, as he reiterated — " Not weary ; but some rice would make us both more lively." On they walked, hoping to meet with a wayside booth where rice, or sweet potatoes, or at least a bowl of gritty vermicelli, might be procured. "We shall find something at the temple presently," said Toa-peh. Thefe were half a dozens men and boys sitting under the temple wall, but as it was now late in the afternoon, the vendors of earth nuts, sugar-cane, and sandy biscuits had packed their baskets and gone home. In spite of the disappointment, Toa-peh stoutly refused to turn back to the city. He would go on, if the elder born himself were not too tired and i66 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY hungry. The Heavenly Father knew their need, and would supply it. The road led from the temple through fields, and for some distance was bare of houses. Another li ^ passed in silence. Presently Toa-peh lifted his head and said, " Perhaps we shall find someone under the tree yonder." It was a glorious tree, a banyan with a burly grey trunk and mighty branches stretching far on every side. Above the depths of its own cool shadow it rose, a soaring dome of whispering green, touched here and there within its leafy chambers by the magic finger of the sun, and changed to vegetable gold. Another moment, and the travellers were in the midst of a group of wayfarers who were resting from the heat beneath the big tree. Many of them had open baskets adorned with red and yellow paper flags, a coloured handkerchief being attached to the overarching handle and stretched round one side so as to form a tiny tent or shrine. Within each shrine sat a red-faced idol, lashed to his gilded throne, with cakes and paper money spread at his feet and a stick of incense burning before him. It was a band of worshippers, who had carried their * About a third of a mile. GREATHEART 167 household images to visit some famous idol in one of the neighbouring temples, and who were now on their way home. Others among the group were coolies, with burdens of merchandise; some again were business men, travelling to or from the city. With gracious tact Toa-peh introduced himself to these people, slipping naturally from ordinary civilities into deeper things. He spoke of Chhoa, the good mandarin, who in former days had planted trees at every stage upon the roads, that weary travellers might find rest and shade long after he was gone. He told them also of the Heavenly Father who sends the rain, without which no tree can grow, who provides rest also for weary men. The people, indifferent at first, drew closer as they listened to the story, told in plain words but touched here and there with light and a tremor deeper than that moving the leaves overhead. The idols and their baskets were forgotten ; and the sun hung over the western hills, as the little crowd of listeners, oblivious of the miles that lay between them and their homes, waited to talk over the message they had heard and to question further of its import. At last the spell was broken. The men picked up their belongings ; the idols went off i68 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY swinging in their baskets ; the coolies bent afresh beneath their cruel burdens. Toa-peh, despite his weariness, was a happy man. His plain face was touched by a joy that gave it a positive beauty, which arrested his fellow- traveller's gaze. Perhaps it was only fancy made his friend imagine that the illusive gleam he loved lingered a moment longer than usual. Perhaps the natural forces were abated somewhat for the time being, and allowed the old man's soul to shine more clearly through. As the two friends set out for home with light hearts, Toa-peh turned to his companion, a merry human twinkle dancing in the brown eyes — " Are you tired now, O elder born ? " he asked. '' No, Toa-peh, I don't feel tired now." " Are you hungry, elder born ? " " No." " Neither am I. Is it not strange? And yet" — here the look changed and he added quietly, " We were both tired and hungry before we reached the banyan, but now we are satisfied." His friend waited ; there was more to come. " It is written that when our Lord was at Sychar ' He being weary sat thus by the well.' " " Yes, that is so." GREATHEART 169 "And do you not think that the Master was hungry as well as tired at the time, for the disciples had gone to buy food ? " " Yes, Toa-peh." " But the woman came, and He taught her, and when the disciples returned He said, ' I have meat to eat that ye know not of.' The disciples did not understand, but I think we do to-day." Toa-peh was a busy man, for had not his son, the pride of his heart, studied under a foreign doctor, gaining the learning which his plain father had never acquired, and was it not the old man's chief joy to render humble assistance in the western- looking medicine shop they had opened in East Street ? Busy as he was, however, he often spared an hour or two from his occupations for the beloved work of preaching. One day, having slipped off on this errand, he was speaking to a crowd gathered in the porch of a temple in the city. The people had listened attentively for a time, when a man, wearing the long robe of the literati, interrupted the discourse. " What you say is good, but you do not follow it," he asserted. ' " We do our best," answered Toa-peh. I70 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY " The barbarians have bewitched you. They make men Christians, only to take their hearts and eyes for medicine when they die." " How do you know ? " " I know very well that the Christians dig out men's eyes." A movement ran through the crowd, which now grew rapidly. " That is a damaging statement, teacher ; are you able to substantiate it ? " said Toa-peh. He was alone, and all the crowd was against him now, its unreasoning fear of foreigners crystallizing in a moment on hearing the familiar calumny. But there was a strong spirit beneath the gentle bearing of the old man. " I am a Christian," he exclaimed, catching the scholar by the wide sleeve ; " can you prove the charge which you have made against us ? " The scholar laughed and carelessly withdrew his sleeve from Toa-peh's fingers. , " Have you ever seen the Christians digging out men's eyes ? " queried the little man, seizing the sleeve once more. " No," said his opponent. " Has someone told you about it, then ? " " Yes, many people have told me." GREATHEART 171 " Can you give me the name of anyone who has seen the Christians doing this thing ? " The scholar hesitated. Toa-peh held him fir mly now, " My surname is Taw," he said, " my unworthy name is Toa ; my miserable shop, the Pit-seng tong, is in the East Street, and I am well known in the city. You have made a serious charge against me and my friends. If it is true that we maltreat the dead, we ought to be severely punished. Come, let us go together to the yamen. You can then bring your accusation before the magistrate, and I will defend myself as best I can." The man laughed nervously and pulled hard to get away, but Toa-peh held him fast. There was a stir in the crowd, which, delighted to see a member of the overbearing literary class put to the worse by one of themselves, began to forget its prejudices, and to favour the sturdy preacher. Two or three scholars now edged their way through the excited people, and said — " This is a friend of ours ; we think you had better let him go." " I cannot let him go," said Toa-peh, " for he has openly accused me of a grave offence before my fellow-townsmen, and he is bound either to prove what he has said or to go with me before the 172 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY magistrate, ' the father and mother of the people,' who will judge between us." " But our friend is young and inexperienced and speaks unwisely, forgetting to weigh his words at times. He did not really mean what he said about digging out the eyes." "Oh, if that is so, then take him away," said Greatheart, releasing his grasp upon the scholar's sleeve. " We Christians have no desire to quarrel, for we serve One who teaches love to all, but we must be just as well as compassionate. Tell your friend to be more careful ; it is not fair to bring ungrounded charges against innocent people." The gentlemen of the long gown carried oiT their companion, looking rather foolish, and Toa-peh quietly continued his address. A hum passed through the crowd, and men glanced at one another. The little man had won. There was a change in Toa-peh towards the end, the native asperities of his disposition softening, like the crags of some gaunt hill transfigured at sunset. When he rose to pray among the brethren, his first words were always of the love of God, and the thought that found utterance in his prayers showed itself outwardly in a growing gentleness of bearing. GREATHEART 173 'The infinite future had invaded this life perceptibly to the senses, like the ocean felt far inland up a tidal river.' * On the last Saturday of his life he visited his friend. He was as full of work as ever, but there was a weary look in his face. " You are tired, Toa-peh ? " " Oh, nothing to speak of," he answered, the old smile lighting his face with sudden radiance. It was known on Monday that Toa-peh had taken plague. He had not been among the worshippers at the South Street Church on Sunday, and was said to be sinking rapidly. There was an ashen look upon his son's face when their friend reached the stricken home. " My father is very ill," he said ; " I doubt whether he will know you." The old man's bed had been brought from his room and laid between the pillars of the guest-hall. It was a bad sign, for this is customary when death is near in China. Drawing back the thick mosquito curtains, the visitor could scarce make out the diminu- tive figure lying beneath a voluminous grey quilt. " Toa-peh," he said, " Toa-peh." There was no reply. Gently folding down the coverlet, he pronounced the 174 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY name again, but without getting any response, " Toa- peh," he said, " don't you know me, your friend ? " There was no movement. It was too late, then. The little man had slipped beyond the call of earthly voices thus swiftly. How strange ! was this to be the end, the parting after many days together? A fresh thought struck the visitor, and bending over the bed once more, he said, " Toa-peh, do you know Jesus, your Saviour and your Lord ? " There was a movement beneath the quilt. The bystanders folded it farther back, and the dying soldier of the Cross slightly raised his head. A gleam flickered in the heavy eyes, the old look flashed for a moment, and then the lids closed. He could not speak, but he tried to get upon his knees beneath the coverlet of the bed. His friend, under- standing the unspoken wish, prayed with him, com- mending his soul to God. Then silence fell, and so they parted. The banyan spreads its shade beside the Earth- Gate road, and travellers come to sit under its branches till they hear the long miles calling, and rise to go ; but, beyond, the last stage of the earthly journey, there is another tree, in which a breath whispers cease- lessly, and there is rest unbroken beneath its shadow. XIV. 'THE HUNDRED OF HIS DESIRE ' *" I ^ANTAY is a prosperous red brick village J- lying to the south of Chinchew city. North of it the peaks of Sang-lin-soa bare their stony breasts to the changing sky, and some miles away a small pagoda juts from a rock, past which the river flows eastwards to the sea. On every side lie breadths of cultivated land, cut here and there by granite pathways, or gashed by creeks and wide canals ; for the village lives amphibiously, drawing the great world to itself by waterways, which join it to the river and the sea. Thus the farmer from the furrow hails the seaman on the deck, as homing junks steal towering by upon the making tide. Its inhabitants, some ten thousand in number, are surnamed Teng, the descendants of Mohammedan ancestors who flourished greatly dur- ing the Ming, or Brilliant Dynasty, between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries of our era. '75 176 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY Several hundred years ago, the villagers, influenced by one of their number, a high official at the court of that time, forsook their Moslem faith. This man had won approval from the Emperor by his abilities, but the creed he followed stood between him and the highest honours. The Son of Heaven, valuing his minister's services, gave orders that every means should be employed to convert him from following the Prophet to Confucianism, but without success. At last the Emperor devised an expedient by which to win the obstinate Moham- medan. An invitation was issued, commanding Mr. Teng to be present at a ceremonial banquet where, by ancient usage, it was necessary to worship the Sage Confucius. The loyal minister, confounded on receiving this mandate, burst into the exclamation, " What ever shall I do ? To obey is to deny the faith and sin against my ancestors; to refuse is to offend the Emperor." The claims of present interest, however, out- weighed his religious scruples, and, resolving to please the living rather than the dead, Teng went to the feast and joined in worshipping the Sage. Having thus renounced his own creed, like the fox in the fable he succeeded in persuading the villagers to follow his example. In this way the people of 'THE HUNDRED OF HIS DESIRE' 177 Tantay were turned from their Mohammedan traditions ; but though they conformed in general to the pagan ways around them, perhaps they never have become so fully heathen as their neighbours. There are fewer images in their homes, and such idols as they worship are not placed so prominently within the guest-hall, but stand upon a shelf fixed on a beam above men's heads. At certain festivals also their offerings differ somewhat from those used in neighbouring villages, flour and the blood of goats being among the sacrifices made at Tantay on such occasions. Centuries have passed since the villagers ceased to gather with the Faithful within the city, where but a dwindling band of worshippers assembles in a modern mosque of pounded earth and timber beside the roofless walls of the ancient sanctuary, once glorious, but now fallen into decay. About the year 1891, a wandering colporteur passed through the streets of Tantay, and happened to sell a copy of St. Mark's Gospel to a small shop- keeper, named Han-tsu-peh. The purchaser of the little volume was a sort of village wise man, one of those interesting personalities to be met with at rare intervals in China, who live simply, and in their own fashion seek for higher things, joining a certain 178 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY measure of personal uprightness with an endeavour to lead their neighbours in good ways. Having bought the little book, Han-tsu-peh, when his day's work was done, would sit cross-legged upon the counter of his shop, reading it aloud in Chinese fashion. Among those who gathered round to listen to .the reading, was a young man named Ah-seh, who, being interested by what he heard, borrowed the book afterwards and read it carefully for himself. The story of the gospel attracted him greatly. There were things in it which he did not understand, but Han-tsu-peh helped him by ex- plaining them according to his lights, and more important still, the good man showed him that the precepts which it taught were intended to be followed, to the best of a man's ability, in ordinary life. Before his death, which happened soon after, Han-tsu-peh had cast seed into the heart of several of his neighbours which was to bring forth fruit in the future. Two or three years later, another visitor came to the village bringing books for sale, and, as he passed along one of the side streets, a trader hailed him, inviting him to enter his shop. " Come," said Ah-seh, for it was he, •' and let me see your books. I am interested in them, •THE HUNDRED OF HIS DESIRE" 179 for I have read 'The Glad Sound's record of Ma-Kho.' " 1 When the stranger entered the premises, Ah-seh bought copies of every book he had, and, when the purchases were completed, gathered his friends ; into the shop, and made the man tell them what he knew about the Western teacher who was so wise and good. The stranger captivated his audience, and, when he had finished speaking, the people bought up the remainder of his stock, after which Ah-seh gave him his dinner and sent him back to the city. The visitor's words had stirred the man's heart, reminding him of things which he had learned from Han-tsu-peh in bygone years. Perhaps heredity, if not a streak of alien blood derived from Mohammedan ancestors, quickened the pulsing hope for a religion free from idols and superstition. Was it possible that he had found the secret of a worship purer even than the cult of his village fathers, the truths by which the Ancient Kings had walked, now at last made manifest to all? A thought began to shape itself in his mind, a hope that China might yet break free from the degrading superstitions of idolatry and return to ' Literal rendering of the Chinese title of St. Mark's Gospel. i8o CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY the worship of the Supreme Ruler, and thus the ' black - haired people ' ^ might regain its former glory. One day, at the close of a Christian service which had been held in a native house by the river, out- side the South Gate of Chinchew, the worshippers were making the usual offerings, when a stranger, who had been present at the gathering, gave some small silver. The man who was engaged in mak- ing the collection, however, hesitated to receive the money, saying, " As a rule we decline gifts from those who perhaps may not understand the purposes for which such donations are intended." " Take the money," insisted the stranger ; " like you, I seek to serve the Supreme Ruler." Still the man hesitated, upon which the other said — " I see you do not remember me, Mr. Giah ; you have forgotten your visit to Tantay, and how you spoke to the people in my shop." It was Ah-seh, who, resolved to find out more about the meaning of the little book, had travelled six or seven miles to attend the humble church. From that day he became a constant worshipper ' A classical name for the Chinese nation. 'THE HUNDRED OF HIS DESIRE' i8i within its walls. By and by he brought a friend with him to the services, then two,. and a little later three companions. From the first the learner made it a practice to carry away as much as possible of the teaching which he heard on Sundays, so as to repeat it afterwards to his neighbours on returning to the village. In this way, many of the Tantay people were interested, and afterwards went to make acquaintance for themselves with the gathering outside the city wall. His idea that China might yet be restored, by a return to purer worship, thus took practical shape in the effort to bring others under the influence which had changed his life. About nine o'clock one morning, a group of people reached the extensive building, already occupied by the adherents of the new faith, in the South Street of the city. The women belonging to the party passed through an opening to the right and joined those of their sex already gathered within, whilst the remainder of the company entered the main door, finding places on the men's side of the church. One of the latter, a well-clad, stalwart- looking individual, with a broad face, a round head, bent nose, and eyes that glittered as he looked to right and left of him, carried a bundle done up in i82 CHINA IN LEGEND AND STORY a red and yellow bandana handkerchief. When his companions had seated themselves, he opened his bundle, and, having distributed among them the books which it contained, prepared to join in the service. Ah-seh, whose following of fellow- worshippers was steadily increasing, had brought them to see the largest church inside the city. That afternoon the company from Tantay visited the foreigner's house. They had come to ask that a teacher might be sent to their village who could tell them how to worship the Supreme Ruler. Un- fortunately, there were difficulties in providing either a suitable man, or a place in which services might be held. Nothing daunted, however, they pressed their claims more vigorously. " This is a matter beyond our strength, I fear," said their host ; " we must think it over and pray about it." " Then let us ask God about it now," said Ah-seh, and forthwith he and his friends knelt down upon the floor. It was not enough that their host should voice their desires for them j and when he had finished praying, Ah-seh, whose heart was full, burst into ejaculatory petition. His com- panions followed one after another, blunderingly enough, but with an earnestness that lifted the H CO D O 'S} u ' ^^ 4^ Mr X' ^' i^'