Page:Frank Owen - Rare Earth, 1931.djvu/49

 character is the most complex in the world, and the most varied. Yet your books do not suggest this. They may be interesting but for the most part they are untrue. China in intellect must rank with any other nation of the world."

Hung Long Tom had been born in Canton, queerest of all cities. His life from infancy had been romantic to an extreme. His parents had not been poor. On the contrary, in all Canton there were few families so well favored by the gods. His house stood in the center of a mighty garden in which every conceivable type of flower grew. It was close enough to the Pearl River so that he could wander down and watch the sampans and mysteriously silent junks gliding to and fro. His father was a jade-master, though of all precious stones he was a connoisseur. Frequently he journeyed to the far corners of the country in quest of rare gems whose fabulous tales had filtered to his ears. The mother of Hung Long Tom was an artist. She painted enchanting scenes on fans and bits of ivory. All day she worked at a