Page:Leaves from my Chinese Scrapbook - Balfour, 1887.djvu/206

 a parting salute;" then we'll consider the affair settled. But if he says so much as half a 'No' let him look out for his skin." Of course, the neighbours saw the wretch was drunk, and paid no attention to his tipsy nonsense; so, having seen him well off the premises, they came back and tried to comfort poor old Tsiu. But his soul refused to be comforted, and he lifted up his voice and wept. Indeed the case was past all help, and there was nothing for the neighbours to do but to leave him in his misery and return to their several homes.

As they went back their conversation naturally turned upon the events of the afternoon. One man said that it served the old fellow right for locking up his garden and never allowing anybody to see the flowers, and that he had no one but himself to thank for it. But this view of the question excited the indignation of the others, particularly of one man, who retorted with more candour and abruptness than the first speaker at all relished. "Don't talk such arrant nonsense," he blurted out. "There is an old proverb which says that if you cultivate a garden for a year, you will enjoy the flowers for just ten days. People are fond enough of looking at them, but who thinks of the long drudgery that was necessary to bring them to such perfection? Just think, now, what years of toil this poor old man must have devoted to his hobby to produce such a magnificent show; why should you be angry with him for loving his garden and taking pride in it?"—To this nobody was able to reply, and so the subject dropped.

Meanwhile the unfortunate old Tsiu sat, weeping and disconsolate, in the midst of his fallen treasures. Tenderly he picked them up, and talked to them, saying, "O