Page:Once a Week Jul - Dec 1859.pdf/193

182 managing his affairs, and regulating his household.”

Then the strangers, with much laughter, would say:

“You have an oily mouth, old man; but you will not succeed in this country!”

And passed on their way, wondering whether he were a rogue or a simpleton.

After long and painful travel, Lien, not finding a wealthy orphan to purchase him, determined to try another course. Buying a piece of white cotton cloth, he wrote on it, in large and distinct characters, the following words:

Lien placed this placard on his breast; and, travelling onwards, was saluted by deriding shouts, coarse jeers, and contemptuous laughter from all who met him. Nothing dismayed, however, he still kept on his way, passing through towns and villages, though hooted and pelted at by all the rabble. One day, at length, as he was sitting in the market-place of the city of Hwan-Shing, surrounded as usual by an insulting mob, a tall, well-dressed, young man, of benevolent countenance, pushed through the crowd to learn what might be the matter. The young man presenting a fresh butt for the vulgar witticisms of the mob, they cried to him:

“Hallo, sir! you are very charitable and compassionate to widows and orphans. Pull out your purse, pay ten dollars, and have a father.”

While others cried:

“What does the greedy old rogue want with ten dollars? since whoever may be fool enough to buy him will assuredly have to keep him!”

The young man, however, was too much struck by the shrewd but amiable features of Lien, and the extraordinary nature of the placard, to pay any attention to the rude ribaldry of the rabble. Musing, he thought:

“If this old man should really prove a true father to me! I ought to buy him, and thus obtain a renown for benevolence for one hundred years. But he may have relatives, who might some day recognise and claim him.”

To the question if he had any relatives, Lien answered that he had not. To all other questions he did not answer, but merely pointed to the words on the placard—“The purchaser shall never have reason to repent of his bargain.” Without saying more, the young man gave Lien ten dollars. Then the latter tore the placard off his breast, and put it in the hands of the young man, as a receipt in full, thus consummating the bargain after the Chinese fashion. Then the young man, seizing his newly purchased father by the arm, led him through the uproarious crowd to the nearest wine-shop, where, seating him in the place of honour, he put a pot of rich warm wine in his hands with all due filial reverence. The rabble followed, shouting as they ran:

“Is this old man a god, a devil, or an ass, that he should lead the sharpest young broker in our city into so foolish a bargain?”

But the broker soon quieted them, by giving the wine-shop keeper some silver to treat them all round, in honour of the joyous occasion; and then, calling a sedan-chair, he took Lien home to his house.

Lien was well pleased to find that his new son’s house was evidently the dwelling of a prosperous merchant. On entering, the young man led him to the seat of honour; and, after performing the four reverences which Chinese etiquette demands from a son to a father, begged to inquire his name and history. But Lien was a genuine Chinaman, and accordingly gave a very patchy and muddy, or, in plain English, a very false account of himself. The young man, in return, and speaking truthfully, said that his name was Yaou, and he was the son of one Kwe, formerly a rice-merchant in the city of Hwo-Kwang. He had lost his parents when young, and, consequently, began the world early in life as an apprentice to a travelling silk-dealer. Having acquired a knowledge of the business, and a peculiar skill in estimating the value of different qualities of silk, his master frequently entrusted him with small ventures and commissions; so, by care and industry, he was soon enabled to set up for himself; and now, though only twenty-two years of age, he was one of the leading silk-brokers in Hwan-Shing.

Lien was highly gratified to find that he had obtained so promising a son; but, with the characteristic cunning of his race, he determined to learn more about Yaou, before he disclosed his real name, great wealth, and high position in society. Day by day, however, the silk-broker’s excellent disposition and energetic business habits became more apparent, and Lien was almost tempted to reveal his true history when, all at once, news arrived that the rebel army was in full march towards Hwan-Shing, with the intention of sacking, if not totally destroying, the doomed city. Yaou, on hearing this alarming intelligence, asked Lien’s advice as to how they should act. Lien advised that Yaou should sell off all his goods as soon as possible, and, with the proceeds concealed on their persons, the two should travel about, disguised as beggars, until tranquillity should be restored. To this Yaou warmly replied, that the hardships and fatigue of such a mode of action would seriously injure, or perhaps kill, so aged a man as Lien; and that, for his own part, he would rather remain in the city, and endeavour to compound with the rebels, even if he lost all his property, than allow his venerable father to suffer such privations. This melted Lien’s heart. He acknowledged that he was a wealthy gentleman, and declared that Yaou should be his heir. Their plan was soon arranged. That very day Yaou sold all his goods, and the two embarked in a passage-boat, their destination being Lien’s house.

When the boat had started, and the adopted father and son had once more, after the hurry of their departure, an opportunity of quiet converse together, Lien asked the other how it was that he had never married. Yaou replied that