Mary Baldwin College - Bluestocking Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

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22 The Anmial of he who was taking his bridal tour with the dainty little person standing by his side. Yes, dear, but I am afraid that some of the travelling will be hard for you. Oh, that doesn ' t make any difference, we will have a good time anyway. Gradually the evening shades hid the land from their view, and the chilling breeze compelled the passengers to withdraw to the brilliantly lighted saloon. The next morning, all was hurry and confusion. The great vessel majestically neared the wharf, and the gang-way was lowered. Then came a hasty leave-taking of their fellow passengers and Mr. and Mrs. Wood found themselves on the wharf in the midst of a crowd of white and yellow faces. With difficulty, Mr. Wood found his trunks and passed them through the Custom House. Having decided not to spend their time in the port but in the interior, Mr. Wood secured the services of an interpreter, who soon hired a boat for them. The boat was divided into four parts. In the prow, which like most Chinese boats was square instead of pointed, was a deck large enough for five or six persons to sit com- fortably without fear of falling into the water. Opening upon the deck was a small room, whose ceiling was not quite high enough for a person to stand erect. Two broad seats on either side of the room left only enough space to serve as a passage between the deck and the central cabin. This cabin was ar- ranged for a sitting-room, bed-room, dining-room, and parlor. The furniture although rather scanty, was very suitable, as it consisted of a seat, somewhat larger than a single bed, a table and one stool. On two sides of the room were three small windows, and in the back was a tiny door leading out on a deck, where the boatmen ate, slept, and worked. With great interest, the two travellers studied all these details, and, having acquainted themselves with their sur- roundings, they whiled away their time by looking out of the windows. The extreme flatness of the country impressed them. But their attention was attracted especially by the sight of the peasants carrying their burdens on the ends of poles ; and of the buffalo patiently turning the wheel by which

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Till ' Afary Baldwui Seminary. ■ ' 1 particularly attracted my attention. It was that of a short man resplendent in a suit of Tyrian l)loom, and blue silk breech- es; his face was pock-marked and his attention was completely taken up in the management of the sword at his side, and an enormous gold-headed cane which he carried. Now and again he made desperate efforts at conversation , floundered hopelessly and was silent. Something familiar about the figure made me stop and think, when suddenly I grew scarlet, this man was no other than the Oliver whom I had been so basely wronging when the dwarf had appeared. The spirit broke in upon my embarrassment, and said in casual accents but with an under- tone of malice. By the way, could you tell me Goldsmith ' s exact date? I clutched my hair wildly. O that memory of mine! How I had been crannning dates for examination and now, here in this great emergency, I couldn ' t for the life of me remember, whether Goldsmith was 1720 or 1728. Rack- ing my brains I stood at loss for an answer, confused by the Shaw sprite ' s malicious gaze. Lower and lower sank my head with shame, vague sounds flitted around me, till suddenly — I awoke! The clock striking ten broke the stillness of the old room, over which peace reigned supreme. But one terrible thought flashed through me, as I dragged my dazed conscious- ness back to earth — Bed-time and two more pages of Shaw to learn, while all that remained to me of the past wasted hour, was but, the shadow of a dream. Alice Peyton. IN CHINA. Land in sight, shouted the captain. A great commo- tion followed as the passengers rushed to the side of the large ocean steamer and strained their eyes to catch the first glimpse of China ' s shores. It was a relief, after seeing the vast ex- tent of water for so many days, to look upon the gray line just above the horizon. Oh, won ' t we have a delightful time seeing all these queer sights in China ? Mr. Wood looked down with a smile upon the speaker, inwardly congratulating himself that it was

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The Mary Bahhi ' in Seminary. 23 water was puini)e(l into tlie fields, wliere men, women and children were working knee-deep in the mud. After two or three days of such travelling, Mr. Wood and his wife found themselves within the walls of a large city. Having decided to remain there several days, they, through their interpreter, obtained the possesion of a landing where their boat might be fastened. Early in the morning, they set out, full of curiosity and expectation, to see the sights of the city. They soon came ro an open space before a large temple. The tiled roof, orna- mented with figures of different animals and with idols, sloped down to the four corners, upon each of which was a bell, ar- ranged so as to be rung by the blowing of the wind. Three large doors stood open, as if giving an invitation to all passers- by to come in. Mr. and Mrs. Wood entered, but they were immediately invited to withdraw by a ma n, whose shaved head and yellow robe showed him to be a priest ; but the sight of a piece of silver in Mr. Wood ' s hand made him forget his religious scruples, and with a smiling face he showed them through the holy place. In the center of the room was a large figure of Buddha, who was represented as sitting with the palms of his hands and the soles of his feet turned heavenward. His head was covered with snail shells, for according to tradition, Buddha was once seated in the hot sun meditating, and the snails, fear- ing that the pious man might be injured by this exposure, covered his head with their shells. Around the walls, idols of every size and description — all hideously ugly — were arranged in rows. Before them were frames, upon which candles and incense were fastened, al.so stools for the use of the worshippers. Every now and then a sacred bird flew down upon the rafters, scattering much dust and dirt, which had been accu- mulating there for ages. The air was so ladened with the fumes of incense that Mr. and Mrs. Wood soon withdrew. On reaching the open air, their fatigue left them, and they looked about for new sights of interest. Soon their guide pulled them aside, and, pointing to a crowd coming up the street, explained in his broken English that one piece-ee