University of Nanking - Linguist Yearbook (Nanking, China)

Page 48 text:

THE COOLTE ..Li' Day after day he takes his place again Among the myriad host of low-caste men, Exhausts his waning strength in hopeless toil. His mind is dark, his body clothed in rags, His home a crumbling, evil-smelling hut Scarce Ht 'twould seem to shelter swine. Yet strange to say this patient, frugal man- Whene'er you meet him resting by the road Wiping his beaded brow, or e'en at toil- Will answer smile with smile and look of cheer. 9 His world is drab, his labor ill repaid- Yet he can smile, and show his soul's not dead ! FRANK A. ARGELANDER, '19,

Page 47 text:

THE COOLIE Against the eastern sky two rounded peaks, Half veiled in purple clouds, lift high their heads Above the ancient ramparts of Nanking. The rising sun begins to Heck their tops With gold, and bugle notes down in the town Announce the coming of another day. 'But all the glories spread so near at hand Are unobserved by eyes fixed on the ground. From early dawn unto the fading light With heads bowed down, and burdened backs, Ten thousand eoolics live to wear away Their lives in grinding, unremitting toil. Along tl1e roads we meet them, in long lines Straining at their ancient., crude wheel-barrows. NVG see men burdened down with stone and earth. VVe watch them slowly move like tortured souls, And hear the shriek of when-ls always unoiled. 'Ihc patient eoolies bend unto their task With straining muscles, streaming back and face. Again we see huge trucks, piled high with wares, With bulky crates and bales from foreign lands- And harnessed to the load a coolie group To tread the weary road. The heavy rop0S Stretehed taut across their naked backs bite deep But hauling at the ropes they struggle on. The merchant clad in silks, the haughty officer, Within the rieksha lolls in thoughtless CNSC -- While harnessed in the shafts before his face, With heaving breast, and wildly beating heart, A man, a soul, runs weary miles t0 llillll His human freight, and earn his daily bread. f 45 Q

Page 49 text:

icriu egetttee St Eseus es s ts STREET NOISES HERE do you live? Is it a quiet place? If so, would you like to have seine experiences that the people who live near the noisy Street have? My home is near the South Gate. It is the most boisterous Spot in the South City. Just before the dawn when the city gate is Opened the noise of the day begins. First of all come the drivers of don- keys which carry two buckets of wine on their backs. They are going to the wine shops. When the drivers strike their whips onthe ground the donkeys--more than twenty togetherwrun very fast with the jangling Ton, ton, ton made by the two buckets. It is just the time when the water carriers drive their water carts out fOr the morning. They go rapidly sinee the carts are empty, so that they make an irritating sound Hung-tong, hung-tong. Some people use two big vessels to carry water on their shoulders instead of the carts. When they come back with two big vessels full of water they cry loudly and Thythmically Ai-roh, ai-roh, ai-roh, wei wei yu oh ho yu. In succession come slowly and noisily 'l'ze-yu, tze-yu of the wheel- barrows. The fuel sellers carry heavy loads and murmur 'K Hai-hu, hai-hu. It is now half-past six and the vegetable and fish-sellers are coming out. Some ery aloud Cabbages and turnipsf' some ery Fish, fresh fish, others proclaim Peas and big red peppers. The short voices of different kinds of vcnders come out here and there continuously. fl'li01,uyL.l,S aw both men and women and stand before their doors and call loudly, Come here, turnip sellers, let us see your turnips. How much costs a gui isixteen ouneesl ? C 47 J