The San Francisco call. [volume], June 30, 1907, Page 6, Image 6

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
THE BRACELET OF THE ANCESTORS
AND THE
CHINESE GIRL
WHO WANTED AMERICAN
DRESSES AND OF AMERICAN
DIVORCE
Elizabeth Haight Strong
SMOKG the Chinese consul's many
treasures is a large jade brace
let of wondrous beauty and
rare workmanship. Of a pure.
Incomparable green that would bo the
despair of an . artist, its translucent
depths glow mysteriously and seeia to
promise future revelations that must,
perforce, remain forever vague. Noth
ing like it had ever before been wor
ried through the custom house except
Its mete, and that now may be seen in
.^actions only at a well known, jewelry
establishment on Van Ness avenue. Its
unusual size made it possible to utilize
it for many different- articles of jew
elry, and fortunate. Indeed, is the
woman who gets a belt buckle made
from a quarter section of the large
medallion that ornamented its top, a
fragment of the carving mounted for a
brooch or one of the wonderful convo
lutions of the circle to hang on her
neck chain.
If you ask the Chinese consul any
thing about the beautiful ornament he
will tell you that the original owner
of it, who gave it to him, is dead, and
tfcen he will take refuge behind the
flaet that be does not speak English.
There la no cue cither to vouch for the
trath qI tho statement or to deny It,
uxV.s2 a fascinating mite of Chinese
femininity should bob up some day In
a way quite typical of her irresponsible
self and attempt to explain what may
leniently be termed her vararies. To
the Chinese she is dead, for she com
mitted, in their eyes, the unpardonable
sin of running away from her husband.
And who is there in the whole wide
land of Confucius who will deny that
the husband Is indeed the "better hair'?
The bracelet is old — old even as the
Chinese reckon age, so its earliest his
tory is lost in obscurity. The first
thing known about it on this side of
the continent was when Sing Kce,'a
prominent merchant of old Chinatown,
returned from the land of liis ancestors
bringing with him his wife and chil
dren and a pretty little Chinese maiden
of barely 14 years. Even to the eye not
trained to the lines of oriental beauty
she possessed decided charms. Her
glossy black hair shone until it looked
as though it were polished; her firmly
rounded cheeks had damask roses un
der their clear olive; the soft dark
eyes were pools at twilight, and their
long lashes etched the brown skin as
«he kept them cast down and shuffled
elong demurely in her gay little shoes.
A year passed: a hard year for the
child of the orient. She was not only
at the beck and call of Ping Kee, but
Mr*. Sing Kee ana 'all the children of
the Sing Kees. But sorrow r.nd lone
liness taugtit her much. loneliness
taugrht her to jiress her wistful face
against th* latiitnl panes t .f the (*t>?
r.icnt Y.-intiowK and watch with pvov:
ins wouder ami interest the crowds
jnuvingr below; Jo- study them and
I>oni3cr. -American ghl? attracted her
particularly. : They seemed always
laugrhJns and hajjpy. There must be
•cm* reason \u25a0 for It, c<he argued. Their
live* uiun bsvery different from here.
.Could 'it Jjo the que«-r looking clothes
they wore, and the funny. shaped hat*
wjththo bright ribbons? They didn't
probabir | have to work hard all day
running errands, rooking rice, making
*hqp,«suey or taking care of fretful
children". If they did they would not
always be talking so gayly. And Amer
ican Rtrls nearly always had American
men > by their sides — and these men
liow kind they seemed. They did . not
cvyect me American girls to -work,
\u25a0worn, aii tnu time, if she could but
pet nearer, perhaps, 'she could hear
what they w # ere Baying to each other.
The Little Juliet
She opesed the low window noise
lessly and » oto!c ou: on tho balcony
that Jutted over a blin.l alley, beneath
which soft sbled Chinese slipped silent-*
Jy. passed end disappeared into dark
doorways an suddenly as though tho
c-artli had opened and swallowed them.
From tho end of; the balcony she could
Fret a rectangular view of the street
and the passersby, and see the crowds
riding on (he cars that went clanging
down tho hill.
And it. was there one afternoon, just
as the rosy tints of the 'setting sun
were b«lng driven from? the crest- of
Clay street hlll'vby aggressive " clouds
of fog. that the^ Chinese, maiden, her :
eloesy head bending under the sway
ing lanterns, leaned far out over the
lilies : in 'their flat dishes to. study at
closer range these object lessons "of:
the Occident, anfl suddenly ; found her- v
self gazing Into _ ; the . upturned t eyes lof
youthful . Mow Chun How. ; The - eyes
looking down grew a aeeper ttiack. the
color of their Tartar ancestors, but
those looking: up were brown and soft,
and filled to their almond rims with
admiration, tenderness, and, best of all,
so It seemed to the little maiden on
the balcony, with sympathy.. This was
the first time such a feeling: hjd_en
tered her starved little -.life, and i she
opened the door of her heart wide: to
it; in fact, so very wide that something
else entered, too. but she knew noth
ing of the other visitor at the time.
She was content to toll her iroubles to
her new friend,- and ' he. apparently,
was quite satisfied to listen. But come
how the demand for sympathy seemed
to increase as- its supply appeared ia
exhaustible. The pair soon learned to
make arrangements for secret meet-
Ings. Like most,, clandestine affairs.
they but courted trouble, and that un
welcome visitor came galloping-. Then,
one day, the black eyes overflowed
upon the blue blouse- of Mow' Chun
How, and a tale was. told that stirred
his loving heart and -his • brown
eyes grow black with wrath.' "With
true masculine reasoning he went
straight to the point, and what, he pro
posed made the thin brown arm that
looked as though it would break .un
der Its weight of" jade bracelets steal
shyly away from the l<sosr> sleeve and
wind itself around his neck^inan em
brace that. If she had but. known it,
would have bten worthy of the impul
sive American girls " whom she had
been watching and studying from her
parti-colored balcony.
Mow Chun How suggested that they
Confide In his cousin Charley. Charley
was older .and had" the wisdom*, that
comes wifii years, responsibility and
experience. Charley, was. the ,head_,of
a gang', of Chinamen who rented a
prune ranch in Santa Clara valley, and
he would be in i ' Pan' ; 1 Francisco : \ in
two- days t to : . transact "some, business
connected .with' the ', fruit crop.i No. one
could -give them better advice -than be.
Charley, after .listening, to Mow, Chun
How's story, ask^d ' to call upon. Ctho
black eyed maiden and the King Kecs.
What ; passed v between .: Sing '\u25a0£ Kee and
Charley was never. known,, but the^con
clusion reached '\u25a0 was more . than satis
factory, to: Mow ChunuHow-'andl his
sweetheart. They were* wedded; with
all the pomp and; ceremony that at
tended such occasions in old Chinatown
and Charley; took the ' bride ' and" groom
back ; with t him to the; ranch ; in Santa
Clara valley. ;There l a^- t twoV; roomed
house was built for the : :brlde of 16* and
furnlsbed-'strlctly'accordingrtolChinoee
Ideas '.of ; comf ort. v \u25a0At straw | mat t and f a
wooden pillow completed * her.* boudoir;
and her personal possessions and toilet
accessories * she* "kept '^n^ her -tiny/ toilet
table "'that : must ; have been all "of ~12;
inches : high. ""?; ' ! : : V 1 1''~\ "- : £
'.The- restless -spirit ,was ; happy? for .'a:
time. ,; She the, greater "part
of the day [cooking for Mow^Churi How, 1
cousin? Charley^and; the^gangi of / men;
Then *' the; owner; of {.the ; ranch \u25a0 and jher:
three '{daughterstcame) to VBtay-; f or " the
Bummer months. Mow] Chun How
was *\u25a0!. transported." 1 ?. At fi last >\u25a0 she k, could
get . near; enough to ?an t American' girl
to \u25a0< talk ,4, 4 to ' her, Tobserva J her \u25a0 dally.; life
and i have t her, t perhaps, '( answer / manjV
many/ questions t that ¥ had puzzled S the
little oriental. The American girls were
frankly i tooiYand'' they* named
the bride Rosabelle -because of the soft
flush-., in t her I cheeka « and fher^ dainty,*;
pretty .ways, v- They ; *: taught % her| manyj
things, wondered at her strange quea-:
tlons and watcbtd; - withM amusement';
: vhlleslie; laidVaslde]her; beautiful jna-;
tlyejcostutae'and\trled]to^ adopt "Ameri^
t can iways I arid! clothes. % But /at \ this rlri-*
novation I Mo w^Chun^How j rebelled.'i Th e;
ways 't and "r- manners '- t of "c his v* ancestors
iWere I sacred >.to ? him.f arifl.lthe (deviation '
of his. wife :frornUh»-narrow. pathUho"
orientals > laid $ down > for >».their> women
was^tlie^basls j of "dallyj arguments Sbei
tweehithettwo^FinaUyiMr.'; Mow* Chun
How.'- became f so} tnce»«ed?at|Mr.s.lMow
Chun? Howf s £ persistence \ iri^J adopting
'Amoric_an\w'ayB * and \ dress ; that ihe j"was
provoked '.to^endr thelrVdallyf^ wrangle
Tliq San Francisco^ Sunday Call;!
In a manner that is not confined wholly .
to the Chinese nation."^ He used his fist *
to " emphasize i his '\u25a0\u25a0 side of t the ; argument. '
It ended! the discussion temporarily,* but
left ; his wife = more than ever convinced
that '"Melican-way" was "much -better."
'(Juitc* naturally.Vho dld-not relish fistic"
remarks, "and .that ; night, as) her, glossy
\u25a0 head : kept turning ; back and f forth on
its wooden: pillow,, she tried .tothink
what.i "Melican ' Jady" ; would .do under
the . circumstances.
The Natural Thing
. Af ; this" Btage^'of ;• her development
.missionary woman'of; the pretty town
of i Santa • Clara \u25a0' undertook 5 tho • self-ap-'
pointed ,' task ; of * saving what she Tcon->
' sldered 3 Rosabelle's •sinful \u25a0 -little . souO
, Rosabelle - T listened .attentively ; to ; the
; strange';. teachings, for.' she > was • always '
ready. ; to^ learn,' .and j" sang in her \u25a0
shrill treble, ''Now ' washt me and \j shall
be7>,wh!ter : 7than Jsi)»w,7 iwlth a' fervor '\u25a0\u25a0
that ''[encouraged » the kind, hearted! mis- -
sionary ; and madeher feel r gratef ul .that^
\u25a0 she '% was j seed on * fertile ' soil."
' But jMrsJ" Mow; Chun" How'aUdeas of the
i nioral bath "were[not very^clear.'and so'
matters^ were v brought to;"a climax'ona
Cay. .when" she .began' to Question* her'
teacher, who was reading to her froa
the bible." " ..\u25a0
"Cllst very, good \u25a0 man?" she queried.
"Tes," was the reply.
"He marry r* was the next question.
.- \: "Christ, marry!" shrieked the sais-
| sionary. ( "What sacrilege!"
• "No?" persisted . the pupiL
!; "Certainly not," was ttie emphatic &n*
' sww.'T't- .-'\u25a0\u25a0;\u25a0.-•;:£* * '*• ' " \u25a0 -
'"What's mailer him?", asked Rosa
bella; Burprlsed.v'*Confuelus good man."
she commented, "be roarry, have plenty
wlf c,"- she added , approvingly.
"Confucius!", screamed the good. lads
and the llght;esteem In which she he?»
that founder of one of the most anclcnj
\ religions ou earth put an end to the
bible lessons,, although Mrs. Mow Chun
How continued to sing gospel hymns in
the sanctity of her two roomed houso
while she ".was- preparior the meal*
"• for the men-;. /A
Z" With more time «n fcer hands Ros;sW
belle esain- turned her thoughts to
things American. Religion had not
solved for. her the problem of what sho
should do. She was unhappy- married
to Mow Chun How. and no "Mellcan
wife" was* unhappy, so she argued in
her childish way. She questioned the
American giVls and their mother, and
they, not realizing the importance of
their words to the poor, little troubled
•oul, told her that sometimes American
wives left their husbands when they,
were cruel to them. Then, they would
get a divorce^ Yes, after that they
could niarry again if they wished, ami
her informers laughed at Kosabelle'.*
craving for knowledge of American
customs. They also smiled when they,
saw her poring over the newspaper?,
her tapering finger with its abnormally.
long filbert shaped nail trains each
letter carefully as she slowly spelled
out each word and solemnly \weis"ned
Its meaning. They little dreamed of
the crisis in the life of pretty.Rosa
belle. Observation had taught her
much. Pally contact Vlth foreigners
had pierced the stolidity of her race.
Habits inherited from a line of an
cestors that went back for centuries
. had in two years grown distasteful
to her. Gropingly she searched for an
answer to a problem that has con
fronted and perplexed many women of
all- nations, but it was one that she
knew should not • present Itself to a
woman of her race.
... :, After much thought, investigation in'
her childish way and long deliberation.
Mri. Jtow,Chun How determined to
leave Mr. Mow-Chun xlow "all sam« .
Mcl lean way." She .laid her plany
carefully. ~\ trunk was purchased in* 1 *
Santa Clara and addressed to on* of
the girls. Rosabelle.-. with inscrutable
countenance* watched Mow^ Chun How
lift It oft the wagon In front of th<»
house where tho American women
"J'Nic* tlunfc, Cbunny," she com
. "Yes." agreed Chunny.
"You llkeetlunk alls same- dat one,
Chunny?" she innocently inquired.
'"Yes," said Chunny again.
\u25a0 "Lady say .'put him in cellar,' " she •
Z Not >long after this the American
family rtturned to San . Francisco.
-When ..their luggage was brought up
from the depot a strange trunk with
.one of the girls" names UDon it came
They concluded that Charzey nad
' sent them some vegetables, as he often
did, but wondered why he had sent
them in a new trunk and locked it be
sides. That evening the doorbell rang,
and much to" the family's astonishment
Mrs. -Mow Chun How walked in. She
was dressed • Int what sh» considered
'•Melican fashion." K«r flat little fig
ure was corseted to t?«, limit of huma.
endurance; her short; stubby feet wer*
incased in high h**lc4 shoes that *ay»
her 'the effect sf wobbling on stilts;
the heavy, black hair was plied hlghou
.top into 'a towering? fpompadour. arid
upon this creation rested uncertainly
Vand-. raklshly a> cheap leghorn hat. '
N.the> trimming of which looked not un- »
: like a combination vegetable and flower
'.garden.'/- / \u25a0\u25a0«.". ..-•.;/.. (|
\u25a0 y- "I -come .stay witn you." sha an-"
;nounced.; ; no! more dotibting her wel
come than a child at' lts mother's knee,
"l.run* away from iChunny.\ all sama
Mfcllcan % wife.\ My tlunk come?"
\u25a0 : . For some weeks Rosabelle was happy -
in her new home, and her behavior ap
parently was , all : that could be de
\ aired.^" Then ; one evening i the , family
/(Continued «n 'Next Pa«».)