The City of Victory, by the sea, in the South of China, grew and the dwellers therein multiplied exceedingly, so that no room was found for them; indeed they trod one upon another xs they moved about the streets and markets, The Chief Consul and the Senate, as they looked out from their mansions upon the streets and saw how that many youths were playing in the sun, felt deep pity in their hearts for them and decided that they would attempt to reform the manners of those who thought that they were already perfect. They seemed to forget that in the land of the Celestials, whence most of those who dwelt in the City of Victory came, it was allowed by the customs of the people, and the authority of the learned, that the children should idle in the market-place, and play in the temple-courts, It came to pass therefore that when the people removed from the country of their fathers and the tombs of thei ancestors to dwell in the City of Victory by the sea, they continued to couforn to their own customs, the more so, seeing that such idling is pleasant to the flesh. This idleness was offensive in the nostrils of those who have worked hard from their youth up, in order to secure the prizes they enjoy, and therefore they decided to attempt to train certain of the children of Sinim in the way that they should go, Now it came to pass that in the City of Victory there wer" certain men whose riches had increased by trading with the people, who had much goods lid up for many years. Indeed the gold of Ophitand the precious onyx and the sapphire are theirs, and they cannot count their possessions, Therefore one of the richest approached the Chief Consul and offered to build a large dwelling, in which the youths who are to be reformed should congregate and be instructed in such things as pertained to their prosperity. 'Then was the Chief Consul glad. And it came to p"ss that after many days the building was completed and men called it the Reformatory. It was built on the outskirts of the City of Victory, that those who entered therein might' not be contaminated by the example of those who still loved the gutter and the street. The building was comely in the eyes of the Chief Consul, and the wealthy merchant, and they thought that idle boys," who hitherto had loved to play in the streets and lie on the granite slabs, would press tone upon another in their eager desire to enter therein, where they would be taught may things, and so would desire to play in the gutters no more.
'To the Celestial youth, however, the place was exceedingly oppressive. He looked and saw that the windows' were secured with bars of iron, after the manner of ancient dungeons. He glanced at its towers, and castellated keeps, and recalled the stories which the elders of his people had related to him on the village green in the summer evenings, of the cruel things that the ancient kings of China had dauw to their enemies, before their children had attained to the high state of civilisation of which its learned men and rulers boast to-day.
Bue before anything could be done, it necessary to lead forth from the far-off land of tue home of the Chief Consul, one who should possess all wisdom, and be skilled in all prudence. So letters of in struction were carefully written and forwarded by the swiftest posts, requesting the great king to send forth a teacher who had been accustomed to train and reform the youths of his own nation. After many days a suitable instructor was found, chilled in all learning and well fitted for the task, who left his pleasant home and many friends to undertake the new and important duty of reforming the youths of China, now dwelling in the City of Victory. When the skilled teacher reached the City of Victory, he found sundry matters were not as they had been told him, The home he had left was pleasant to the eye, in which were many rooms, where lie had collected the possessions of his ancestors, and where he could invite his guests and feast with them. The house which the Chief Consul and Senate had set apart for his use in the City of Victory, had been used as a Chinese school, whereof the rooms were fow and small, on which the sun beat down with a burning heat. He could not therefore forget the riches of the land whence he came out and the wider place he had occupied in former times, and when the clouds hung over the cuttage, und rain fell in torrents upon the roof, he asked himself why he had left a goodly lend fora Jurren wilderness, Now it came to pass that although the Reformatory was completed, and the teacher stood waiting in the porch thereof, to receive the Celestial youths, none could be found willing to accept the reformation provided for them. They could not relinquish Ube freedom of the streets and beds upon the slabs, to be reformed, and, mouth after month passed, the children of the people, who had first hat locket askance at the building and its aims, began to sry that things which should have been done for the welfare of our people, are left undone, whilst our money is wasted on the children of the alien, Now it came to pass, after many days, when the murmurings of the people were heard in the streets, and attempts to reform those who cared nothing therefor were made, the Chief Consul found a youth from the Celestial Jand, who not, knowing what he did, entered the doors of the new building, and was submitted to the teacher, that he might be reformed. Nor was this 89 difficult, for as he was but half-witted, there remained but half" mind to reform. The work now began, and all those interested were glad. Now the boy who had deen accustomed to go in and out of the courts of the home of his fathers, when he found himself shut in behind the iron bars of the Reformatory, and when called upon to stand before the terrible form of the white teacher feom the far-off country, felt his courage going from him, and he trembled exceedingly, thinking that he would be ill-treated, as were the robbers in the prisons in the land of his ancestors. therefore lifted up his voice aut wept sore, neither was there ang more life left in him, and he fell upon the ground in front of his teacher and besought with many tears that he might be released, whereupon he would never play in the streets again, nor gambol in the gutters. The teacher heeded him not,—The youth was biden to stand upon his feet, and by means of the inter-prefer, they tried to eum the fears of the boy. By this time, however, the day was far spent, and night was at hand, The
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.