At a meeting of the local gentry discuss civic improvement, 1 Was introduced. to the senior." re-
Preventative of the oldest family ur city. Huge grave mounds, shaded by choice evergreens oe-} cupy a beautiful lot near the heart} of the city. These graves existed before the city walls were built prior to the Sung Dynasty. The Spacious Ancestral Hall, with ex:
ite stone carved. ' monument near by. Though at one time immensely' rich, the fortunes of the families comprising the Clan have faded. Always, in the eave of marriage, death "or transfer of "property, this "head the Clan rust invariably be present, He was about 73 Years of age, slight, slender and Artstocratie to. the "last degree However, there was a gentle cour tess and faultless manner that di tinguished him. He Was 39\perfectly polite that he made' you forget your own blunders in his Sones. Dut vil war in our section, a high military" official falled ta ensure us of protection. 1 vited he Clanswan to. be present. He came and the soldier waz so pleased with him, that he} Dromised to protect the entire p0- Dalation. This promise way Kep!—thers are honourable men even among the military. On another occasion, when a family of his clan, impoverished by opium and loans at exorbitant interest, were. compelled {5'ell one of thd "estates to the! highest bidder, it happened that] one of our institutions purchased]
Tae head of the Clan was present to see that the title deeds were in order, and then took the pur-[chase price and divided it out among sons, grandsons, concubines and old servants. after debts had been paid. The old gentleman was] almost heart-broken, but gave no sign of outward distress. None disputed hig decisions. Tt is joy buy, grief to sell landed pro-
Where the Monument Was The next interview was in his private sanctum, a library facing south with flowers and shrubbery] protected by high walls. He had been informed that some workmen fkad taken two stones from a heap jand used them in one of our walls. showed that on this spot, years Faking down some records, he io, his clan had a monument. had' fallen during a rebellion and the fragments scattered. " "They Jeannot poss bly, be of any use to us, I Dut it would disgrace our clan to allow any_ gri' else to eve shams Money could not buy these stones, as they were part of a monument, erected by express permission of the emperor to commemorate widow...., centuries ago." assured him the stones would be restored at once. When the cai al was dredged " few months later, another stone was found fitting these precisely and all "are now—piled ina confused heap near the graves. Face was saved and cordial friendship followed. His story is too long for details, but in brief, his ancestors had been for generations, a sful scholars with official estates. positions,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.