Whatever else Wong may be we are convinced that he accepts the onerous duties of parenthood with becoming dignity anda sincere desire to bring up his quiverful in the way! they should go. This probably" accounts for the fact that the other day ko swept into our room carrying dirty dog's-eared book, which he held out to us with 'a laconic:
"What ting?'
We looked it over. It was grimed by the clutching hands of many, the first and last few pages had disappeared, and whatever the contents, it looked dilapidated enough ' to command the gravest at random, we saw the title to one story was. "Cinderella. We smiled.
"Where did you get this book?" we asked.
"My small boy bab catch. Jus' now he no wantchee do pidgin my shop. All time he lead. I talked he what ting tis book?" He say velly ize book. But my no sabee what} Ying he talked nize!"
Realizing that Wong was not at all certain about the propriety of his son's literary taste, we did our best to put the story before us into the only means of communication we mutually possess, He listened in silence while we idoseribed the sort of girl Cinderella was: his lip curled somewhat when we told him of how in her misery. she used to sit among the ashes and weep, He became more interested when we spoke of the fairy godmother and the transformation of pumpkin and mice into a coach and when we started on a vivid! description of the beautiful jewels i the girl adorned ber Wong took up the argu-
"Yes, Wong."
"She hab got diamonds, inbies, pubis. How fashion go foh dance S'pose I belong young gel, one missee pay my, I no go dance: T go pawnshop.'
'But this is the story, Wong," we! replied and hurried on before he could reply. We got her to the ball, we had the Prince securely in love with her, and had got her safely' home before the coach and four turned into their origi was a rapt attention somewhat when we told of the second land the third dance, but when we told of the flight of Cinderella, and. the losing of the glass shoe," the: transformation of her vehicle, horses and coachman, Wong interjected with the greatest disgust:
"Calliage, hawhses belong mouse, belong punkin again, but glass shoo:
hab changem. How fashion?"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.