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Contents (93)
  1. CONTENTS
  2. MRS. SPRING FRAGRANCE
  3. I
  4. II
  5. III
  6. IV
  7. THE INFERIOR WOMAN
  8. I
  9. II
  10. III
  11. IV
  12. V
  13. VI
  14. THE WISDOM OF THE NEW
  15. I
  16. II
  17. III
  18. IV
  19. V
  20. VI
  21. VII
  22. “ITS WAVERING IMAGE”
  23. I
  24. II
  25. IT WAS A COOL, QUIET evening, after a hot day. A new moon was in the sky.
  26. III
  27. “CURSED BE HIS ANCESTORS,” BAYED Man You.
  28. IV
  29. THE GIFT OF LITTLE ME
  30. THE STORY OF ONE WHITE WOMAN WHO MARRIED A CHINESE
  31. I
  32. II
  33. HER CHINESE HUSBAND
  34. THE AMERICANIZING OF PAU TSU
  35. I
  36. II
  37. III
  38. IV
  39. IN THE LAND OF THE FREE
  40. I
  41. II
  42. III
  43. IV
  44. THE CHINESE LILY
  45. THE SMUGGLING OF TIE CO
  46. THE GOD OF RESTORATION
  47. THE THREE SOULS OF AH SO NAN
  48. I
  49. II
  50. III
  51. IV
  52. THE PRIZE CHINA BABY
  53. LIN JOHN
  54. TIAN SHAN’S KINDRED SPIRIT
  55. THE SING SONG WOMAN
  56. I
  57. II
  58. TALES OF CHINESE CHILDREN
  59. THE SILVER LEAVES
  60. THE PEACOCK LANTERN
  61. CHILDREN OF PEACE
  62. I
  63. II
  64. III
  65. IV
  66. V
  67. “HOW MANY MOONS, LIU VENTI, since our little ones went from us?” asked Pau Tsu.
  68. THE BANISHMENT OF MING AND MAI
  69. I
  70. II The Tiger’s Farewell
  71. THE STORY OF A LITTLE CHINESE SEABIRD
  72. WHAT ABOUT THE CAT?
  73. THE WILD MAN AND THE GENTLE BOY
  74. THE GARMENTS OF THE FAIRIES
  75. THE DREAMS THAT FAILED
  76. GLAD YEN
  77. THE DECEPTIVE MAT
  78. THE HEART’S DESIRE
  79. THE CANDY THAT IS NOT SWEET
  80. THE INFERIOR MAN
  81. THE MERRY BLIND-MAN
  82. MISUNDERSTOOD
  83. THE LITTLE FAT ONE
  84. A CHINESE BOY-GIRL
  85. I
  86. II
  87. PAT AND PAN
  88. I
  89. II
  90. III
  91. THE CROCODILE PAGODA
  92. A NOTE ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  93. A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

Mrs. Spring Fragrance smiled as she folded this last epistle. Even if he were old-fashioned, there was never a husband so good and kind as hers. Only on one occasion since their marriage had he slighted her wishes. That was when, on the last anniversary of their wedding, she had signified a desire for a certain jadestone pendant, and he had failed to satisfy that desire.

But Mrs. Spring Fragrance, being of a happy nature, and disposed to look upon the bright side of things, did not allow her mind to dwell upon the jadestone pendant. Instead, she gazed complacently down upon her bejeweled fingers and folded in with her letter to Mr. Spring Fragrance a bright little sheaf of condensed love.

III

MR. SPRING FRAGRANCE SAT ON his doorstep. He had been reading two letters, one from Mrs. Spring Fragrance, and the other from an elderly bachelor cousin in San Francisco. The one from the elderly bachelor cousin was a business letter, but contained the following postscript:

Tsen Hing, the son of the Government school-master, seems to be much in the company of your young wife. He is a good-looking youth, and pardon me, my dear cousin; but if women are allowed to stray at will from under their husbands’ mulberry roofs, what is to prevent them from becoming butterflies?

“Sing Foon is old and cynical,” said Mr. Spring Fragrance to himself. “Why should I pay any attention to him? This is America, where a man may speak to a woman, and a woman listen, without any thought of evil.”

He destroyed his cousin’s letter and re-read his wife’s. Then he became very thoughtful. Was the making of American fudge sufficient reason for a wife to wish to remain a week longer in a city where her husband was not?

The young man who lived in the next house came out to water the lawn.

“Good evening,” said he. “Any news from Mrs. Spring Fragrance?”

“She is having a very good time,” returned Mr. Spring Fragrance.

“Glad to hear it. I think you told me she was to return the end of this week.”

“I have changed my mind about her,” said Mr. Spring Fragrance. “I am bidding her remain a week longer, as I wish to give a smoking party during her absence. I hope I may have the pleasure of your company.”

“I shall be delighted,” returned the young fellow. “But, Mr. Spring Fragrance, don’t invite any other white fellows. If you do not I shall be able to get in a scoop. You know, I’m a sort of honorary reporter for the Gleaner .”

“Very well,” absently answered Mr. Spring Fragrance.

“Of course, your friend the Consul will be present. I shall call it ‘A high-class Chinese stag party!’ ”

In spite of his melancholy mood, Mr. Spring Fragrance smiled.

“Everything is ‘high-class’ in America,” he observed.

“Sure!” cheerfully assented the young man. “Haven’t you ever heard that all Americans are princes and princesses, and just as soon as a foreigner puts his foot upon our shores, he also becomes of the nobility—I mean, the royal family.”