Untitled

A VISIT TO A LACQUER-MAKER.
lord of Chiosu sent one of his councillors upon a dangerous
expedition, in which he fell into an arnbush, had his armor cut
to pieces and narrowly escaped with life. Upon his return,
the lord sent for him, and, in the presence
of the assembled
clansmen, gave him a magnificent suit of his armor, saying:
valor.' ' :
" How did he know the apparatus would fit the recipient? "
f Wear this forever in token of my appreciation of your
asked Fitz. .
" Don't spoil the romance of the story," said Sallie.
Among
the decorations of
the cabinet was a figure of an
aged man, sitting on the bank
of a river, fishing.
"Who is that old gentleman
? " inquired Fitz.
" The illustrious Tai-ko-bo,
a Chinese sage," replied the
proprietor.
"Is he dead?" said Fitz.
'Yes, he has been dead a
long time. He always fished
with a straight hook (smiling^)
Very extraordinary, was it not?
You would never guess what he caught."
"Guess he caught a bad cold," was the quick response.
"No? Well, the Chinese do TAI-KO-BO.
things differently from other
folks. They blow starch out of their mouths upon our shirt-
bosoms, and iron them with a copper dipper filled with live
charcoal."
The man looked puzzled, so Fitz said: "I was referring
to the Chinese washermen in the States."