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quotations.

Finally aroused from his silence, our Mr. Wang feels called upon to enlighten his
friends with the pearls of his wisdom and observation. He uncrosses his legs, plants
both feet on the mud floor, pulls up his bench, extends both arms, flicks back each

sleeve with a swift motion of the opposite hand, and proceeds to expatiate. With
numerous gesticulations and facial grimaces, he delivers himself of what he, at least,
believes to be the final word on every topic. He expresses deep distress at the
degeneracy of the Government, both provincial and local, and deplores the general

departure from the economic principals of the philosopher, Mencius. The youth he
avers to be growing up as barbarians uninstructed in the lofty moral precepts of the
sage Confucius, inducing misgovernment of all kinds and official rapacity even to the
extent of connivance with banditry. Otherwise (with lowered voice and furtive

side-glances) how could the Tiger be permitted to continue his nightly depredations?
His auditors all grunted assent, as one put in,”Did you hear that night before last, that
pock-marked-one raided the Chang family village? Who knows when it will be the
turn of our village? Our only hope is that he will respect the ancestral name. I am told

the chieftain is himself of the name of Wang even as are we.” “Yes, yes,” agreed the
others, “they call him Wang-Three, the Tiger!”

After a little altercation as to who will pay for the tea, our friend Mr. Wang lifts his

long gown from the bottom, projects his fingers into his belt pouch and extracts some
copper coins. With a toss of his right hand to arrange them in order to count, he jerks
his right thumb nail three times, to deftly transfer three groups of five to his left hand,
which he lays on the table. He throws a couple more down as a tip for the waiter, and

they all take their departure. Mr. Wang, the stalwart one, saunters slowly up the
narrow village street, hands in his sleeves and a chuckle in his heart. Little did they
dream that the pious propounder of the teachings of the sages by day was Wang-Three,
the Tiger, himself!

* * * * *

I was going to preach the Gospel and teach the Word of God in the
Market-Village-of-the Great-Prosperity. “There is a keen group of Christians in the

town to which you are going, and the preacher, Mr. Wang, is an interesting character.
Ask him to tell you his story if you have a chance.” This I was told by a friend before
leaving the city.

I had been there two days when preacher Wang suggested that we walk over to a

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