Confucius became the prophet of the practical. About fifty years before Confucius, was born one who became a deep thinker who looked with scorn upon the work of Confucius. This was Lao-tsze, who was born 604 B.C. According to the legends of the Taoists he had the appearance, when born, of an old man with gray hair, and so they called him Lao-tsze, which means _the old boy_. When he was born, so they say, he was wise as men are when they become old. Other legends say that as soon as he was born, he mounted into the air and pointing with his left hand to heaven, and with his right to the earth, he said: “In heaven above and on earth beneath, _Tao_ alone is worthy of honor.” His complexion was white and yellow; his ears were of extraordinary size, and were each pierced with three passages. He had handsome eyebrows, large eyes, ragged teeth, a double-ridged nose and a square mouth; on each foot he had ten toes. All of this was to distinguish him from common men. He became a hermit-student. His chief disciple was named Yin-He. The following story will serve to illustrate the miraculous powers ascribed to Lao-tsze. THE TALISMAN OF LONG LIFE. The philosopher’s servant, Senkeă, who had served him for 200 years without receiving any wages, finding that his master was going to take a journey whither he knew not, suddenly demanded his arrears of pay, which upon calculation were found to amount to 72,000 ounces of silver. Fearing to face his master, he induced an acquaintance to ask Yin-He to broach the subject to Lao-tsze. The acquaintance being ignorant of the relation existing between the master and servant, and already deeming in anticipation Senkeă to be a rich man, promised him his daughter in marriage. The beauty of the girl added to the persistency of the serving-man, whom Lao-tsze summoned to his presence. “I hired you originally,” he said, “to perform the most humble duties; your circumstances were poor and no one else would employ you. I have given you the talisman of long life, and it is due to this alone that you are now in existence. How have you so far forgotten the benefits I have heaped upon you as to cover me with reproaches? I am now about to set out for the Western Sea (the Caspian); I intend to visit the kingdoms of Ya T’sin (the Roman Empire), of Ke-pin (Cabal), of Tien-chuh (India), and of Gan-se (Parthia); and I order you to act as my charioteer thitherwards. On my return, I will pay you that which I owe you.” But Senkeă still refused to obey. Whereupon Lao-tsze ordered him to lean forward and open his mouth, and instantly there escaped from his lips the talisman, and at the same moment his body became a heap of dry bones. At the earnest prayer of Yin-He the servant was restored to life, and was dismissed with a present of 20,000 ounces of silver. Having nothing further to detain him, Lao-tsze bade farewell to the keeper of the pass, and mounting upon a cloud, disappeared into space.