Love stories; New England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
The shabby stranger moved on at last, rather content with his granite
block, but regretting the old shop of his humbler days. The city was
wholly changed. He recognised no building anywhere, but a vista of
green trees appearing up a narrow street, he made for this. He came
out upon the Common, and a very pretty place he found it, warm with
rich shadows and all beflowered with gay little children. Fifteen
years before, Mr. Waddy had sometimes done what may still, perhaps,
be done by Boston swains and maids. He remembered circuits of the
Common, transits of the Common, lingerings in the Common, by bright
sunsets of summer, in electric evenings of frosty winters, when Boston
eyes grow to keener sparkles, and Boston cheeks gain ruddy bloom;
walks twilighted, moonlighted, starlighted--lighted beautifully with
all-beaming lights of nature and youth and hope.
As Mr. Waddy, forgetting dinner, was gazing charmedly across the
green slopes of this rus-in-urbal scene, remembering--pleasantly,
doubtless, though his face did not look pleasant--his youthful strolls
there-along, he saw sitting near one of the gates a miserable crouching
figure, almost rolled into a ball. By its side was a box of withered
cigars, and a placard, “Please buy something of this Chinaman.” As Mr.
Waddy looked abstractedly at him, quite certain not to buy, he saw
a man of dark complexion approach the cringing figure, stare at him
for a moment, jerk him violently by the tail, and then, with howls of
joy chiming in melodiously with the other’s howls of anguish, fall to
embracing him ecstatically.
Mr. Waddy was much amused to recognise his servant Chin Chin in the
embracer.
“What the devil are you doing with that chap?” he demanded, walking up
and employing the toe of one of Dan’l’s boots gently to interfere with
this affecting scene.
“Hi yah! All same! Boston fashion!” shouted the delighted Chin Chin,
recognising his master in spite of his disguise. “S’pose ’em drown.
No! All same. Dis my cussem--murder’s brudder’s sum. Hi yah!” and he
gave the cigar merchant another tug of the cue, another embrace, and a
quantity of guttural gibberish. After this spasm of kinsmanly regard,
he explained to Mr. Waddy that Dunstan had taken care of his effects
and deposited them with a letter at the Tremont House, intrusting also
him, Chin Chin, to the landlord’s care.
Chin Chin, dressed in his neat uniform--Mr. Waddy would not call it a
livery--seemed a Nepaulese ambassador, some Bung Jackadawr, on a visit
of state, and Mr. Waddy his rough interpreter on savage shores. Some
drygoods buyers at the Tremont House door were disposed to grin as the
apparent Down East Yankee came up the steps, and to hee-haw when the
landlord, recognising Chin Chin and the signature, asked the signer if
he would like a private parlour. They grinned and hee-hawed no more
when they caught sight of that name of power.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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