Seven Maids of Far Cathay: Being English Notes From a Chinese Class BookLedyard, Mary Forman
General
Seven Maids of Far Cathay: Being English Notes From a Chinese Class Book
Ledyard, Mary Forman
Chinese in literature
The seven buildings of our adorable College are of a brick and stand
quite at the top of hill. From their feet green lawns run away down to
hide their greennesses in shadow of wall which about the Compound
encircles. This wall, of a ten-foot height, from grey stone is made. At
top of stones, not too often, posts stand of a color like lawn, and upon
posts looking at sky, sits the balustrade made of stone of a redness to
be seen afar. When the wistaria is full of bloom many times have I wish
to sit upon balustrade that I might make rain of wistaria blossoms upon
Honorable Strangers making entrance through door in wall, but Sedia (the
keeper of the gate) is of much strength and bigness and I do not dare.
Today when from Chapel we arrive, on breeze of morning come sound of
Tom-Tom from without the Compound wall. All Chinese girl run down to
gate. Miss Sterling enter in and Sedia at once close gate but not too
quickly. In opening I view Chinese all about box in street-centre
standing. On box, man; he make movement to turn face, and to me alone I
cry, "It is He of the Bridge of the Ten Thousand Ages!" My soul is in
darkness and my feet have wings. I fly far away. When I wish no more to
fly I cannot cease, but go onward. At last I fall to earth and know no
more.
When I awake it is in a place of strangeness - a room full of sunshine,
making entrance through windows of much number. The walls and carpets
are of the blue of the sky; the chairs, dressing-table and couch upon
which I lie are all of a whiteness; the Mieng about me is again blue. I
shut my eyes in wonderment; all is of beauty extraordinary! A hand comes
to my miserable forehead and Mother Heart (Miss Sterling) give of
sympathy to her unhappy child.
The memory of being like Fuku - not well born - smites my heart and bids
my tongue be still. I speak not. By and by Miss Sterling whisper, "Why
did you run away from the gate, Bing Ding?" I whisper return: "It was He
of the Bridge of the Ten Thousand Ages. Of his power I have greatest
fear. If He find, He will sell me to be a slave, for to him do I owe my
most miserable existence." Miss Sterling's eyes flash of fire and she
say, "No! No! I will have care."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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