#1 Mishap, The Test of Love
(1) The sun was shining warm and bright,
And birds were singing gay and light.
The flowers in bloom, the trees in leaves,
And swallows back to their old eaves.
'Twas Spring again, charming and sweet,----
The season for lovers to meet.
(2) A Sunday in a park in May,
When larks chanting a merry lay,
A young man walking arm in arm
With such a girl of greatest charm.
He whispered sweet words in her ears;
His jokes did make her laugh with tears.
(3) "I say, my dearest Wen," said he,
"Would you t' a party go with me?"
"But when?" she asked, with eyes on Chen;
"Tonight, my dear." he said to Wen.
As they were sitting on a bench,
And he embraced the pretty wench.
(4) So long a time they cooed like dove,
And took a solemn vow of love:
Till women had a beard on chin,
And elephants grew hairs on skin,
Till earth stopped move and stars died out,
Their love'd remain e'er true and stout.
(5) The afterglow in sky now shone,
And twilight found them left alone.
So up they got, and went to gate,
For time would not for men await.
He strolled along with her in street,
And sometimes to some friends would greet.
(6) "Now home for supper let us go."
She said, but he replied, "Oh, no.
If home to sup, we'll be too late;
It's impolite to keep them wait."
So then to restaurant they went,
And chops and soup for her he meant.
(7) The East-Turtles abused and beat
Our hungry people where'er they meet.
The young for life would run away,
But for old men 'twas their last day.
A stream of blood in Nanking flowed
And floated up the slain on road.
(8) No Yellow Dogs were seen today,
As to the restaurant went they.
But seldom nerves relaxed in fear
That mishap follows bitter tear,
Except when love was talked about,
And lovers had a dinner out.
(9) He called her home for it by phone,
And back at table he sat alone,
For she to toilet for a while
And now approached with a smile.
He ordered pudding, chops and soup;
For himself steak, salad and soup.
(10) They talked and sighed and talked while ate,
Of war, of woe, of servile date.
A Japanese song in the hall
Was sung, but none listened at all.
People ate with faces full of woe;
Each told his grief in voice so low.
(11) A Japanese in uniform
Came in, as talk hot and wine warm.
And how he took a dish aft dish,
At length the last he ate was fish.
Instead of pay, "Bagayalo."
And what was more, a heavy blow.
(12) The owner, out from counter, bowed;
But Dog is Dog; he trampled and roared
And boxed the owner's nose to bleed,
The blood dripping from it, indeed.
For life the poor man dared not stir,
And saw him out with bows and "Sir!"
(13) When out, and on his back a stone,
He turned and uttered such a groan.
He found himself to face a crowd
With clenched fists and looks so proud.
He's awed and fled like beaten dog
And grunted yet as dying hog.
(14) People gazed within through window glass,
And scruples belonged to their such class.
They only sighed, in distress spoke
Of the event. One made a joke
On flying Yellow Dog and said,
" 'Tis not a pleasure to invade."
(15) When up at last they got to go,
They took a taxi-car and so
In one-sixth hour they reached there.
Their advent caused glad eyes to stare;
When they were shown into the room,
They, then, received the warmest boom.
(16) As introductions o'er, the ball
Began, and guests eighteen in all.
They danced the waltz and danced tango;
They danced and danced in twain and two.
At intervals of rest, some sang,
And through the room their voices rang.
(17) "Encore!" cried all when a young maid
Had finished a serenade.
"Look, how we're making merry, oh,
Beneath the shade of Death!" said Joe,
While servants brought in plates of cake
With bread and bun, all of home-bake.
(18) While drinking coffee Miss Wen told
Of the event, the poor man old;
Of people outside, how brave and bold,
They made the blood of Dog run cold;
And China's future and her hope
Relied on those as such a group.
(19) 'Twas midnight when the party's o'er.
They took their leave, and out of door
They saw a taxi driving slow;
They stopped the car and in they'd go
Then someone's seen by driver's side;
But as she's in, her face he eyed.
(20) And aft some turns the car went now
Along the wide First Road and how
Was that it ran towards the Bund--
The wrong direction'--they were stunn'd
And asked the driver, got reply
As "Hold your tongue, or dead you'll lie."
(21) Then at the Bund the car stopped short;
Chen's pushed out as quick as thought.
And then the car was driven on
And o'er the Garden Bridge and down
To the Xinya Hotel and then
It stopp’d, and brought her to the den.
(22) She's taken to a room and there
Was left alone to her own care.
A Japanese in uniform
Then came and bore in ugly form.
He came to strip her naked,--oh, you
My readers, must know what'd ensue.
(23) She was a slave in this hotel;
Her body sullied, but to sell
Her soul she wouldn't, and oft with snub
Abused in this Officers' Club,
And sometimes whipped and boxed for fun,
And what to eat, she got a bun.
(24) Each day she wept and thought of Chen,
"Does still he think of me, his Wen?"
It gave her courage living on;
Her sorrows deep, her face was wan.
She tried escape, once, twice and thrice,
But all in vain, in tearful sighs.
(25) How could she live in hell of fire,
In torment and in dark so dire?
How could she any longer bear
The Brutes; and how could she the snare,
The cage, the hell, the prison break?
But little her power, no means she'd take.
(26) But when would come the light of dawn?
And when would rise the sun of morn
To chase the darkness from the earth
And bring to China all the mirth?
But when could she from lair be free,
And when could she her dear Chen see?
(27) When came to himself, poor Chen found
He's lying at the Bund on ground.
He got on feet and looked around;
There reigned a silence and no sound,
And nowhere could the car be seen,
And therefore he was sad in spleen.
(28) He got to home in sorrows deep,
And couldn't have just a wink of sleep.
And earlier than the sun, went he
To see and tell her family
Of the misfortune; hearing this
Her parents cried in bitterness.
(29) The whole household at door did peep;
For their young Miss they helped to weep.
The sight of others' tears just made,
As thinking of his pretty maid
With sweetest smile and lovely blush,
His grief profound, his tears in gush.
(30) And now a solemn vow he took:
From Hell to Heaven he would look
For his beloved, her darling lass,
E’en if he ought to go, alas!
Through fire and water, through a mound
Of dynamite till she be found.
(31) Her father sent his men in quest
Of his sole daughter east and west,
While everywhere through town Chen sought
For her, his sweetheart, but he brought
To her old parents no good news,
And his endeavors of no use.
(32) He did his best to search and seek,
From day to day, from week to week,
And month aft month, and year aft year,
For her who was so near and dear
To his poor heart, but all in vain.
He failed, but he began again.
(33) But where could she at present be?
And yet did she now think of me?
Did she suffer, and did she weep?
Did she her cheeks in tears oft keep?
And how did she fare, bad or well?
Alive or dead? But none could tell.
(34) And night aft night, on bed he turned;
And bitter parting he had learned.
His love for her was put to test;
And he had neither sleep nor rest,
As thinking of her day and night,
And she to him like ray and light.
(35) And how could he his dear one save,
From tiger's den, or devil's cave,
Or from the fiercest dragon's claws,
Or from the ugly monster's jaws?
But where was she was still in doubts,
And how he'd find her whereabouts?
(36) Her image occupied his head,
And heavy was his heart like lead.
So long as she was out of sight,
He really lost his appetite.
He now became so thin and lean,--
Too thin, too lean, as never seen.
(37) His mother said, "Forget your Miss,
Or you will die of lovesickness.
I know a pretty girl Miss Liu,
And she's the right damsel for you."
"If find her never in this world,
I'll marry her then in next world."
(38) As firm he stood where he was right,
His mother wanted, day and night,
Amuse her only son and sought
Beguile him from his plaintive thought.
But his unlucky star he cursed,
And he refused to be diversed.
(39) Indeed his sorrows were so great
That no pastime at any rate
Could help forget his rooted woe
And heal his broken heart, and so
Her father gave him same advice,
But he refused with deepest sighs.
(40) Time went in hope and agony,
In seeking, waiting anxiously,
Till came the year of Forty-Five
To bring us spring and joy, and drive
To their old home those Japanese;
And freedom now to our Chinese.
(41) Chinese people sang and danced so gay
To celebrate the victory day.
Though Chen enjoyed the public glee,
In his own distress yet was he.
Where's now his Wen? Was she alive?
And this year she was twenty-five.
(42) She'd borne the tortures, oh, for years,
The insult and despite with tears.
She waited with impatient pain
In hopes to see her Chen again.
But now at last there came the day
She's free and able to go away.
(43) But sweet and bitter mixed in life.
Had he another taken to wife?
Had he forget his sacred vow,
Desert'd his love he loved before?
If so, she's ready to forgive;
She knew that he couldn’t lonely live.
(44) If not so, what would she then do?
Would she be married to him? No.
She thought of her lost maidenhood;
She'd bring him disgrace and no good.
Unworthy of his love now she's;
She wish'd him woo her mother's niece.
(45) The essence of a true love is
Self-sacrifice for other's bliss.
She wanted planning for his weal,
Because her love for him so real,
Though herself happy life denied
And sacrificed, or for him died.
(46) When home she got, to the surprise
Of her parents, and then their sighs
Were turned into the joyful tears,
Aft parting for so many years,
For they had given her up for dead;
Now through the house the good news spread.
(47) Then all the household came to meet
Their still young mistress and to greet.
And what she suffered then she told;
The tears she shed the sea couldn't hold.
But how's her Chen? She'd like to know.
And married? The reply was, "No."
(48) Chen learnt this news and hasten’d there,
But she wouldn't see him and declare:
He should another marry; since
She was polluted, she must wince
And give her place in heart of his
Now to another pretty miss.
(49) But Chen insisted, and remind
Her of her vow, and he didn't mind
What then she had been forced to yield,
But winner was her soul on field;
If yet her heart belonged to none,
To him she's still the dearest one.
(50) Yet she refused; and he did stay
In sitting-room, wouldn't go away
For three whole days; and to insist
On seeing her, he couldn't exist,
He said, if she wouldn't keep her vow;
Without her how could he live now?
(51) Her parents came up to persuade
Their daughter with the help of maid,
And told her of what Chen had done,
And by degrees her heart was won.
Her resolution softened then,
And down she came to see her Chen.
(52) At last the lovers met again
Aft many years of parting pain.
Their wedding took place on March First.
What lots of food! The guests would burst!
They drank the health to the young pair
And welfare till they grew white hair.
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