ppeased his
mind. "By no means," I replied; "if anything, the exact contrary is
the case. As a matter of reality, of course, there is no Press now, the
all-seeing Board of Censors having wisely determined that it was not
stimulating to the public welfare; but if such an institution was
permitted to exist you may rest genially assured that nothing could
exceed the lenient toleration which all in office would extend towards
it." A similar instance of malicious inaccuracy is widely spoken of
regarding our lesser ones. "Is it really a fact, Mr. Kong," exclaimed a
maiden of magnanimous condescension, to this person recently, "that
we poor women are despised in your country, and that among the
working-classes female children are even systematically abandoned as
soon as they are born?" Suffering my features to express amusement at
this unending calumny, I indicated my violent contempt towards the one
who had first uttered it. "So far from despising them," I continued,
with ingratiating gallantry, "we recognise that they are quite necessary
for the purposes of preparing our food, carrying weighty burdens,
and the like; and how grotesque an action would it be for poor but
affectionate parents to abandon one who in a few years' time could be
sold at a really remunerative profit, this, indeed, being the principal
means of sustenance in many frugal families."

On another occasion I had seated myself upon a wooden couch in one
of the open spaces about the outskirts of the city, when an aged man
chanced to pass by. Him I saluted with ceremonious politeness, on
account of his years and the venerable dignity of his beard. Thereupon
he approached near, and remarking affably that the afternoon was good
(though, to use no subtle evasion, it was very evil), he congenially sat
by my side and entered into familiar discourse.

"They say that in your part of the world we old grandfathers are
worshipped," he said, after recounting to my ears all the most intimate
details of his existence from his youth upwards; "now, might that be
right?"

"Truly," I replied. "It is the unchanging foundation of our system of
morality."

"Ay, ay," he admitted pleasantly. "We are a long way behind them
foreigners in everything. At the rate we're going there won't be any
trade nor work nor religion left in this country in another twenty
years. I often wish I had gone abroad when I was younger. And if I
had chanced upon your parts I should be worshipped, eh?"