ad ever known in her
life; and the roar of the storm which had thundered round the poor
little shanty of a home and the ominous wailings of the spirits of evil
which had struck a chill into her very blood, once more sounded in her
ears as though the tragedy had happened only the night before.

In the fulness of the new joy which had suddenly transformed his life,
the son went on to talk of the plans that he had been mapping out for
the future. There would be no lack of money any more, he said, for
employment would open up to him in all directions. He would be invited
by the wealthy men of the city to teach their sons. He was a notable
scholar now, and men of means would compete with each other to secure
his services.

Before long too, he would be certain to obtain a government appointment
which would bring riches into the home; and then his father would be a
gentleman, and would live with him in his yamen, and be treated by all
with honour and respect. And so with glowing face and glistening eyes,
as the visions of the future rose up before him, the boy talked on with
the enthusiasm of youth, whilst his mother gazed at him with admiring
eyes.

At last he suddenly stopped. The laughter died out of his countenance,
and with a grave and solemn face he exclaimed, "Father, I want you to
tell me where my mother is buried. I must arrange to go to her grave
and make the proper offerings to her spirit, and tell her how her son
has prospered, and how grateful he is to her. That is my duty as a
filial son, and I must not delay in performing it."

The young fellow did not notice the deadly pallor that spread over his
parent's face as he uttered these words. He did not know that they
produced a feeling of despair in the heart of his mother, for she now
felt that she had come to the end of her life. She was a true and
noble woman, with a high ideal of what a woman's life ought to be, and
she dared not face the opinion of the world when it was discovered that
she had lived as a man, and for many years had freely mingled with men.
She had violated the laws of etiquette which regulate the conduct of
women in every grade of society, and now the only thing left for her to
do was to die.

Next morning, at sunrise, when the son entered his father's room, as
was his daily custom, he found him lying upon his bed, dead, but
marvellous to say, dressed in a woman's clothes. That the death was
not accidental could be seen at a gla