CHAPTER VI.
The Chinese New Year.
The New Year came and found Hongkong in festal array. All the Chinesehouses were decorated with plants and flowers, and from long cordsstretched from house to house, and diagonally across the streets, weresuspended hundreds upon hundreds of lanterns of various colors. At thefirst peep of day thousands of people, dressed in holiday attire, beganto throng the streets and crowd into the great open squares, whereeatables of all sorts were to be had. Here were tables loaded downwith all kinds of Chinese delicacies, many of which, I fear, my littlereaders would not find palatable. For example, there were sugar-coatedworms, preserved red snails, trepang,--a kind of sea-worm,--and putriddoves' eggs in an unspeakable sauce. The cakes made of honey, sugarand rice-meal, I am sure, would have been much more to your liking.Each hour the crowd increased, as the people poured into the city fromthe villages on the island of Hongkong, and from neighboring places.It was a general reception day. Whenever a Chinaman met anacquaintance, putting his hands in the wide, flowing sleeves of hisgown, he greeted him with many bows, wished him a happy New Year, andinvited him to have a cup of tea or saki. Even the poorest people hadsaved up enough to take part in the celebration. All over the greatcity joy reigned.
The missioners, glad to give their pupils English as well as Chinese,all the pleasure they could, always celebrated the New Year by having amore elaborate supper than usual, and taking the boys to see thebrilliantly lighted city and the puppet shows. For weeks beforehandall looked forward to the great holiday, and could hardly wait for thetime to come when the city would be in holiday attire, and thefireworks and puppet shows in progress. On this night supper was over,the bell had rung, and the boys were in a double line ready to start ontheir little excursion. At the head of the ranks stood young Peppo,the leader, in a state of subdued excitement. He was anxious to seethe beautiful lights, and also hoped to find his little companion,Willy, at the puppet show, where he knew he would be, if possible.Just as the happy band was about to start, Father Somazzo called Peppoback, for it occurred to him that perhaps the man, who had a few daysprevious to this so impudently demanded possession of him, might try tokidnap him.
"Peppo", he said, addressing Lihu by his Italian nickname, "Peppo, youknow that I mean well by you."
"Yes, Father," answered the boy impatiently, "but please don't keep menow. We are going to the city and I am to be the leader of the ranks."
"Peppo, not very long ago you said that you were willing to make agreat sacrifice to God, because he saved you from death, and permittedyou to be baptized, and because you are soon to receive your firstcommunion."
"Yes, Father, I did, and I will willingly make a sacrifice, but let mego now. Brother Onufrio has already opened the door."
"Peppo, would it not be a beautiful sacrifice for you to give up goingto-night?"
"O Father," stammered the child with tears in his eyes, "no, I don'twant to. I will make a sacrifice, but not to-night. I want to see thefire-works and the puppet show. And Willy will be at the puppet show,I want to find him, too. He will go if he can, for he knows that everyNew Year's night we boys go. Please, Father, do not keep me. I willwillingly live on rice and water for a month rather than stay hometo-night."
"Poor child, you do not know what is for your best good," answeredFather Somazzo. "I wanted you to look upon this as a sacrifice whichyou were willing to make, but since you will not, I command you toremain at home, for a reason which I cannot tell you. Come, Peppo,into the class-room. You may take my big picture-book with all thepictures of European cities and churches, ladies and gentlemen in fineclothes and battles and ships. The time will pass quickly. Come andwin the reward of obedience."
"I don't want to, I won't go!" cried the boy, crying at the top of hislungs and stamping his feet on the floor.
"What? What? Such a thing as this from you? That is no way tobehave. If you do not come with me willingly, you shall not have thepretty picture-book."
With these words Father Somazzo led the weeping child into theclass-room, while he went to get the promised book. Totu, the servant,who was standing near the door at the time, was a witness of the scene.His plan was to seize the boy at the puppet show, when the attention ofall the by-standers was on the stage, fasten him to himself by acunningly contrived chain and belt, so that he could not possiblyescape in the crowd, and deliver him over to his uncle. When he sawthat the boy was detained against his will, the sly fellow changed histactics.
"Ha, ha," said he, "this is much easier for Totu," and hurrying intothe garden, stationed himself under the window which opened into andwas on a level with the garden. As soon as Father Somazzo left theroom, Peppo went to the window to watch the sky rockets that every nowand then went shooting into the sky, and to listen to the shouts of themerry revelers in the streets.
"What, little Lihu, are you not going to the celebration? Why, down inthe marketplace there is the finest puppet show that was ever seen orheard of anywhere," said Totu in a sympathetic tone of voice.
"I can't," said he, "Father Somazzo is an old tyrant. He wants me torenounce this pleasure, to make a sacrifice to God to-night by stayingat home."
"Oh, nonsense!" answered the tempter. "You come with me. I'll takeyou down into the city, and to the puppet show, and the fireworks, andeverything else. We'll be back in an hour, and Father Somazzo, who issaying his prayers, won't even know you've been away."
"He has locked the door, and will be angry if he finds me gone," saidthe boy, half ready to yield to the tempter.
"He won't find it out. Quick. Climb up on the window-sill, I'll liftyou down, and in a moment we'll be out through the little gate in thewall, for I have the key that unlocks it. We've no time to lose.Don't you hear the drums and tomtoms in the market-place? The puppetshow is beginning."
Little Peppo's conscience told him that he ought not to go, but hisanger at what seemed to him an unjust command, caused him to give noheed to its dictation. "Well, anyway, when Father Somazzo shuts me upfor punishment, I'll have seen the puppet show and the fireworks," hesaid, climbing up on the window-sill, and the next moment he was in thegarden. Taking Totu by the hand, he slunk along in the shadow of thewall to the little gate, and soon the two were with the crowd out inthe brilliantly lighted street.
Father Somazzo was detained a short time, and when he returned to theclassroom was dumbfounded to find his favorite pupil gone. He went tothe window and called "Peppo, Peppo", but received no answer. At firsthe could scarcely believe that the boy, who had always been soobedient, could be guilty of such a grievous breach of discipline; butas calling and searching proved of no avail, at last, with a heavyheart, he had to admit that even good little Peppo had yielded totemptation.
"Lord, deal not harshly with the erring," sighed the missioner, andthen he prayed: "Let not his disobedience cause him and us too muchsorrow, Blessed Virgin. Take the poor child to thy motherly bosom, andbring him back to us in safety. Thou knowest we have great hopes forhim."
Father Somazzo could do no more than this, for he could not leave thehouse alone; and, even if he had been able to do so, his attempts tofind the child in the crowds that thronged the streets would haveavailed nothing. Hoping that Peppo would join his companions andreturn with them, the good Father waited, but in vain. He neither camewith the boys, nor later by himself.
On the following morning Father Somazzo received a visit from Mr.Black, the lawyer, whom he had consulted concerning the guardianship ofWilly. He came to report that he believed he had sufficient proof toask the court to take Willy away from John Brown, and also to cause hisimprisonment. He had through agents sought out the sailors dismissedfrom the "St. George", and from them not only learned of the life ofJohn Brown in Dublin, but also of the peculiar circumstances attendantupon his brother's death at sea. Mr. Black asked whether he shouldprosecute, adding: "Whatever is done, must be done quickly, for I amtold that the 'St. George' will sail to-morrow morning, or
the morningafter at the latest, for Australia with three hundred Chinaman onboard."
Father Somazzo signed the necessary papers, then told of little Peppo'sdisappearance, and his conjecture that he had been carried off by aChinaman named Lihoa, who claimed to be a relative.
"I'll wager ten to one, this Lihoa is one of the greedy Chinamen who isgoing to sail on the 'St. George'," said Mr. Black. "Let's go down tothe office of the Chief of Police, and, if my conjecture is true, we'llfind the people we want on board the 'St. George'--'kill two birds withone stone', as the old saying has it. Be quick, Father, get your hatand walking stick and come with me. We haven't a moment to lose."
The two men hurried down to the harbor. The Chief of Police receivedthem in a friendly manner, but when they laid their case before him, heshrugged his shoulders and said: "I am very sorry, indeed. You havecome just eight hours too late. The 'St. George' sailed this morningat two with the tide and a favorable wind."
"What is to be done?" questioned the Father.
"We will send your papers to Melbourne and Sidney and have the Captainand Lihoa arrested when they put into port. That is all that can bedone," answered the Chief.
Matters had to be left thus. Mr. Black returned to his office to makeout the necessary documents, and Father Somazzo to the College tocommend both boys to God and his ministering angels.