Wisdom Of Laotse By Lin Yutang

The Pastor was not a follower of conventionSO the boys did not wear queuesYutang was a little guydeeply tannedwith a prominent foreheada pair of sparkling eyesand a narrow chinSix miles later,when the skiff camet0 Xiaoxithe boys changed tO a fivesail junkand sailed toward Zhangzhou on West RiverThere were paddy fields and farmhouses on either side ofthe riverand tall mountains stood behind themclad in grey-purplish huesYutang thought it inexpressibly beautifulAfter a days journeythe junk was tied up against the bank under some bamboo treesYutang was told tO lie downcover himself with a blanket and go tO sleepBut sleep was the last thing on the boys mindThe boatman sitting at the iunks stern was sucking at his pipeand between gulps of bitter teatelling stories about the Empress Dowager Cixiwho ruled the court todayhaving put the Emperor Guangxu under house arrest for supporting the reformers at the palaceAnother junk was tied up on the opposite bankbrightly lit by lanternsA soft breeze wafted sounds of merrymaking and music from a lute across the water