Mrs. Spring Fragrance

by Edith Maude Eaton

　　I

　　When Mrs. Spring Fragrance first arrived in Seattle, she wasunacquainted with even one word of the American language. Five yearslater her husband, speaking of her, said: “There are no more Americanwords for her learning.” And everyone who knew Mrs. Spring Fragranceagreed with Mr. Spring Fragrance.

　　Mr. Spring Fragrance, whose business name was Sing Yook, was a youngcurio merchant. Though conservatively Chinese in many respects, he wasat the same time what is called by the Westerners, “Americanized.” Mrs.Spring Fragrance was even more “Americanized.”

　　Next door to the Spring Fragrances lived the Chin Yuens. Mrs. Chin Yuenwas much older than Mrs. Spring Fragrance; but she had a daughter ofeighteen with whom Mrs. Spring Fragrance was on terms of greatfriendship. The daughter was a pretty girl whose Chinese name was MaiGwi Far (a rose) and whose American name was Laura. Nearly everybodycalled her Laura, even her parents and Chinese friends. Laura had asweetheart, a youth named Kai Tzu. Kai Tzu, who was American-born, andas ruddy and stalwart as any young Westerner, was noted amongst baseballplayers as one of the finest pitchers on the Coast. He could also sing,“Drink to me only with thine eyes,” to Laura’s piano accompaniment.

　　Now the only person who knew that Kai Tzu loved Laura and that Lauraloved Kai Tzu, was Mrs. Spring Fragrance. The reason for this was that,although the Chin Yuen parents lived in a house furnished in Americanstyle, and wore American clothes, yet they religiously observed manyChinese customs, and their ideals of life were the ideals of theirChinese forefathers. Therefore, they had betrothed their daughter,Laura, at the age of fifteen, to the eldest son of the ChineseGovernment school-teacher in San Francisco. The time for theconsummation of the betrothal was approaching.

　　Laura was with Mrs. Spring Fragrance and Mrs. Spring Fragrance wastrying to cheer her.

　　“I had such a pretty walk today,” said she. “I crossed the banks abovethe beach and came back by the long road. In the green grass thedaffodils were blowing, in the cottage gardens the currant bushes wereflowering, and in the air was the perfume of the wallflower. I wished,Laura, that you were with me.”

　　Laura burst into tears. “That is the walk,” she sobbed, “Kai Tzu and Iso love; but never, ah, never, can we take it together again.”

　　“Now, Little Sister,” comforted Mrs. Spring Fragrance, “you really mustnot grieve like that. Is there not a beautiful American poem written bya noble American named Tennyson, which says:

　　“’Tis better to have loved and lost, Than never to have loved at all?”

　　Mrs. Spring Fragrance was unaware that Mr. Spring Fragrance, havingreturned from the city, tired with the day’s business, had thrownhimself down on the bamboo settee on the veranda, and that although hiseyes were engaged in scanning the pages of the _Chinese World_, his earscould not help receiving the words which were borne to him through theopen window.

　　“’Tis better to have loved and lost, Than never to have loved at all,”

　　repeated Mr. Spring Fragrance. Not wishing to hear more of the secrettalk of women, he arose and sauntered around the veranda to the otherside of the house. Two pigeons circled around his head. He felt in hispocket for a li-chi which he usually carried for their pecking. Hisfingers touched a little box. It contained a jadestone pendant, whichMrs. Spring Fragrance had particularly admired the last time she wasdown town. It was the fifth anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. SpringFragrance’s wedding day.

　　Mr. Spring Fragrance pressed the little box down into the depths of hispocket.

　　A young man came out of the back door of the house at Mr. SpringFragrance’s left. The Chin Yuen house was at his right.

　　“Good evening,” said the young man. “Good evening,” returned Mr. SpringFragrance. He stepped down from his porch and went and leaned over therailing which separated this yard from the yard in which stood the youngman.

　　“Will you please tell me,” said Mr. Spring Fragrance, “the meaning oftwo lines of an American verse which I have heard?”

　　“Certainly,” returned the young man with a genial smile. He was a starstudent at the University of Washington, and had not the slightest doubtthat he could explain the meaning of all things in the universe.

　　“Well,” said Mr. Spring Fragrance, “it is this:

　　“’Tis better to have loved and lost, Than never to have loved at all.”

　　“Ah!” responded the young man with an air of profound wisdom. “That, Mr.Spring Fragrance, means that it is a good thing to love anyway—even ifwe can’t get what we love, or, as the poet tells us, lose what we love.Of course, one needs experience to feel the truth of this teaching.”

　　The young man smiled pensively and reminiscently. More than a dozenyoung maidens “loved and lost” were passing before his mind’s eye.

　　“The truth of the teaching!” echoed Mr. Spring Fragrance, a littletestily. “There is no truth in it whatever. It is disobedient to reason.Is it not better to have what you do not love than to love what you donot have?”

　　“That depends,” answered the young man, “upon temperament.”

　　“I thank you. Good evening,” said Mr. Spring Fragrance. He turned awayto muse upon the unwisdom of the American way of looking at things.

　　Meanwhile, inside the house, Laura was refusing to be comforted.

　　“Ah, no! no!” cried she. “If I had not gone to school with Kai Tzu, nortalked nor walked with him, nor played the accompaniments to his songs,then I might consider with complacency, or at least without horror, myapproaching marriage with the son of Man You. But as it is—oh, as itis—!”

　　The girl rocked herself to and fro in heartfelt grief.

　　Mrs. Spring Fragrance knelt down beside her, and clasping her armsaround her neck, cried in sympathy:

　　“Little Sister, oh, Little Sister! Dry your tears—do not despair. A moonhas yet to pass before the marriage can take place. Who knows what thestars may have to say to one another during its passing? A little birdhas whispered to me—”

　　For a long time Mrs. Spring Fragrance talked. For a long time Lauralistened. When the girl arose to go, there was a bright light in hereyes.

　　II

　　Mrs. Spring Fragrance, in San Francisco on a visit to her cousin, thewife of the herb doctor of Clay Street, was having a good time. She wasinvited everywhere that the wife of an honorable Chinese merchant couldgo. There was much to see and hear, including more than a dozen babieswho had been born in the families of her friends since she last visitedthe city of the Golden Gate. Mrs. Spring Fragrance loved babies. She hadhad two herself, but both had been transplanted into the spirit landbefore the completion of even one moon. There were also many dinners andtheatre-parties given in her honor. It was at one of the theatre-partiesthat Mrs. Spring Fragrance met Ah Oi, a young girl who had thereputation of being the prettiest Chinese girl in San Francisco, and thenaughtiest. In spite of gossip, however, Mrs. Spring Fragrance took agreat fancy to Ah Oi and invited her to a tête-à-tête picnic on thefollowing day. This invitation Ah Oi joyfully accepted. She was a sortof bird girl and never felt so happy as when out in the park or woods.

　　On the day after the picnic Mrs. Spring Fragrance wrote to Laura ChinYuen thus:

　　MY PRECIOUS LAURA,—May the bamboo ever wave. Next week I accompany Ah Oi to the beauteous town of San José. There will we be met by the son of the Illustrious Teacher, and in a little Mission, presided over by a benevolent American priest, the little Ah Oi and the son of the Illustrious Teacher will be joined together in love and harmony—two pieces of music made to complete one another.

　　The Son of the Illustrious Teacher, having been through an American Hall of Learning, is well able to provide for his orphan bride and fears not the displeasure of his parents, now that he is assured that your grief at his loss will not be inconsolable. He wishes me to waft to you and to Kai Tzu—and the little Ah Oi joins with him—ten thousand rainbow wishes for your happiness.

　　My respects to your honorable parents, and to yourself, the heart of your loving friend,

　　JADE SPRING FRAGRANCE

　　To Mr. Spring Fragrance, Mrs. Spring Fragrance also indited a letter:

　　GREAT AND HONORED MAN,—Greeting from your plum blossom,[1] who isdesirous of hiding herself from the sun of your presence for a week ofseven days more. My honorable cousin is preparing for the Fifth MoonFestival, and wishes me to compound for the occasion some American“fudge,” for which delectable sweet, made by my clumsy hands, you havesometimes shown a slight prejudice. I am enjoying a most agreeablevisit, and American friends, as also our own, strive benevolently forthe accomplishment of my pleasure. Mrs. Samuel Smith, an Americanlady, known to my cousin, asked for my accompaniment to a magniloquentlecture the other evening. The subject was “America, the Protector ofChina!” It was most exhilarating, and the effect of so much expressionof benevolence leads me to beg of you to forget to remember that thebarber charges you one dollar for a shave while he humbly submits tothe American man a bill of fifteen cents. And murmur no more becauseyour honored elder brother, on a visit to this country, is detainedunder the roof-tree of this great Government instead of under your ownhumble roof. Console him with the reflection that he is protectedunder the wing of the Eagle, the Emblem of Liberty. What is the lossof ten hundred years or ten thousand times ten dollars compared withthe happiness of knowing oneself so securely sheltered? All of this Ihave learned from Mrs. Samuel Smith, who is as brilliant and great ofmind as one of your own superior sex.

　　For me it is sufficient to know that the Golden Gate Park is most enchanting, and the seals on the rock at the Cliff House extremely entertaining and amiable. There is much feasting and merry-making under the lanterns in honor of your Stupid Thorn.

　　I have purchased for your smoking a pipe with an amber mouth. It is said to be very sweet to the lips and to emit a cloud of smoke fit for the gods to inhale.

　　Awaiting, by the wonderful wire of the telegram message, your gracious permission to remain for the celebration of the Fifth Moon Festival and the making of American “fudge,” I continue for ten thousand times ten thousand years,

　　Your ever loving and obedient woman, JADE

　　P.S. Forget not to care for the cat, the birds, and the flowers. Donot eat too quickly nor fan too vigorously now that the weather iswarming.

　　Footnote 1:

　　The plum blossom is the Chinese flower of virtue. It has been adoptedby the Japanese, just in the same way as they have adopted the Chinesenational flower, the chrysanthemum.

　　Mrs. Spring Fragrance smiled as she folded this last epistle. Even if hewere old-fashioned, there was never a husband so good and kind as hers.Only on one occasion since their marriage had he slighted her wishes.That was when, on the last anniversary of their wedding, she hadsignified a desire for a certain jadestone pendant, and he had failed tosatisfy that desire.

　　But Mrs Spring Fragrance, being of a happy nature, and disposed to lookupon the bright side of things, did not allow her mind to dwell upon thejadestone pendant. Instead, she gazed complacently down upon herbejeweled fingers and folded in with her letter to Mr. Spring Fragrancea bright little sheaf of condensed love.

　　III

　　Mr. Spring Fragrance sat on his doorstep. He had been reading twoletters, one from Mrs. Spring Fragrance, and the other from an elderlybachelor cousin in San Francisco. The one from the elderly bachelorcousin was a business letter, but contained the following postscript:

　　Tsen Hing, the son of the Government school-master, seems to be muchin the company of your young wife. He is a good-looking youth, andpardon me, my dear cousin; but if women are allowed to stray at willfrom under their husbands’ mulberry roofs, what is to prevent themfrom becoming butterflies?

　　“Sing Foon is old and cynical,” said Mr. Spring Fragrance to himself.“Why should I pay any attention to him? This is America, where a man mayspeak to a woman, and a woman listen, without any thought of evil.”

　　He destroyed his cousin’s letter and re-read his wife’s. Then he becamevery thoughtful. Was the making of American fudge sufficient reason fora wife to wish to remain a week longer in a city where her husband wasnot?

　　The young man who lived in the next house came out to water the lawn.

　　“Good evening,” said he. “Any news from Mrs. Spring Fragrance?”

　　“She is having a very good time,” returned Mr. Spring Fragrance.

　　“Glad to hear it. I think you told me she was to return the end of thisweek.”

　　“I have changed my mind about her,” said Mr. Spring Fragrance. “I ambidding her remain a week longer, as I wish to give a smoking partyduring her absence. I hope I may have the pleasure of your company.”

　　“I shall be delighted,” returned the young fellow. “But, Mr. SpringFragrance, don’t invite any other white fellows. If you do not I shallbe able to get in a scoop. You know, I’m a sort of honorary reporter forthe _Gleaner_.”

　　“Very well,” absently answered Mr. Spring Fragrance.

　　“Of course, your friend the Consul will be present. I shall call it ‘Ahigh-class Chinese stag party!’”

　　In spite of his melancholy mood, Mr. Spring Fragrance smiled.

　　“Everything is ‘high-class’ in America,” he observed.

　　“Sure!” cheerfully assented the young man. “Haven’t you ever heard thatall Americans are princes and princesses, and just as soon as aforeigner puts his foot upon our shores, he also becomes of thenobility—I mean, the royal family.”

　　“What about my brother in the Detention Pen?” dryly inquired Mr. SpringFragrance.

　　“Now, you’ve got me,” said the young man, rubbing his head. “Well, thatis a shame—‘a beastly shame,’ as the Englishman says. But understand,old fellow, we that are real Americans are up against that—even morethan you. It is against our principles.”

　　“I offer the real Americans my consolations that they should becompelled to do that which is against their principles.”

　　“Oh, well, it will all come right some day. We’re not a bad sort, youknow. Think of the indemnity money returned to the Dragon by Uncle Sam.”

　　Mr. Spring Fragrance puffed his pipe in silence for some moments. Morethan politics was troubling his mind.

　　At last he spoke. “Love,” said he, slowly and distinctly, “comes beforethe wedding in this country, does it not?”

　　“Yes, certainly.”

　　Young Carman knew Mr. Spring Fragrance well enough to receive withcalmness his most astounding queries.

　　“Presuming,” continued Mr. Spring Fragrance—“presuming that some friendof your father’s, living—presuming—in England—has a daughter that hearranges with your father to be your wife. Presuming that you have neverseen that daughter, but that you marry her, knowing her not. Presumingthat she marries you, knowing you not.—After she marries you and knowsyou, will that woman love you?”

　　“Emphatically, no,” answered the young man.

　　“That is the way it would be in America—that the woman who marries theman like that—would not love him?”

　　“Yes, that is the way it would be in America. Love, in this country,must be free, or it is not love at all.”

　　“In China, it is different!” mused Mr. Spring Fragrance.

　　“Oh, yes, I have no doubt that in China it is different.”

　　“But the love is in the heart all the same,” went on Mr. SpringFragrance.

　　“Yes, all the same. Everybody falls in love some time or another.Some”—pensively—“many times.”

　　Mr. Spring Fragrance arose.

　　“I must go down town,” said he.

　　As he walked down the street he recalled the remark of a businessacquaintance who had met his wife and had had some conversation withher: “She is just like an American woman.”

　　He had felt somewhat flattered when this remark had been made. He lookedupon it as a compliment to his wife’s cleverness; but it rankled in hismind as he entered the telegraph office. If his wife was becoming as anAmerican woman, would it not be possible for her to love as an Americanwoman—a man to whom she was not married? There also floated in hismemory the verse which his wife had quoted to the daughter of Chin Yuen.When the telegraph clerk handed him a blank, he wrote this message:

　　“Remain as you wish, but remember that ‘’Tis better to have loved andlost, than never to have loved at all.’”

　　When Mrs. Spring Fragrance received this message, her laughter tinkledlike falling water. How droll! How delightful! Here was her husbandquoting American poetry in a telegram. Perhaps he had been reading herAmerican poetry books since she had left him! She hoped so. They wouldlead him to understand her sympathy for her dear Laura and Kai Tzu. Sheneed no longer keep from him their secret. How joyful! It had been sucha hardship to refrain from confiding in him before. But discreetness hadbeen most necessary, seeing that Mr. Spring Fragrance entertained asold-fashioned notions concerning marriage as did the Chin Yuen parents.Strange that that should be so, since he had fallen in love with herpicture before _ever_ he had seen her, just as she had fallen in lovewith his! And when the marriage veil was lifted and each beheld theother for the first time in the flesh, there had been no disillusion—nolessening of the respect and affection, which those who had broughtabout the marriage had inspired in each young heart.

　　Mrs. Spring Fragrance began to wish she could fall asleep and wake tofind the week flown, and she in her own little home pouring tea for Mr.Spring Fragrance.

　　IV

　　Mr. Spring Fragrance was walking to business with Mr. Chin Yuen. As theywalked they talked.

　　“Yes,” said Mr. Chin Yuen, “the old order is passing away, and the neworder is taking its place, even with us who are Chinese. I have finallyconsented to give my daughter in marriage to young Kai Tzu.”

　　Mr. Spring Fragrance expressed surprise. He had understood that themarriage between his neighbor’s daughter and the San Franciscoschool-teacher’s son was all arranged.

　　“So ’twas,” answered Mr. Chin Yuen; “but, it seems the young renegade,without consultation or advice, has placed his affections upon someuntrustworthy female, and is so under her influence that he refuses tofulfil his parents’ promise to me for him.”

　　“So!” said Mr. Spring Fragrance. The shadow on his brow deepened.

　　“But,” said Mr. Chin Yuen, with affable resignation, “it is all ordainedby Heaven. Our daughter, as the wife of Kai Tzu, for whom she has longhad a loving feeling, will not now be compelled to dwell with amother-in-law and where her own mother is not. For that, we arethankful, as she is our only one and the conditions of life in thisWestern country are not as in China. Moreover, Kai Tzu, though not somuch of a scholar as the teacher’s son, has a keen eye for business andthat, in America, is certainly much more desirable than scholarship.What do you think?”

　　“Eh! What!” exclaimed Mr. Spring Fragrance. The latter part of hiscompanion’s remarks had been lost upon him.

　　That day the shadow which had been following Mr. Spring Fragrance eversince he had heard his wife quote, “’Tis better to have loved,” etc.,became so heavy and deep that he quite lost himself within it.

　　At home in the evening he fed the cat, the bird, and the flowers. Then,seating himself in a carved black chair—a present from his wife on hislast birthday—he took out his pipe and smoked. The cat jumped into hislap. He stroked it softly and tenderly. It had been much fondled by Mrs.Spring Fragrance, and Mr. Spring Fragrance was under the impression thatit missed her. “Poor thing!” said he. “I suppose you want her back!”When he arose to go to bed he placed the animal carefully on the floor,and thus apostrophized it:

　　“O Wise and Silent One, your mistress returns to you, but her heart sheleaves behind her, with the Tommies in San Francisco.”

　　The Wise and Silent One made no reply. He was not a jealous cat.

　　Mr. Spring Fragrance slept not that night; the next morning he ate not.Three days and three nights without sleep and food went by.

　　There was a springlike freshness in the air on the day that Mrs. SpringFragrance came home. The skies overhead were as blue as Puget Soundstretching its gleaming length toward the mighty Pacific, and all thebeautiful green world seemed to be throbbing with springing life.

　　Mrs. Spring Fragrance was never so radiant.

　　“Oh,” she cried light-heartedly, “is it not lovely to see the sunshining so clear, and everything so bright to welcome me?”

　　Mr. Spring Fragrance made no response. It was the morning after thefourth sleepless night.

　　Mrs. Spring Fragrance noticed his silence, also his grave face.

　　“Everything—everyone is glad to see me but you,” she declared, halfseriously, half jestingly.

　　Mr. Spring Fragrance set down her valise. They had just entered thehouse.

　　“If my wife is glad to see me,” he quietly replied, “I also am glad tosee her!”

　　Summoning their servant boy, he bade him look after Mrs. SpringFragrance’s comfort.

　　“I must be at the store in half an hour,” said he, looking at his watch.“There is some very important business requiring attention.”

　　“What is the business?” inquired Mrs. Spring Fragrance, her lipquivering with disappointment.

　　“I cannot just explain to you,” answered her husband.

　　Mrs. Spring Fragrance looked up into his face with honest and earnesteyes. There was something in his manner, in the tone of her husband’svoice, which touched her.

　　“Yen,” said she, “you do not look well. You are not well. What is it?”

　　Something arose in Mr. Spring Fragrance’s throat which prevented himfrom replying.

　　“O darling one! O sweetest one!” cried a girl’s joyous voice. Laura ChinYuen ran into the room and threw her arms around Mrs. Spring Fragrance’sneck.

　　“I spied you from the window,” said Laura, “and I couldn’t rest until Itold you. We are to be married next week, Kai Tzu and I. And all throughyou, all through you—the sweetest jade jewel in the world!”

　　Mr. Spring Fragrance passed out of the room.

　　“So the son of the Government teacher and little Happy Love are alreadymarried,” Laura went on, relieving Mrs. Spring Fragrance of her cloak,her hat, and her folding fan. Mr. Spring Fragrance paused upon thedoorstep.

　　“Sit down, Little Sister, and I will tell you all about it,” said Mrs.Spring Fragrance, forgetting her husband for a moment.

　　When Laura Chin Yuen had danced away, Mr. Spring Fragrance came in andhung up his hat.

　　“You got back very soon,” said Mrs. Spring Fragrance, covertly wipingaway the tears which had begun to fall as soon as she thought herselfalone.

　　“I did not go,” answered Mr. Spring Fragrance. “I have been listening toyou and Laura.”

　　“But if the business is very important, do not you think you shouldattend to it?” anxiously queried Mrs. Spring Fragrance.

　　“It is not important to me now,” returned Mr. Spring Fragrance. “I wouldprefer to hear again about Ah Oi and Man You and Laura and Kai Tzu.”

　　“How lovely of you to say that!” exclaimed Mrs. Spring Fragrance, whowas easily made happy. And she began to chat away to her husband in thefriendliest and wifeliest fashion possible. When she had finished sheasked him if he were not glad to hear that those who loved as did theyoung lovers whose secrets she had been keeping, were to be united; andhe replied that indeed he was; that he would like every man to be ashappy with a wife as he himself had ever been and ever would be.

　　“You did not always talk like that,” said Mrs. Spring Fragrance slyly.“You must have been reading my American poetry books!”

　　“American poetry!” ejaculated Mr. Spring Fragrance almost fiercely,“American poetry is detestable, _abhorrable_!”

　　“Why! why!” exclaimed Mrs. Spring Fragrance, more and more surprised.

　　But the only explanation which Mr. Spring Fragrance vouchsafed was ajadestone pendant.