cried a voice. It was
the little chimney-sweeper, who had for the first time in his life
crept through a chimney, and stuck out his head at the top. 'Ya-hip!
ya-hip!' Yes, certainly that was a very different thing to creeping
about in the dark narrow chimneys! the air blew so fresh, and he could
look over the whole city towards the green wood. The sun was just
rising. It shone round and great, just in his face, that beamed with
triumph, though it was very prettily blacked with soot.

"'The whole town can see me now,' he exclaimed, 'and the moon can see
me now, and the sun too. Ya-hip! ya-hip!' And he flourished his broom
in triumph."

[Illustration: PRETTY PU.]

TWENTY-SIXTH EVENING.

"Last night I looked down upon a town in China," said the Moon. "My
beams irradiated the naked walls that form the streets there. Now and
then, certainly, a door is seen; but it is locked, for what does the
Chinaman care about the outer world? Close wooden shutters covered the
windows behind the walls of the houses; but through the windows of
the temple a faint light glimmered. I looked in, and saw the quaint
decorations within. From the floor to the ceiling pictures are
painted, in the most glaring colours, and richly gilt--pictures
representing the deeds of the gods here on earth. In each niche
statues are placed, but they are almost entirely hidden by the
coloured drapery and the banners that hang down. Before each idol (and
they are all made of tin) stood a little altar of holy water, with
flowers and burning wax lights on it. Above all the rest stood Fo, the
chief deity, clad in a garment of yellow silk, for yellow is here the
sacred colour. At the foot of the altar sat a living being, a young
priest. He appeared to be praying, but in the midst of his prayer he
seemed to fall into deep thought, and this must have been wrong, for
his cheeks glowed and he held down his head. Poor Soui-hong! Was he,
perhaps, dreaming of working in the little flower garden behind the
high street wall? And did that occupation seem more agreeable to him
than watching the wax lights in the temple? Or did he wish to sit at
the rich feast, wiping his mouth with silver paper between each
course? Or was his sin so great that, if he dared utter it, the
Celestial Empire would punish it with death? Had his thoughts ventured
to fly with the ships of the barbarians, to their homes in far distant
England? No, his thoughts did not fly so far, and yet they were