emselves bound to introduce living
characters into all their tales, and in consequence the very ornamental
drawings of birds and flowers which he had entwined into a legend
entitled "The Last Fight of the Heaven-sent Tcheng"--a story which
had been entrusted to him for illustration as a test of his skill--was
returned to him with a communication in which the writer revealed his
real meaning by stating contrary facts. It therefore became necessary
that he should become competent in the art of drawing figures without
delay, and with this object he called at the picture-room of Tieng Lin,
a person whose experience was so great that he could, without discomfort
to himself, draw men and women of all classes, both good and bad. When
the person who is setting forth this narrative revealed to Tieng Lin the
utmost amount of money he could afford to give for instruction in the
art of drawing living figures, Tieng Lin's face became as overcast as
the sky immediately before the Great Rains, for in his ignorance of
this incapable person's poverty he had treated him with equality and
courtesy, nor had he kept him waiting in the mean room on the plea that
he was at that moment closeted with the Sacred Emperor. However, upon
receiving an assurance that a rumour would be spread in which the number
of taels should be multiplied by ten, and that the sum itself should be
brought in advance, Tieng Lin promised to instruct this person in the
art of drawing five characters, which, he said, would be sufficient
to illustrate all stories except those by the most expensive and
highly-rewarded story-tellers--men who have become so proficient that
they not infrequently introduce a score or more of living persons into
their tales without confusion.

After considerable deliberation, this unassuming person selected the
following characters, judging them to be the most useful, and the most
readily applicable to all phases and situations of life:

1. A bad person, wearing a long dark pigtail and smoking an opium pipe.
His arms to be folded, and his clothes new and very expensive.

2. A woman of low class. One who removes dust and useless things from
the rooms of the over-fastidious and of those who have long nails; she
to be carrying her trade-signs.

3. A person from Pe-ling, endowed with qualities which cause the
beholder to be amused. This character to be especially designed to go
with the short sayings which remove gravity.

4. One who, having