Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 May 1893 — The Tea Legend. [ARTICLE]

The Tea Legend.

Do you know how the tea plant came to grow? A very lovely Chinese maiden loved with all her soul au equally beautiful Chinese youth, but. alas, she had a rival! However, he plighted his troth to her, and all went merry as rice and firecrackers could make it. Just before the wodding the beauteous youth laid himself down under a tree to take a nap. He looked like a picture on a“ screen. His beauty was too much for one wicked girl, who also lovod him, but who was not to be his bride. So she determined to tako away some of his good looks. His lashes curled on his cheeks like a bang newly done by a French hairdresser. Going up to him she immediately cut them off, When his own, his true love, saw him after the accident, she said, “Can this be you?" and he said it was. Then he told of the wicked one, and they both prayed to the gentlest of Chinese gods to finish him up and make his eyelashes grow again, and the Chineso god, being economical, said: “The ones you have lost shall not be wasted; go and plant thorn, and from them shall spring a tree that Bhall delight all mankind.” And they did as he told them, and at«tho wedding thoy hud tea from tho youth’s eyelashes, and the wicked one wept and was beheaded.