Letters of an Unwise Son

By Wo Ho Chong
[THESE letters were written to a Chinese laundryman in Brooklyn by his son in China, and were brought to my attention by my father, the late James Vaughan Storey, who was for many years Adviser on Immigration at the port of New York. In one of the cases that came before him, these documents were introduced as evidence to prove that the writer of the letters was the son of their recipient when the former applied for admission to the United States on the plea that his father had become a citizen of this country prior to the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act. The letters appear just as they were given to me in the original translation, which was made by a Chinese. — VIOLET ALLEYN STOREY]

The middle fart of February
The Third Year of the Republic
DEAR FATHER: —
Since I have seen you, more than a decade of years has elapsed. I regret that my fate is so wretched, for the distressing star shines on my eyes and its glitter makes me waste the twilight hours of my youth in longing to go to a foreign land. When I think of this American land I cannot sleep, and when I think of being there I have the expectation of a wide land for the future, and my lucklessness turns into luckiness, and so for a few minutes I enjoy in a dream profound happiness and avoid grief. But each time I have wasted the little money that you have sent me, forgetting that tiny scales put together make the great skin of the dragon, and little pennies make the dollars, and dollars make my trip to you a real adventure. Now, O my father, if I were seen by the Buddha of Clay, its tears would be dropped; or, if I were heard by the Image of Wood, its heart would be moved. We are legitimate father and son, wearers of the same blood. But now the father is in the West and the son is in the East, like in situation to the wild goose that is in the South and the swallow that is in the North. Forgive me, Father — I myself am the wild goose!
Indeed, I do not know when I shall see you, for we are like the mountain and the river that retain their olden shapes and stay apart forever. I am delicately built and I have nothing to do. Yet I must stay here, although I do not know what occupation I shall take up to support the family. Indeed, I can do nothing well but complain to Buddha of my fate.
Sometimes I think I shall go to Shanghai to enlist in the Voluntary Army in order to fulfill my duties to the Republic, for I think I would rather die on a battlefield and make my name widely known than die in a house where no one may know of it except the family, who would have to weep lest the neighbors should notice that they did not weep.
In regard to doing business other than that mentioned before, I cannot find a capitalist. In regard to doing my duty, I cannot accomplish anything I set out to do, and I have nothing with which to comfort our family. However, I think of this when I wander in the garden, or eat my rice, or talk to the man who makes the jars that will go across the sea to the Land of Money. If his jars can go there, why cannot I? I am a living jar in which is sealed a spirit, and surely my flesh is finer than the unspeaking clay that stains the hands of the potter.
You mentioned Canton to me as a good place to establish a business, but, if you see the newspapers, you must know that there are terrible battles going on there for life and that the population is thick. The earning of a living in Canton is harder now than ever before. As for myself, I do not know what work I shall undertake. It is difficult for me to decide, and decide I must, for one day I shall be cut away from decision.
I hope you will protect your health. Add to it or lessen it according to the time and mix it according to the time. If you will do so, it will lessen my anxiety about you. And soon, I hope, you will return home to give the family happiness.
After all, things have been fixed in this way. The question of our having plenty or having nothing is decided by our fate. Do not worry, but take good care of yourself. This is the advice of your son. Even when we have seen a crow while we have kissed a magpie, we must remain happy.
I will petition you again. Even now the sun sets and the world is beautiful.
Please answer me when you receive this letter. Also, send me a gold watch, as it is very important that I have one.
Your unwise son,
Wo Ho CHONG

The middle pari of April
The Fourth Year of the Republic
DEAR FATHER: —
Since I have seen you, more than a decade of years has elapsed. I am sorry that I am unable to present to you my greetings every morning and evening, and that I have failed to perform my duty as a son.
I regret that I was not born in an earlier time. The front of Life’s road is now crowded with vehicles. The road of my fate has been turned upside down and I do not know when my hard time will vanish. If only the clouds would disperse and let me see the sky, I should be satisfied that everything is going well, but from skies whence rain has once fallen rain will fall again, and from eyes that have shed tears more tears will come. If, however, my hard time vanishes and my lucky time arrives, how glad I shall be! It would also spread a great banquet of joy for our family.
Everyone in our house, either young or old, is very well. We always try to eat more and put on more clothes. Please do not worry about us.
I have received the one hundred and thirty dollars that you sent on the first of April of the old calendar. The money in exchange on this sum, however, was much less. Whenever you send the money home again, please send it in care of Wong Long Ling Company. Do not send it in care of Mr. Ho Ti. My mother also agrees with me in this matter.
In your letter you inquired how I could spend the five hundred dollars that you sent in April or May of last year. Herewith I submit to you the details. When I received your letters telling me that you were planning to send for me to go to the United States, I immediately went to the city of Sun Chong to purchase several pairs of trousers of reeled pongee and several coats for working clothes which I intend to wear when I work in the United States. I have heard from others that most of the Chinese there wear silk, especially the white or blue reeled pongee. Therefore I want to do as they do. When I went to Hong Kong, I also bought a suit of Western clothes which cost me over thirty dollars. When I was in Hong Kong I also ate a half portion of deer horn. There were, too, the expenses of my meals and other expenses.
In your letters you speak again and again of my going to the United States. I too often speak of this possibility and dream of it constantly. However, my father, in order that I may do so, I must have money, so do not fail to keep sending me whatever small sums you can spare. These I shall now begin to save, as I did not, unfortunately, in the past. Or I might use some of the money you send to do business at home without drifting into a foreign country and suffering from the wind and snow. If one has a good fate, he can do well either in his own land or in a land of foreigners. Moreover, the Immigration Law in the United States becomes more strict every day. Even the son of the father who is a legitimate citizen of the United States may meet with difficulty on his landing there.
Since the monarchical movement was attempted in China, all the patriots have risen. They started at Yun Man and Kwei Chow in opposition to the Monarchists. AH the provinces followed and declared themselves independent. Their influence penetrated everywhere. Together with those opposing the Monarchists were many bandits. They have looted everywhere. They pretended to be Republicans and took up arms. The nation is in a state of disturbance, but fortunately there are police forces in every village. Whenever they see the bandits, they fight them, so peace is maintained. The city of Kong Moon has been looted and the merchants there were very much frightened. The Republicans there fought great battles with the Monarchists. Streets of houses were set on fire. Merchants took to flight, some of them going to the villages and others to the mountains. My fatherin-law, who lives there, managed to keep safe nevertheless. His store has not been burned, but it has been looted.
The situation is acute and I do not know when peace will be restored. Therefore, for the present I have decided not to do business. But if you have decided that I should, notwithstanding the political upheaval, please send the money home and I shall seize the opportunity whenever it comes. If it pleases me at Kong Moon, I shall do business there. I hope you will guide me by writing me often, so that I shall make no mistake.
Now, also, the waterways are hindered and the roads are obstructed. The price of rice is high; it has been over six dollars; and it is not even good rice. We cannot find anyone to lend us money. It is unfortunate for us to have to live in a place at the end of the water.
My little boy, Wing Chow, takes only milk. He does not take the rice soup. He does not take even enough milk, and the milk must be boiled all the time. This may be the reason that he is not growing fast. My sister, Lam Fong, is now at the age of fifteen, and it is time for her to be betrothed. We are now looking for a mate for her. I shall let you know when we find one. My mother sends word that you must send home one of every kind of the fanciest cloths for making the wedding dresses of sister. We have been considering a young man in the Lee family. We do not know whether they will consent, but we shall ask them very soon.
When any of your friends return to China, please send home in their care some toys for the children and also clothes, small shoes, caps, and stockings.
I have asked you many times to send me a gold watch. Many months have passed since I last asked you to do so; but please don’t forget to send me one valued at about thirty or forty dollars.
Your unwise son,
Wo Ho CHONG

May tenth
The Seventh Year of the Republic
DEAR FATHER: — I honorably petition you. Since you departed from home, more than a decade of years has elapsed. I feel sad that I cannot see you and serve you every evening and morning. I feel more troubled, however, that you are laboring hard beyond the sea at your declining age for the sake of money. But rejoice that Buddha heard your prayer while you were still young and permitted you to go to America.
On May eighth, I received your one hundred dollars of Hong Kong currency together with a letter from which I learned that you are well, and the family was glad to know of it. Now I have found that your nature is very liberal and mild, but you have too much hesitation in you to act. I think there arc very few persons in the world who can accomplish anything if they have this kind of nature, because their slowness and their desire for speed cannot relieve each other. The reason I say this to you is because you are satisfied with sending me small sums of money when you live surrounded by big sums that would come to you with a little more effort. Please think of this and remember that small sums of money are like the small fish that swim near the bank of the river; they are all too easily caught.
If you desire to send money to my maternal uncle, do not send it to him directly, but rather indirectly. I say this because my account is different from his. My father, do not think that I am a mercenary person, but for me to disregard money at this time would be as foolish as for (he baker to despise flour or the weaver to despise thread or the potter to despise the brown clay. For, even as the bread will come from the flour, the cloth from the thread, and the jar from the clay, so will my hopes become a reality when I hold the required money in my hands.
I have learned from the Chung Sai Yat Po [a Chinese newspaper of San Francisco] that a bill has been proposed to mobilize 8,000,000 men in the United States and to draft everyone from thirty to over forty years of age. Please let me know if you will be drafted.
In China there are many troubles at present. We are unable to go anywhere because there are obstacles in all the roads. I presume you have already learned this from the magazines.
Please send more money home in September or October, because by that time rice will be plentiful in the market and the price will be low. A month later than that, not only will the price of rice be higher, but it will be practically unobtainable, just as it was last year. If we do not receive your money until November, we shall have to go to the Sun Chong market to buy several bags of rice to last us until next year, and the worms may have grown in it, which of course cannot be eaten. My mother wants you to attend to this. It is very important. Moreover, we cannot find a place where we can borrow money and our misery would be dreadful. As you are in the Land of Money, you cannot believe that any misery exists. Who knows that we have pawned all our valuables for only a hundred copper coins, for the slogan now is ‘Take it or leave it!’
I am at present working in a merchandise house. The proprietor, Mr. Lo Kin, always lives in the country, where he is whiling away his time on several columns of books and a half jar of wine. He entertains no ideas for fame or for profit. Sometimes he goes to the meetings of other business houses and stays there for three or five or seven days before returning home. Mon Too has attempted to leave the firm because they will not increase his wages, but someone has successfully persuaded him to stay each time. He is very seldom at the store, but is usually out collecting his debts. Our firm has been very greatly hurt because of the poetical minds of those who run it. In business one needs a mind that is as sharp as the edge of the butcher’s cleaver. My own mind is gradually being sharpened, my father, and I may soon be able to earn some money that I do not already owe to someone.
I shall petition you again later. Everyone, either young or old, is very well at home, so do not worry about us.
I have asked you many times to send me a gold watch. Why did you not send it? Please also send some ginseng home.
Hoping you are well, I am
Your unwise son,
Wo Ho CHONG

The end of May of the old calendar
The Eighth Year of the Republic
DEAR FATHER: —
I honorably petition you. Since I have seen you, more than a decade of years has elapsed. Whenever I think of this my heart feels pain, for I have not been able to perform my duty as a son even to serve you in a half-morning. I realize that my guilt is very great, and I regret that I have not lived in another age and that my fate is so wretched that I fail in all my undertakings. I must now tell you that I have resigned my position in the merchandise house, for it gave me no time to meditate upon my misfortune in not being able to go to the Land of Money. My salary was too small, also, to pay for my exertion.
As time goes on, I yearn more and more to be with you, because, if I had my wish fulfilled, I could work well and support you and my mother in your old age. The potter cannot form the jar without the clay; the weaver cannot weave the cloth without the thread; the baker cannot bake the cake without the flour; and so I cannot do my duty without the inspiration of a new land.
I hope you will, at midnight, think this over. Do not expect a single wave of the hand to drive away the whole swarm of flies. When you would accomplish anything, you must be patient and you must stand as upon the top of a mountain that lies between success and defeat. Do not let either one or the other view that is offered therefrom cause you to leap into the deep waters of selfishness. Try to borrow the money and I shall some day pay it back. Please attend also to the necessary papers. You were fortunate to have entered and to have become a citizen of the United States before the Exclusion Law was passed. You must be very proud to be a citizen of a country where all men are free.
Again, you have stayed to do business there for more than a decade of years and your accumulations do not amount to much. Your health is very delicate and your expenses are great. I beg you to consider my coming and to think it over again and again; but do not worry in giving your attention to this matter. My mother tells me to send you these words: ‘What you can do, do by all means; what you cannot do, pray for! ’
I am now confined in the country and my heart aches (figuratively) frequently, and I feel very sad and unhappy. In comparing myself with some, I find that I am most unfortunate. In comparing myself with others, I find that they are even more unfortunate. Thus it is decreed by the fates. It seems as if they balanced our fortunes in the delicate scales of an apothecary. To some they deal poison; to others sweet incense of eternal beauty and fragrance.
Now our family has only a ray of hope. If you do not send home your letters and your money regularly, we shall be very anxious about you and we shall cry for food in the bright hours of day and in the stone-faced hours of night. Half the age of your life is passed and your achievement is limited. As for me, I shall say that I am very much disturbed because I am confined in our home and have not the means of making a living. We folks in the family are at present very well, whether we are young or old. Do not worry about us.
Recently I went to Sy Ning City and received there a package of ginseng, a letter, and a gold coin. In your letter you did not mention the gold coin, and I cannot tell for what purpose you sent it, but I have had it made into an ornament for my sister’s adornment on the day of her marriage, for, as I forgot to tell you, it is my youngest sister now who has come to the marriageable age and we have chosen for her a member of the Foy family.
I have also received the one hundred and thirty dollars that you sent home in care of Wop Tee. But this I have had to spend for past debts and the establishing of future credit; also for rice and some cloth for my sister’s wedding dress.
Please send me as soon as possible the gold watch for which I have honorably petitioned you many times. I cannot write further, as it is getting toward evening. I shall, however, petition you again. I wish that I might be with you and do toward you my duty as a son.
Hoping you are well and that you have a great deal of work every day and often at night, I am
Your unwise son,
Wo Ho CHONG