Wan Lee, The Pagan; How Old Man Plunkett Went Home

""Wan Lee, The Pagan; How Old Man Plunkett Went Home"" is a short story by Bret Harte, an American author and poet. The story is set in the 19th century in a small mining town in California. It revolves around the character of Wan Lee, a Chinese immigrant who is considered a ""pagan"" by the townspeople due to his different beliefs and customs. The story begins with Old Man Plunkett, a wealthy miner, who is on his deathbed. He requests to see Wan Lee before he dies, much to the surprise of his family and friends. Wan Lee visits him and they have a conversation about life, death, and spirituality. Old Man Plunkett is impressed by Wan Lee's wisdom and kindness, and he asks him to perform a ritual to ensure his safe passage to the afterlife. The townspeople, who are prejudiced against the Chinese, are outraged by Old Man Plunkett's request and they try to stop Wan Lee from performing the ritual. However, Wan Lee persists and performs the ritual in secret. When Old Man Plunkett dies, his family and friends are amazed to find that his body has disappeared, and they believe that he has been taken to the afterlife by Wan Lee's magic.The story ends with the townspeople realizing the error of their ways and acknowledging Wan Lee's wisdom and kindness. The story explores themes of prejudice, spirituality, and the power of human connection. It is a poignant and thought-provoking tale that highlights the importance of acceptance and understanding in a diverse society.THIS 60 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Tales of the Argonauts and Other Sketches, by Bret Harte. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 1417902280.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.