Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 34, Number 209, 5 June 1909 — Page 6

IHERE was a little shop in the village

where all manner of lancitui woodwork was sold to the foreigners who came by, or to the dealers who traveled through the country to stock their bazaars in the great towns. Hana's baskets of

wistaria stem, gray-green . and mystic with the silence of their birthplace, pure and classical in form, always found ready buyers; and the kind woman at the wood shop would say, ' as she handed over the piles of coppers (round, coarse coppers with m square hole to string them by) which represented Hana's tiny gains, "Oh, Hana San, bring me more of the wistaria baskets ! That crescent-shaped one is always liked, and as for the gourd with the hanging vine why, I could sell ten of those for every one you bring I" Then Hana would smile her , thanks and return to Kamoyo exactly ten per cent, of what she had received, as a thank offering for her trouble, and would ay, "Very well, Kamoyo San, I will see if I can make tome more soon. I am grateful, and my poverty is enriched by all your kindness!" But as she went away, after tucking the little packet of money inside her sash, she would say to herself rather sadly, "Kamoyo San tells; she does not make the things. Ifhe sun is shining and the birds singing, I can weave the fuji stems and think of pretty shapes for them ; but when the days are short and the rain comes down, the fuji is cold and gray, and 1 want to work with the warm pine needles or those strong brown ferns. It is strange that Kamoyo San does not understand !' For Hana was an artist in an humble, unconscious ray and the artist, is Nature's born disciple. He may make or break other allegiances, but to her he is always true. liana had many things to do beside her woodsy reaving; there was the house to sweep and the food to see to; clothes to wash in the tumbling brook, and Iter grandfather's pipe and tobacco box with its mimic Fujiyama of wistaria ash to set in order against his home-coming. Now and then pilgrims or travelers would ask if they might rest a while on the polished veranda seat, and when they did, it was not long before Hana brought out Her tray, carved like a lotus leaf, and her best blue teacups full of fragrant topazcolored tea for their refreshment ; also the second best tobacco box with pipe and all complete. Some offered

money and others thanks for the hospitality, but the thanks were all she would accept. Then when they went on their way she would wish them good-luck and tmile, and return to her tasks by the time they stopped to look back at her from the last bend of the climbing road. Once a dainty lady had come, in a beautiful basket-work palanquin, followed by a train of servant. She was so pretty and smiling that Hana had fell impelled to make her . a present of a hanging basket in the shape of a young moon, with a trail of wild Ivy dropping over its edge and another twined in the delicate chain from which it was meant to swing; and the lady had said it was lovely and fastened it to the Inner roof of her litter; and she gave Hana in ex:hange a picture book that she had been looking at as she journeyed, and the book was now one of Hana's greatest treasures. She kept it wrapped in a bit of purple crepe that Kamoyo had given her, and when hei work was done she-would spread it out on the mat and tell herself stories about all the. pictures.- Some of them were portraits of the Emperor and the Imperial family tnd the, very first time she opened it she saw the giver's own face looking at her 'from one of the pages. She was so unused to the world and its ways that this only struck her as a most delightful surprise ; but when her grandfather came home and she showed him her treasure, he looked quite awe-struck and at last told . her she must-have made a mistake. She shook her head triumphantly! No, indeed, there was no mistake-. The lady in the picture had her hair more grandly dressed, and her robe was not the same; but that wa3 her-face and no other! It was rather a peculiar face, with the dark hair growing in five deep points round the brow; the eyebrows were unusually arched and the mouth smiling,' and there was a quaint, dimple at one corner which the court photographer had caught very well. Hana's , grandfather fetched his horn-rimmed glasses and began to spell out the lettering beneath : Her Imperial Highness the Princess Chiye Takehito, the cousin of the Emperor 1 -A few days after the Princess has passed that way, another visitor came to the cottage on the hill. This was a young man whom Hana had met two or tluc?. times in Kamoyo's house, for he was a coiAin of the kind shopkeeper, and once when Hana had some heavy

should go with her and take the rice bag and the roll of matting which seemed beyond her strength. Hana had laughed at the idea of anything being beyond her strength, but she was glad of the young companionship, and Ijima talked so pleasantly and told her such funny stories, that she hoped, quite innocently, that he would toon come again. He had been with her nearly a week when Hana came down from the hills for one of her periodical visits to the village ; several pretty heads had been exercised about the handsome lad, and all manner of errands invented to bring their owners into the shop a dozen times, a day. The country maidens have more liberty than their sisters in the towns; and Matsu, whose father was the innkeeper, told her parents frankly that, if she bad her way, there was the husband for her ! But Ijima was not dazzled by her preference or her prospective fortune.' He did not want to talk tc Matsu or any other girl they were all silly creatures! And then Hana, the maid of the woods, had come in, with her arms full of her pretty wares, the soft shadows and sudden sunbeams of the forest still in her eye, and some of its music in hei voice; her feet fell lightly as the leaf from the tree, and in her crown of shining hair, a baby pine cone had been stuck for a pin. Her blue and white robe smclled of the mountain flowers, and Ijima thought he had -never seen any one so beautiful in lib life. His big, foolish heart (for no heart is over wise at twenty' jumped wildly and then stood still. Hana had paused in the doorway; the sun behind her framed her in a golden haze, and, indeed, the girl was a picture of tweet and happy innocence. V She looked shyly at the young man. and then Kamoyo bad hurried forward to relieve her of her baskets, and thev all began to talk, and Ijima was soon himself again. Then had come the walk up the hill and the sight of Hana's forest home. Old Sakubei had received him kindly and thanked him for helping the child. For the next few days Ijima's moods alternated between dreams of ambition and dreams of love. When the sterner fit was on him he was silent, and rather lordly with good Aunt Kamoyo. But in the soft sunset hour, when he would stroll out to smoke his pipe by the stream that emptied., itself into the broad lake, then a remembrance of Hana's sweet face and laughing eyes would come back to him, and the pines reaching' down long green arms to the water would seem to sigh her name. It was only a pet name after all, but Tiima had heard her called by no other. It meant blossoms," and must have been made for her alone, to judge by its fitness. Seen in the light of those about Hana, his mental landscape changed. The distant horizons looked less inviting, nearer sweetness more sweet. 'So it was a foregone conclusion that Ijima should climb the hill the next morning and knock timidlv at the cottage door. No - one answered him. Old

Sakubei was out at work, and Hana was sitting at the foot of her favorite tree, looking up into the branches and wondering what it felt like to have wings. Then there was the sound of a footstep, and she turned ta see Ijima standing by her side in his best clothes, the sun shining down through the pine branches on his kind face and friendly eyes. He had his straw hat in one hand and with the other was holding out a little packet of sweets, tied with red and white paper strings to show that it was a present. His heart was thumping wildly, and he felt terribly shy, but Hana had no idea of that. She jumped tip quickly and made her best bow, her head going so low that Ijima could see the back of

her smooth sunburnt neck where the hair left it exposed.

. "Poor Ijhna, poor lad!" she said, and came and stood beside him and laid her hand on his shoulder pityingly. "I shall have to go," he said in a moment, looking up at her with real grief in his face, but with something else there, too, an expression of resolve that was new to her. "Perhaps they will let me off!" he said. "I will try and seem blind, deaf, lame,.eveything a soldier should not be. But, if it comes to going, Hana must promise to wait for me, and I will come back and marry her when I have served my time ; I swear I will ! You must keep her for me, aunt ; no other man shall go near her; promise!" .. . "But I have nothing to do with it!" remonstrated Kamoyo. "Beside, you have not spoken to Jier grand- .. . .. :ti i I Tit ...ill K. .11

tatner, ana now you win nave iu umti n

Then he bowed also, and found his tongue sufficiently you can do to reach Miyanoshita by to-morrow morn-

LIS ailLI 1 11. 1 UL.llU aiJU LVJ UL. 1 1 V- . .v aVbkUl L L.V. - . n J . ...

"Then I will reach it in the evening, he replica stubbornly, "for I will not go till I have seen O Hana

to ask after her health and to beg her to accept the

quite unworthy sugar cakes as a present from his aunt. This was a bold untruth, for he had robbed Kamoyo's store of the sweets and tied them up himself. "It will have to be the. farm!" said Ijimi aloud, feeling that his mind had been made up for him without his own corporation; and Hana turned and gave him a puzzled look. "What did you say about a farm?" she asked, "1 did not understand." "Oh, nothing . . .1 was thinking of something else," he answered, getting rather red, "forgive my rudenes. O Hana San ! and now I will go," he added, reaching out for his hat which he had thrown on the ground. . , So he went on, happy thoughts keeping pace with young feet, and all his ambitions to see the world forgotten. Hana's ' pretty face had done in a moment what the good uncle's years of lecturing had never accomplished. Kamoyo worked rapidly, and a great pile of the fragrant squares was on the counter at her elbow. She looked up at her nephew with a smile but did not cease from her occupation. He came and sat down ( close beside. her, looking so important that she said, laughing: "What has happened, my boy? You look as if some I one had left you a fortune !" "I wish they had !" he cried. "I have just found out that I want one. Dear aunt, I am so glad to find

San acrain !

Nothing would remove him from that. He came to a sudden standstill when he caught sight of the cottage at l.st. There was something unusual about the aspect of the place. The screens were pushed aside, and he saw two peasants in their working clothes standing in the veranda; as he came nearer they turned to look at him and he knew that something had happened, for their faces were grave and frightened. "What is it?" he cried, advancing quickly; "where is O Hana San?" The question made them shake their heads. "In there," said one, pointing to the inner room, "with her grandfather. He has had a fall " "Let me pass!" Ijima exclaimed; and he rushed by them into the house. "Hana, dear Hana," he cried, forgetting forms, forgetting everything but his great desire to comfort her; "do not weep so bitterly! Sakubei San was a good man, and his time had come, and he has had no sickness or pain! See, dear, you are not alone. I will take care of you; indeed, I will!" She did not answer but she seemed quieter, and she left her little cold hand in his; so he took heart of grace and went on, "Won't you sit up and look at me, Hana San ? I have sent for Kamoyo" and she will be here soon, and there are things to do 1 You must not give

"You are going away." she said with a note of dismay in her voice which was very sweet to him. Then she turned her face away, but not before be had seen the new trouble in it. His presence had taken the edge off her desolation, and already she had begun to dine to him. "Oh, I would never go if I could help HP he cried impetuously, "but they have sent for me. Forgive me for speaking of my unworthy affairs in this sad moment. My heart is breaking for you for your honorable grandfather; but my day has come to serve in the army, and I must go back to Miyanoshita directly to be a soldier." "Oh, no, no," she exclaimed, "do not go. pray da not go) Perhaps you will be killed, like Matsu's brother last year in the war I am afraid for you, Ijima San!" She did not try to hide her fears. Even now. in the first hours of her grief, it seemed a terrible thing that her only friend 'should have to face such dangers. "I have no choice," he answered sadly; "if f do not obey I shall be put in prison. But there is no war now and when I come back when I come back Kamoyo San will tell you the rest!" Then Kamoyo came toward them. She had walked fast up the hill and was out of breath and terribly concerned, for she was; fond of the little maid. Ijima went forward to meet her, and told her briefly what had happened. "You will take care of her, will you not ?" he pleaded, "and by and by. please pitas tell her that I will come back and marry her. and she shall be happy again, quite happy! Do not forget, dear Kamoyo San, whatever happens, I will come back for her some day. And all good-fortune to you, health and good-luck in your house 1 Good-by, goodby! Be sure to tell her!" Hana was ashamed of her unrestrained grief of the day before. In this quiet hour, when once more the sun was dropping behind the. hills, a new peace came over her, and she' was very stilL The cottage in its emptiness seemed already far too large, but she felt her dear old grandfather's presence in some strange way, as she had not felt it when he was lying so cold and deaf and stark, with folded hands and straight drawn garments before her eyes. "I have given you much trouble, Kamoyo San,' she

you alone. Listen there is no one here, is there?" bhe shook her head, and went on impetuously, 'I must have O Hana San for mv wife ! Will vou manage it for me, dear, clever, kind Kamoyo San?" And he looked at her very winningly. , "But she has no money, and you have no monevl" cried Kamoyo in consternation. "My dear child, thit will never do! Oh, why would you not go and see Matsu's people when I asked you to? There is the right wife for you!" The tears were in her eyes, for she was much troubled. "One cannot always be thinking of money !" returned Ijima impatiently. "I am sure my uncle will help mi, j . ...... and , "There is a Jetter from your uncle waiting for you," said Kamoyo suddenly; ar.d she rose to give it to him. inwardly hoping that it would recall him to Miyanoshita. She knew that the relatives would hold her responsible if he made a rash marriage, and what could be more rash than to fix upon poor little Hana, the portionless maid of the woods ? A nice child," Ksmoyo told herself, and in other circumstances well one might have thought of it ! Then she was roused by an exclamation from her nephew. Ijima had been reading his letter slowly and laboriously, but now it had fallen from his hands, and his face wa pale. "What has happened?" aueried Kamoyo in alarm. "They have come to call out the levy of my yesr!" he gasped "I had forgotten the conscription !"" Then he hid his face in his hands for a moment and was quite silent.

way like this, vou who are always so brave V "Forgive me,1 she said, "I ought not to make you sad for my grief. I will be good he said I was, always." And the tears started afresh, but they were quieter ones now. . . ' Then he looked into her face and saw that she was calm enough to listen to him, but he was silent for a moment yet. It was so hard not to tell her all that was in his heart, not to speak of the great love that he felt for her. But that must not be now; the instinctive . delicacy of his race made him put his own feelings .stde in his deep respect for his little sweetheart's jrief. She would want no lover to-day, only the kindest -of frienJs. ; ' "O Hana San," he began. T wish I could stay with you to to take care of you, bttt when Kamoyo San comes I must go quicklv to Miyanoshita, so I cannot talk with you after this." C&PTitfGBT, Wt

Said suddenly, "and I thank yon for all your patience. I will cry no more and I will do that work. Yoa must rest and then go back to your house, and your beautiful shop. I fear I have kept yoa too long, and the children will have missed yoa so muchi "It is nothing that I have done for you, O Hana San, a mere pine needle offered with all good will. and my sister has been taking care of the children. ! But I cannot leave you here alone to-night; you must come down and stay with me "Oh. no, indeed." said the girl quickly, "yoa are too kind and good, but I would rather stay here. I am not afraid at all, and andoh, I cannot go s far-away from him yet,", she added, and the tears came into her eyes in spite of herself. T ?e unit nvmncciM wzvr AHH" TTafTWfcTi refilled.

"you are a young girl, with no one to protect you" safely on bis shoulder the knew that the bad ""But there is nothing to take," protested Hana. "No indeed.

robbers would trouble themselves to steal our poos things, and they would not have the heart, I am sureT "It is not the things," said Kamoyo slowly, "It is you yourself. Hana San. You are well too young and too pretty to be left alone. Come, little one, there is no other way. 'Let us change your sad clothes and make a bundle of your futon, for 1 fear I have no spare one to lend you, and we will shut up the boat, and get down to the village before dark." Kamoyo pressed Hana's band kindly. "Yoa shall come back the first thing in the morning if jou ivke," she said.

Aow the light comes early m the hills, and by four o'clock it was whitening the little openings ander th eaves which were not covered by the wooden shutters Hana sat up and looked round her in the unfamiliar room. A great longing for her home came upon her, and she rose noiselessly, dressed herself, tad rolled her blue bedding into a tidy bundle in on corner. It would be graceless return for hospitality to waken her kind hosts, or to leave the house open for Kamoyo's store to be rifled but she thought she could slip out by the earthquake-door and close it agaisr without disturbing anyone. The air was hot and close in the crowded house, and she was longing for her heritage of the morning's freshness. Very gently, carrying her little clogs in her band, she reached the door, which opened on a yard at the back of the house. She found the fastening in the dark, and in a moment she was out in the white freshness of the dawn. Ah, how glad she was to leave the house behind and to take the climbing path ! On its lower windings the thought came back to her that Ijima had walked inert by her side, carrying her heavy faring to kindly bat a few days ago: Heaven protect him. wherever h went, cried her heart, not knowing what language it spoke. Then she looked before her and saw that a few turns more would bring her in sight of the empty cottage, and of that new, silent dwelling place under the pines, where no ministrations of hers would ever be needed. And she turned very pale and sat down, on a stone to recover her strength and to cease trembling before she encountered the sight. She went and stood there for a moment and, kneeting down, touched her forehead on the ground is. silent greeting. Then she rose quickly and returned to the house, for her heart was aching, and her fortitude scarcely full-grown as yet. "Grandfather, dear Grandfather." she cried. "I am all alone, there is no one to tell me what to do. Show me the safe road 1" Was this the answer? A sound of many feet cons- ' ing down the pass, litters and porters defiling out on the broadening path that led to her own door? Han rose in perturbation, for they were pausing now; then.1 some order from one of the litters sent them directly toward her. Travelers, to-day of all days I Then a4 pretty face was smiling at her. and Princess Chiye; descended from her palanquin and beckoned to Hana to approach. Two ladies accompanied her. and one of them came quickly forward and said. "The Miytr sama wishes to speak to you. Musume, cornel" . Hana obeyed, trembling a little. It was all so sad ! den. and her thoughts had been of far other things l than princesses and ladies-in-waiting. She came and bowed her head to the ground and waited for the great 1 visitor to speak. "Is it well with you, Musum?" asked the Princess. . "and have yon any pretty baskets to sell me to-day?" . Hana looked up and answered, as politeness com , tnanded , "It is well, Condescension. My stupidity rejoices at " your Nobility's coming." - The Princes asked Hana to accompany her to her palace, Hana gladly accepted. When all was done, she slipped away and knelt a. moment by her grandfather's grave You sent the Princess, Ojii San,' she murmured, "and I obey yoa . in going with her. Take care of me always 1" Then she looked up into the great tree whose branches waved far up in the sunshine, and in her misty pantheism recommended the dear grave to its care. As -she came toward the house, calm and hopefu'. Kamoyo's brown face met her coming round a corner under the spreading eaves. Her eyes were wide with -delight and wonder as Hana told her story. ""And will you-close the house, Kamoyo San, and take my futons for the baby? O Sei San says I shall not need them in the palace. And Oh. please come op sometimes and Me to my grandfather's grave. He wishes me to go, I think. s "Of course, of course 1 What golden fortune yo have. Hana San. That beautiful rich Miyasama will certainly be kind to yoa. I wilt take care ot cwery thing till vou come back." O Sei San was receiving New Year's visitors m her own pretty rooms, and Hana had to wait until they were gone. She had just managed to explain her wish, when the returning carriages were beard in the courtyard, and O Sei San had to hurry away to receive the Princess and assist her to unrobe. She nodded her bead to Hana as she ran off. and told her -that she should certainly have the permission she defired ; but it was a surprise to Hana to be called suddenly into the Princess presence a few minutes later. Surely there would not yet have been time (or her message to be delivered 1 No, the Princess had taken matters into her own t hands. She was radiant with pleasure. The Emperor had graciously signified his wish that her husband, the ' Prince (whom Hana had seen but few times and then in fear and trembling), should make a' journey to Europe to attend a royal jubilee, and his wife was to sro with himl They would have to start in a few days and oh, yes. O Sei San was to come in attendance. O Sei San became speechless . with delight at this news and quite forgot her humble rfraL But the ' princess never forgot anybody. "I will find you another place. Musume," she said kindly to Hana, "or perhaps vou would like to go home I for a while. You look pale, and the city does notalways suit you mountain children I" Hana bowed her head to the ground. "With your' Augustness's permission," she murmured, "I will go home for a while to meditate on your benefits and! pray for your safe return." At last the tram set her down at a wayside station, where she engaged a Jinrikisha coolie to carry her and) her possessions over the ten miles that separated her from the village by the lake. He was a good-natured,,

sturdy fellow, and raced along the country road so fast that it still wanted an hour of sunset when the gray temple roof came in sight. She called a halt and jumped nimbly out of the little vehicle. "Here is your money, Kurumaya San." she said, holding out the fare; "now will you please take thoso things to the bouse of Kamoyo San, who keeps the shop opposite the bath? Ami tell her that I. Hana. her unworthy friend, will come on foot a little later." It would never have struck her to doubt his honesty. "But this is love!" cried Hana with great happy tears

in her eyes, wso couia nave fovea us sor - Then Ijhna was standing before her. holding out his hands in a perfect rapture of greeting. "Hana, my Hana," be cried, "is it you, and have you come at last?"

When he caught her m his arms and ber bead restee