Weekly Trinity journal., 1872-01-13
NUMBER 3.
a JAPANESE ROMANCE.

! once upon time there was IN Japan
Il poor stone-cutter, simple workman in
the quarries. His life was rude, he work
ed much, gained little and was not at all
contcnted with his lot.
"Oh, if | could only be rich enough to
rest, to sleep on thick mating, wrapped
in Il kirmon of soft silk !" Such was
the sigh he brcathcd to heaven. An an
gel intercepted it.
at shall be according to thy DESIRE"
said the angel to him. And he at once
became iich, and he rested, slept upon
thick mating and wrapped himself in
kirimon of soft silk.
1t happened that the Emperor passed
by. lie was preceded by heralds on foot
and ON horseback, followed by brilliant
escort of cavaliers, and surrounded by
persons who held over his head an inn
mcnse pNrasol respondent with gold.
What good does it do me to be rich ?"
murmurcd the man, "as long as have
not the right to go out with an escort,
and my head protected by golden para
sol. Why am | not the emperor ?"
"Thou shalt be-" said the angel.
And indeed he became the Emperor
He had an escort of cavaliers before and
behind him, and people who held above
his head an immense parasol resplendcnt
with gold.
However, the sun with his ardent
beams dried up the country, and the
dusty road, quiycring with his bright
ness, fatigued the eyes.
-" 1t is II great advantage to be Emper-
orr said the man, "when the heat of
the day exhausts you and the sun never
ceases to make you feel his power. But
if one could be the sun I"
Behold are you satisfied ?" the an
gel asked. For he had become the sun,
and he darted his beams up and down,
right and left and all around him. And
he scorchod the hcrbagc OF the earth and
the face of the princes upon the earth.
But cloud thrust itself between the
earth and him it held back tho rays of
the sun and prevented them from falling
upon the earth's surface.
"Thcre is strength" cried the sun
"a cloud capable Of resisting my power.
1t would be better il | were n cloud"
" Very WELL" said the angel.
And the transformation was at once
completed. The new cloud placed itself
haughtily between the sun and earth, and
so thoroughly intercepted the rays Of the
sun that it soon saw the earth covered
with its shadow. Then it caused big
drops Of rain, and pouring showers and
big watcrspouts to fall ON the land, so
that the torrents burst their bounds and
the rivers spread over and devastated tho
fields.
Nothing resisted the force of the mum
dation; only rock dc6cd it, perfectly
motionlcss. In vain the believing wa
tcrs lashed it in their fury, tie rock
yielded not, but the foaming waves died
Mt its foot
"A rock, then, is my SUPERIOR" said
the cloud 81 would rather be in its
place.
You shall be-" said the angel.
And he was transformed into II steep,
mistaken rock, insensiblc to the rays Of
tho sun, Indifferent to the torrents of rain
and the shock Of the tumutuous waves.
Nevertheless, he distinguished at his
feet man Of poor appearance, hardly
clothed, but armed with II chiscl and II
hammer and the man, with the help of
these instruments, strucl, off pieces Of tho
rock, which he dressed into stones proper
for cutting.
What is that ?" cried the rock, "has
a man the power of rcnding pieces from
my breast Shall ! be weaker than he ?
Then it is absolutely necessary that |
should be that man."
Have your will, ;" said the angel and
he became again what he had becn--a
poor stonc-cutter, simple workman in
the quarrics. His life was rude, he worked
much and gained little, but he was con-
tented with his lot"