Litchfield enquirer., 1877-08-16

was about the Nara family. Said one sturdy tiller of the ground, with his hoe in one hand and square wooden meas
 ure of wine in the other: "These are in- deed troublous times. This month last year the Nara palace was deserted and the name never spoken. Denkichi, the fsh-s seller told me this morning that he passed by the gates. that the guards were
 mounted as in olden time. and that the
 hustle and animation within the courtyard were just as if the family had never fall- en, that the werkmen were busy in all directions repairing and patching the
 broken walls and roofs, which had been suffered to fall into decay since the dls- grace of the family" That is very true, remarked the village mason, who, powder ed with professional dust, had just joined the group. ''Bnt they say there is some difficulty. The old prince committed Hari Kiri at the news of the family disgrace, and the property in due course fell to the only son and heir 11le 4youAg BisiamOng but fhea6anfa6t beifound. | After the news of his fathef,s death, and of the family disgrace, hewent away and has not since been heard of;consequentiy, although the family is by right in possession. there is no one to claim the e.chieftainship in per- son. "Ah, but' added Q third bystand- CT, Fl hear that he has turned up, and that to morrow he will be invested with possession. " At these words, Bisjamon started so suddenly that the notice of the host was attracted, and he said from your emotion it would appear that you are interested in the matter. Pray, have you heard anything about it?'' No, !" stam- mered Bisjamon, II know nothing about it. except that the young Prince is said to have died some years since, and that the present claimant cannot possibly be he. " ''And how do you assert that?" said the trio at once. was in the service of the young prince," replied .Bisjamon," and I helped him to escape in disguise. If he had indeed returned to power, he would have surely remembered me, and, saving his position, l may say that we were brought up together" "But," rejoined the host, men who have received benefits when in need of them too often forget their benefactors when they are above the necessity of receiving 0em. ''i
 Startled by the news. and fearing to commit himself by joining further in the discussion, Bisjamon withdrew to the screened compartment allotted him as Q sleeping place. As he enveloped himself in the quilts, he resolved that he would take immediate action, for prefering as he might his humble wandering life to the glitterng existence of a coL1s. he felt that It would ill become him. as rightful Prince of Nara, to allow usnrper to wield tAe sovereignty of the house, and to occupy the seat honored through centu- ries by the great and noble men his an cestors. @G ..t nlntt ~ 1 
 As the dawn rose throgh the open easements on the next day, he rose, left the tea-house, and was soon we'll on his road to the capital. At midday he enter- ed the great Shinagawa Gate, the stones of which still remain, although the gate itself with it's towers and walls have long since gone the way of most relics of feu- dal Japan. The hustle and animation of Yedo was much greater than at present;
 wheeled vehicles there were none, but palanquins, 1 filters, and sedan chairs,
 blocked up all room that was not occu-
 pied by the throngs of laughing, chatter
 ing, bowling, gesticulating pedestrians.
 So long was it since Blsjamon had edged
 his way and pushed among the crowds of
 8 great city, that amid this scene of con
 fusion he socn lost himself, and stood
 gaping and wondering in the very centre
 of the street, jostled and sworn at by
 passers-by, chaffed by palanquin bearers for an ignorant rustic, and fairly at his
 wits end as to which road he should take. At length he ventnred to 8 common
 wine-house. at the door of which stood the customary group of loafers and idlers and asked the way to Nara Palace. ''The Nara Palace?" said huge square-should. cred fellow. girt with two swords, and
 having the appearance of 8 man-at arms.
 "what on earth carries you there, young man?" Then scanning the athletic frame and aristocratic bearing of Bisjamon, he added, 'sin search of place, no doubt.
 Well. the new prince is beating up re crults, and as 1 am retainer" showing the crest of chequers, which was the Nara badge, "for cup of wine I'll show you there myself" So the wine was ordered, consumed, and paid for, and Bisjamon found himself humbly following to his own property man who in days gone by would have groveled in the dust at his approach Short cuts soon brought them to the main gate. Bisjamon told his er- rand, and ere evening found himself once more settled under the family roof, not AS. lord, but as a sworn fighting man.
 The next morning he was formally pre- sented to his new master. and so great was his anxiety to see the upstart who had dared to claim headship of the great house, that he could scarcely buckle on the girths of his armor. As he bowed be- fore the stunted low-browed, ill-faced man, in whose keeping were the time hallowed honor and glory of the house, he could scarcely refrain from proclaim ing himself and denouncing the impostor- not only by word, but by sword. But he remembered his position; he saw that among the band of retainers standing around there were but two or three who had served in the old days; and he re- solved to bide his time, and received the customary charges and address with as much good grace as he could summon.
 For three months he served his new lord, and performee his duties with reg. ularity ana precision which galned for him the esteem even ofthe nsurper him- self. He had. meanwhile, won golden opinions from all his fellow retainers by his easy, pleasant manner, ,and his various compiishments; and not few remarked that the lowly clansman seemed to have been born and bred above his station. Meanwhile, the acting Prince of Nara, se- cure, as hethought, in his newly gotten 0~AAS OSG0A tO AASE4Oy AA0 OAAoSAc~U~S @~A 1SAs true light. He was peevish, passionate, and oVerbearing. He was q debauchee in the worst sense of the word, even in an age when morality was at very heavy discount in Japan, andswhen it was not 9 reproach to men of high station to hold orgies night after night, and to neglect business in the pursuit of pleasure. Moreover, he had no redeeming qualities to set in the balance against these faults. .'There IS nothing of the Nara character in him. growled an old retaines, who yet, the chivalrous court of the old lord. ''He thinks and acts as the lowest of the people. The old lord never kicked free-born Samourai, as did this mushroom noble yesterday; nor did he suffer the precincts of the palace to be polluted by the crowds of profligate revel CTS who nightly disturb the whole quarter around with their drunken orgies. ''No,
 added another; land the court is no more like the court of old times than is Kioto like Redo. It is true that the new Prince gave an assault of arms when he came in- fo l1,,1 ha, ,4;I # v,0as.olv hnannaa if