Litchfield enquirer., 1877-08-16

quest of some love-lorn maid he would re- hearse the latest song of gallantry' from Yedo. Yet his thoughts were ever far from the scene around him: long custom had enabled him to sing and play more than correctly, but the feeling with which he inspired his verses was artificial, and among the gay, laughing faces around him, he was ever seeking the features of his darling Kaimiri
 Wearied at length, having tramped and sung for some hours beneath the relent- less.sun, which his broad-brimmed bam- boo hat barely kept off hls throbbing head, he sank down on the bench of 8 more remote tea-booth, called for some wine, and gazed on the scene. Fatigued and dazed he soon dropped off into light sleep; his day thoughts moulded them selves into his dreams, and he beheld Kali mir, Jas she was when he wooed her, young beautiful, and gay, not alone, but seated at banquet side by side with a.man who treated her with thea formal respect of O newly-wedded husband. In the dream eff fort which ln hls rage he made to cIeave the intruder to the ground, he awoke. It was but 8 dream, but it had left the vivid impressions of actuality upon hin, land he resolved more firmly than ever to discover his old love, or to die in the attempt. He sat up. dazed and lowering between the two worlds of dream land and of truth, as men do who have been suddenly awaken ed from sleep. It was evening, and ma-, jority of the folk had left the scene of the festival for home, here and there merry party still laughed and sang round the wine-cups, while pairs of lovers scattered about declared vows and exchanged en- braces beneath the bright, cold rays of the moon. Suddenly the faint notes of g well-known air fell on his ears. an air which called back vivid recollectionst of the happiness part of his old life, an air which he had never heard but from the lips of one person-KaimIri. It was the quaint, pathetic lament of the Princess of Sendai; he could not mistake the touch of the guitar, and the voice, though more tremulous than of old, was that of Kaimi. ri. At intervals the song stopped, thus telling Bisjamon that the singer was one of his own profession. wandering from tea-house to tea-house, and gathering here and there reward in one shape or another. Eagerly he strained his eyes to catch a glimpse of tlie performer, and when at length he discerned the veritable Kaimiri of old, disguised in the common blue gown and broad -brimmed hat of the min strel class, his heart beat as though it would burst. As she passed, still me- chanically playing the old Lament, he would have leaped forward to embrace her, but he checked himself, and resolved to follow her and declare himself in less frequented place. One by one the lights Tn the tea-houses disappeared, the sounds of revelry grew fainter and fainter, and at last ceased altogether, the pairs of low CTS had wandered away. and he was alone, within few yards of her upon whom for the last three years his every thought had been centered. He watched her sadly and slowly take her solitary road toward the shrine of Inarl There she fell upon her knees, and throwing aside the bam- boo hat and guitar, buried her face in her hands, and sobbed, as only women can sob in keen, deep agony. Then she raised herself and prayed-it was for him and in the clear moonlight he could trace every well-known feature, but how sadly altered! There were the dresses of raven hair. escaped from their bonds at the unlosening of the hat, the graceful form. the white hands and feet: but the sadness of the face, the great brilliancy of the eyes, the sharpness of the features, betokened that the woman he saw before ' him was not the Kaimiri of the old, hap py days. .-...
 He could withstand no longer, and as she turned to depart, issued from his am. bush behind huge carved bronze lan- tern, and stood before her.
 Seeing strange form, at so weird time and at so desolate place, she start ed back, and pulled the bamboo hat over her eyes, then she recognized her love. and sprang toward him with a great cry; in moment they were locked in each other 8 embrace.
 ''Kaimiri, my own old love-" were the first words that Bisjamon could utter after the emotion of this sudden meeting; ''the darling of long past days, is it indeed thee whom l embrace after these years of sad
 ness, and wandering?" But she was silent; he could hear her sobs, and feel the hot tears falling on his hand. ''Speak, Kaimiri, speak. Art thou still true to nae, and have the gods designed that we should thus meet never to part again?" Still she answered not for some moments, then she raised her head and gazed into his face, and said, "Bisjamon, thou art indeed in my heart the true love of old times. but" and he trembled as she paused. II thought thee dead, or depart ed to a far-distant land, and in an evil hour yielded to the soft words of one whom 1 cali husband, and who should ac- knowledge me as wife. The gods alone know what have suffered at his hands; how, after the first gush of his affection vas over, he began to treat me worse than a slave, and has now cast me off altogeth- CT, to gain my livelihood as best can in the hard, unsympathetic world. Still am by law his wife, and as we have met here, so must we part. Yet think not that Kaimiri hate deceived thee. The gods are ever kind to those who carry into their worldly actions true hearts and honest consciences. Farewell, Bisjamon, think not of me, but strive to be worthy of a better and nobler woman" Ere he could embrace her for the last time. she had dls- appeared into the blackness of the night.
 Long time he stood entranced by the swiftness and brightness of the vision, for . v1sIUn1r seemed yer to him, and no re- al event Then signing deeply, he wan dered away. he knew not Whither
 A year after the events narrated in the last chapter, the political world of Japan again underwent one of it's periodical convulsions, and the house of Nara was restored to it's ancient af1uence and pow CT. So long had Bisjamon led lowly but independent life, and so little attrac- ton did court Efe$in Yedo hold out to him, now that he had lost Kaimiri, that he preferred to continue his wandering life, and stroIled from village to village disguised as a ballad-s1nger. Yet hope for the future never entirely deserted him; he felt that Kaimiri was, indeed his by right. and he could not believe that the cloud now hanging over their fortunes was never to be dispelled.
 k He was praying one day at little tenn pie, with his eyes bent on the ground, when he spied amid the dust and weeds at his feet, 2 golden hairpin, such as is worn by ladies of quality in Japan. He picked it up, and examining it, saw en- graved thereon, in Chinese characters, the name of Kaimiri. It was 8 mere CO., incidence, for Kamairi is a common Jap anese female name, and the Kaimir1 of his heart he knew we'll would scarcely follow her wandering profession with her