Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-10-30
ANOTHER FIRST PAIR.
The Japanese Legend of their Adam and
Eve and their Garden of Eden.


of the classical Greek mythology. 1t states
that beyond the farthest star in the sky
the gods and goddesses live. They created
all things. The sun, the lair moon, all the
bright stars and our world, too, were from
their hands. They peopled all these with
an infinite variety Of men, women and
other living things. Light, air and water,
the golden rice and wheat, the brown mil
let and the luscious fruits, the bright pillow
and spade to stir the fertile earth and the
patient burden bearing horse and OK had
been given them for their use and happi-
ness. Love had been created, and on
countless white VI ngs had been sent every
where as priceless and crowning gift 10
tier c7ea' ares"
THE BEAUTIFUL GODDESS.
AT a time long after all this had been
DONE" so the legend runs, there was Il
goddess so radiantly beautiful as to inspire
many gods with love for her; but she re-
fused all but one, and him she loved and
accepted. Envy, fallen sister of Love. in
famed the rejected with rage against the
favored one, and they procured the separa-
ton Of the two. In despair at her loss, she
determined 10 explore the distant worlds
and find some hidden spot where she and
her lover could live and love unmolested.
On this romantic mission, alone she
winged her way through infinite space
from star to star till at last she came to
this world. Here she visited the great con-
tinents, and the green isles of the seas.
She wandered among the vine-clad hills
and in the howery wales of the whole
earth, but found no spot or nook beautiful
enough for home such as her fancy pict-
ured. Wearied and almost in despair, she
bod laft Tho from urhi oh
the sun starts on his daily journey around
the earth, when, far from the mainland,
beneath the clearest crystal waters of the
whole ocean, she beheld wide stretches of
snow-white sand Attracted and enchanted
by the sight, she determined here to con-
struct an island home so beautiful that in
it she and her lover could dwell and their
love become immortal. She dipped her
crystal spear in the glistening sands, and
from the drippings of its jeweled point she
made those gems of ocean, the japanese
islands.
LABOR OF LOVE.
with an infinity of patient and loving
labor she raised the high mountain ranges
and the lofty cone-shaped peaks; she hoi-
lowed out the deep. wide valleys, formed
the long sloping hillsides, and smoothed
the broad plains that border the ocean.
From her magic spear and skillful hand
came the high shore line indented with
deep bays. winding inlets and sheltered
harbors the long stretches of pebbly
beaches where the clear waters rise and
recede, and the overhanging cliffs, against
which the great white-capped waves cease
lessly beat.
Among the rounded hills and steep
bluffs she made retired hooks and hidden
grottoes and when her fruitful fancy had
fashioned every line and form of beauty
she rested, and after the warm sunlight
and gentle rains had clothed her work
with green verdure, crowned the high
hills and lofty mountains with graceful
groves, filed the valleys with bright and
fragrant fora, and the clear fountains had
bubbled forth to form the rills that MUIR
mur their way to the great rivers which
divide the green of the valleys like ribbons
of silver down to the sea when the inf
mite variety of feathered forms had made
the groves choral with melody, then she
brought her lover to this new island home,
and there they lived, and the children Of
their love became the first of that chosen
race, the japanese. There through untold
time she has been venerated and wor-
SHIPPED as their primal mother and the
guardian angel of love and mercy. On
every hill and mountain side she has
shrines, built in empowering groves, where
lovers plead for her intercession and bless
ing. Once each year of the unspeaking
centuries that have gone she has had q
festal day. on which all her descendants
have met at her shrines, crowned herimage
with garlands of flowers, and chanted this
story of her loving labor