Morning journal and courier., 1888-07-19
A TRUE STORY FROM JAPAl

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 A TRUE STORY FROM JAPAN
 How Two Men Resolved Upon mor-
 tai Combat Were Most Economically
 Reconciied.
 He must be 8 poor observer indeed who fails to be struck by the singular capac- itY for innocent enjoyment that is dis played by those around him-by their love of natural beauties, their pleasant ripple of conversation, and their picturesque ap- pearance. And to the watchful looker-on there will surely be manifested something of the happy and tender relation between parents and children, which is the fruit partly of their sunshiny disposition, and partly of that most halloWed of all arti- cles of Japanese faith, the doctrine of fil- isl reverence. Among such people and in such a scene, at the famed Gion Temple Kyoto, the ''city of gardens" thers hap pened very lately 8 dramatic incident in which the dying embers of an old feudsl practice flashed into momentary brightness. The world may never hear again tale from real life in this country so strangely connecting the present with the past. Let me, then, tell it, says correspondent of the London Times, in the style of the Japanese narrator.
 A few days ago Japanese named Suda Tomojiro, advanced in years, went for 8 days outing to see the cherry blossoms at Gion, accompanied by his daughter Kuni, charming girl of eighteen or nineteen. After long stroll, spent in admiring the beautiful flowers, they sat down to rest beneath 8 fine cherry tree just outside of the temple gates, where Suda was not sorry to refresh himself from the sake bottle which Japanese generally take with them on such occasions. Hard by and similarly occupied was another Japanese about forty five years old, accompanied by lad just out of his teens. As soon as this stranger cast his eyes on Suda his features under went an extraordinary change, and. al- though his young companion, seemingly apprehensive of some evil, sought to divert his attention, his gaze was kept intently riveted on the face of his elderly neigh Dor. At length, after scrutinizing Suda in this wise for a space of some minutes, he inquired in an excited tone whether his name was not Suda Tomojiro. The latter, assenting, asked him, with some surprise, what his business might be. To this the stranger replied: tI am younger brother of Nevada Hironda, formerly samurai of Hikone, whom you, his fell low-clansman, slew. To avenge my dead brother I have for long years sought you far and near, but always without success, until this suspicious day which has brought us together. Do you not remember that affair."" 'I it indeed was," answered Suda, ''who slew your brother, but I slew him justly because offered me insult-a provocation which no samurai could brook. If you seek revenge think not that I, a samurai of the old time, shall evade you; we will cross swords as becomes men of our birth. Take revenge on me if you can. I am ready at any time" The two samurai then arranged to meet in combat that very night at Reizan, and were about to solemnize their agreement with liba- tion of sake when the agony of Kuni, I-s ing into tears and seizing her parents hand she conjured him not to pledge him. self to this terrible duel, and besought him at least to reflect on what would be- come of her were she to lose the father whom she so loved and to whom she owed so much. At this appeal the stranger, by name Kakujiro, was greatly moved and teen years ago." he at length said, 'sthat business brought me to this city, together with my wife and our little daug ghter, who was then six years old. We went to worship at the Kitano shrine and lost our child in the crowd; nor in spite of the utmost efforts were we ever able to find her again My wife soon afterward died broken hearted at this sad calamity. Were our child living now she would be grown as this your daughter" During Kakujiro's recital Sudas face displayed unusual in- terest. At it's close he drew near to the narrator and said: ''You have told me you lost your daughter at Kitano when she was six years old. Now, this little maid, it so happens, is not my real daugh- ter, but lost child found by my wife near the Kitano shrine about the very time of which your speak. Never having been blessed with any children we adopted her as our own daughter. But it seems not at all impossible that she is the very child whom you lost" "I have heard my wife say," replied Kakujiro, 'that our daughter wore at the time 8 bag contain. ing three charms, by which she could easily be identified" Almost before he had fn- ished speaking Kuni produced from her bosom a little bag, out of which she eag- erly drew three charms, asking whether they corresponded with those of the lost child. Kakujiro at once recognized them, and, in the joy of this great discovery, the duel was forgotten, until Kuni, revert ing to it, entreated her newly-found father to abandon all thought of revenge upon one to whom she owed the deepest debt of gratitude. He, unable to insist, was silent, when the lad in his company for the first time spoke, avowing not only that the case was clearly one for reconciliation, but that revenge after the manner of fsudal times was now thing of the past. This declaration satisfied both sides-Suda because he had only accepted the contest when forced upon him. Kakujiro because of the discov- cry that Suda was his own childs foster faith CT. So the little party went happily away to celebrate the joyful discovery of the long, lost daughter and to avow ties of future re- lationship between the two men who but few minutes before had been resolved on mors