The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-25
ROMANCE OF JAPAN.
TIE Swordsman Who Was Saved
from Death by a Young Girl.


worn boards. are two moSs-cOvered stones
projecting from the damp earth, with two
little cisterns Of stone in front Of them, one
containing rain water and the other sand
aud ashes. The musmees have brought
with them a bundle of senke, which We stick
10 IN the sand and light. The fragrant blue
smoke of the incense curls among the bam-
boo stems and leaves and ditfuses agreeable
wsfts while somebody reads to US what is
written on the stones and on the sOtoba or
wo den tablets plan ed in the ground around
the grave. This is the tomb of the Shi-
yokn,H iE says. The Shiyoku were fabulous
birds. which always few with their lear
wings Joined together aud became the en-
blem OF love and fidelity. Another stone
saws: In the old days his beauty was like
that of the cherry flower, and she looked
upon it with a love like that of The sunshine.
These two birds have die1 IN their too short
flight; the cherry blossoms have psrished
withon, fruit"
ShrsI Gompachi was young japanese
gen leman, q tHo-swordsd Simurai in the
train of n Daimlo IF Tnaba, who by the age
Of Is had become widely known in his own
province for great personal beauty and
courage perfect skill in the use of the
sword. Those were the days when the
sword was the life and sword of the Sam
urai." The etiquette of the sword governed
all japanese society. Once drawn, II must
never be sheathed until REDEEMED by blood
and must never be unsheathed within the
precincts of the palace.
Young Gompachi on a certain unlucky
day quarreled with companion, and.
drawing his sword upon him IN the court,
fought with and killed him. For this he
had to fly to Yeddo, then but small city,
and to hide ia the suburbs. 1t was a wild
time everywhere, and he put up one night
IN an inn where gang Of robbers lived,
some six or seven, who could not see the
richly ornamelted sword and dirk
without coveting them, and also
concluding that the owner must
have plenty of gold coins in his girdle.
But little could the musmee of the house,
a singularly lovely girl, wait upon the
handsome young St anger without interest.
In the dead of the night Gompachi was
sleeping soundly after his long flight. when
he was lightly touched by some hand, and,
starting up, saw the musmee kneeling by
the side of his futon. He had not noticed
before how beautiful she was, this damsel
of 20 years, which in japan is maturity.
"Dammate do not speak," she said. Il
crave your honorable pardon for arousing
you; but you must know this Is
den of dreadful robbers. who last
year carried me off from my fathers
house in Kikawa, under the hill of Azabu.
Tonight they will murder you to get your
Sworn anu ClOt ues dilu illOucy. y ou ccctu W
be as brave as you are handsome. II you
are really skillful with the sword prepare
yourself and l will try to help you; and If
you can get away safely take me with you,
for love you and am risking my life to tell
YOU all { is" Gompachi answered:
"Greatly thank you. o Ko-Murasaki San !
but will not have you hazard one hair of
your beautiful head for my s.ke Steal
out of the house and wait in the shadow of
the bamboos for me- AS on as have tied
up my sleeves and fastened back my hair |
will come TO you, and If any seek to stay me
] will Kill them"
Accordingly she went out, and while
Gompachi " as putting on his day dress the
thieves stea!thily entered by another door
with drawn swords, but were disconnected
TO find the young Samurai leap upon them,
his long sword ia one hand and in TIE other
the A-Kuchi, the dirk. to guard and dis
patcl. Two of the knaves he instantly cut
down, slashed the arm from another,
and from another the leg, so that the
Survivors. Icing te rifed, made way
for him, ana then, calmly wiping his
kGtanka with white aer before shea b.
ing it, he came where Little Wild indigo
waited tremblingy r him in the bamboos
Rea suring her. he conducted her to Mikawa,
to ter fathers house, where they over
whelmed MIN with thanks and would have
kept hun as n son Of the establishment, but
that he said a SamuraI must live 10y his
sword, and so he would go 10 take service
with some l. I'd. He promised, however, to
the weeping girl that he would soon return,
and receiving as a friendly present 200
ounces Of silver, he started forth again on
his wanderings.
He bad been absent about year, expert
encing all sorts of adventures, till he fell
into the society of a wardsman of Jeddo,
named Chobel, who helped him to lead,
am sorry TO say, the usual reckless life of
his time and age. In those days letters were
seldom written, news was scant, and he
neither heard nor, it seems, tried very much
10 hear from ko-Muras1i. But one night as
dinner talk arose at Chobe house of a very
beautiful Gesha, who was WHY come to the
Yoshiwara, and whose darcing and singing
made the sign of the "1hree Sea Coasts, u
and saw there sitting among the immortal
sisterhood his Ko-MUraski, the Little Wild
indigo of Mikawa In deep distress she
told that overwhelming calamity had fallen
upon her household that her parents be.
came pove ty stricken and In danger OF
starvation; that, not hearing from him or
seeing him or meeting him. she had been
obliged to submit to the fate Of many and
many a Japanese maiden and sell herself
for the sake of her father aud mother. to the
master of Yoshiwara.
But now" said she, ''that have seen
you again, you, who are SO strong and
brave, will help me. Do not desert me
again" The beauty OF the girl filled hi,
heart once more. and he gave up eve ythine
TO visit her daily, and at Yoshiwara money
must be spent, and, being Ronin, without
any means, Gompachi soon came TO the bot
tom OF his wits and his purse, and wa
driven at last to crime by his love ant
poverty combined. For Kc-Muraski,
sake-though she herself did not know it.
he betook himself to robbery and murder
his heart grew biacker and blacker
by these concealed wickednesses
Just as he had amassed, however
gold enough by his robberies to buy Ko
Mu-asakis liberty, the authorities, who
were aware of his deeds. laid hands upor
him. be was proved guilty of murder and
plumber and beheaded on the execution
ground. Chot ell the wardsman, cl,inet
his body ard head aud buried them ia th,
grounds of the Boranji temple at Mcguire
and ko-Murasaki first knew Of the even
py bearing the people In Yoshiwari talk O
the handsome young Somurai, who, for hi
helnous crimes, had been forbidden tn
privilege of his rank to commit the hari
kiri, but was dispatched like a common
nalefactor
The same night she fed from the "Thre
Sea Coasts" walked all the way barefoote
TO Mcguire, and threw herself on the ne il
made grave Of her lover, whose sins sh
seems 70 easily 10 have forgiven, committe,
for her sake In tho ynarUfney 49,. ,,riaot -, !,