The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-04

from another and from another the leg, so
that the survivors, being terrified, made
way for him, and then, calmly wiping his
katana with white paper before sheathing
1t, he came where Little Wild Intigo"
waited tremblingly for him 10 the bamboos.
Measuring her, he conducted her to XII
kawa to her fathers house, where they
overwhelmed him with thanks, and would
have kept him as son of the establishment
out mat he SAID Samurai must live by his
sword. and SO he would 90 to take service
with some lord. He promised, however, to
the weeping girl that he would soon return
and receiving as friendly present 200
ounces OF silver. he started forth again on
his wanderings.
He had been absent about year, expert
encing all sorts Of adventures, till he fell
INTO the society of wardSman of YeddO
named Chobei. 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. IL seems, tried very
much to hear from Ko- Murasaki. But one
night at dinner talk arose at Chobei's house
OF very beautiful Geisha, VINO was newly
come to the Yoshiwara, and whose dancing
and singing made the place having the sign
of the Three Sea Coasts" famous. Com
pachi visited the house and saw there sitting
among the immortal sisterhOod his 10 Mura.
saki, the Little Wild Indigo" Of Mikawa.
In deep distress she told that oyerw helming
calamity had fallen upon her household !;
that her parents became p0verty-stricken
and IN danger of starvation; that not hear
Ing from him or seeing him or meeting him,
she had been obliged to submit to the fate
OF many and many Japanese maiden and
sell herself, for the sake of her father and
mother, to the master of YnShiwara.
But now," said she. that l 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 his heart once
more, and he gave up everything to visit her
daily. But at Yoshiwara money must be
spent and being Ronin, without any
means, Gompach soon came to the bottom
OF his wits and his purse, and was driven at
last TO crime by his love and poverty COM
blned. For Ko-Murasakfs Sake-though
she herself did not know 1.-THE betook him
sell to robbery and murder.
His heart grew blacker and blacker by
these concealed Weaknesses. Just as he
mad amaSSed, however, gold enough bv his
robberies to buy KJ-Murasaki's liberty, the
authorities, who were aware of his deeds,
laid hand upon him. He was proven guilty
of murder and plumber and beheaded on the
execution ground. Chobei, the wardsman,
claimed his body and head and buried them
in the grounds of the Boranji Temple at
MugurO, and KO-M drasaki first knew of thu
event by hearing the people in the Yoshi-
war; talk OF the handsome young Samurai
who, for his heinous crimes, had been for
bidden the privilege of his rank to commit
the hara-kiri, but was dispatched like
common malefactor.
The same night she fled from the "Tbree
Sea Coasts" walked all the way barefooted
to Muguro, aud threw herself on the newly
made grave of her lover, whose sins she
seems too easily to have forgiven, committed
for her sake. In the morning the priests of
the temple found the dead body of the
lovely girl lying with pierced throat by the
stone.
They placed her side by side with Com
pachl, IN the same earth, and with all their
faults, the loving fidelity of "Little Wild
indigo and the desperate devotion of her
brave and handsome Samurai have it seems
consecrated the place. so that it is the chief
attraction Of Muguro. AS usual in all such
japanese stories, the woman comes out best,
1t was certainly for the sake of Ko- Murasaki
ana not at all for Gompachi that l myself
paid for the incense sticks.
To make even of her an ideal heroine the
Western mind would have, no doubt good
deal to excuse; yet it is characteristic OF the
japanese way of thinking on these subjects
that ko-Murasaki is praised upon her tomb
stone Tor her mlaso-that is TO say, her fem
mime virtue. As we sat afterward in the
tea-house watching the white lotus close up
one by one as the sun disappeared and
drinking tea perfumed with the sailed bios
SONS of the cherry. l inquired how the
priests could possibly euloglze girl who,
whatever her difficulties and distresses, had
notoiiously taken service in the Yoshiwarra.
The answer was In Japanese: "Karada de
nemas. kokoro no maka de nemasen,"
which means That she sinned not with the
will of her heart" And this appeared 10 be
quite the accepted view of those present