The Portland daily press., 1892-01-16
FIAKI'S BIRTHDAY.

he sat dreaming, his arnl upon an elbow
rest richly inlaid with pearl. Magnif-
cent robes of soft. downy silk over
Tapped and crossed their many colored
collars upon the breast of this daisnio,
and on the shoulder and embroidered in
gold on the sleeves was d star formed of
five balls surrounding a sixth, the well
known coat of arms of the i1lustrious
family Of Eanga. who had no equals in
power in all Japan save the family Of
Shendai or the family of Satsouma.
Yet, this prince, who meditated thus
in the depths of this palace, was very
powerful, very rich and very renowned;
his people admired and feared him, his
vassals were ready to die for him, his
least desire was a law to all surround
ing him: nevertheless, today, he found
himself exceedingly unhappy, helpless,
poverty stricken, deplorably poverty
stricken in thought and fancy; for had
he not. for many days past, sought for
some surprise to celebrate the birthday
of his only daughter, and had been able
to imagine none?
1t was also true that this princess,
who tomorrow would be sixteen years
of age, possessed all that it was possible
to possess-marvelous birds, fantastic
fishes, extravagant dogs, charlots,
bullocks, horses, palaces, everything
that one could conceive Of, and even
narvels of which one did not dream
brought specially for her from distant
countries.
The daimio told himself, shaking his
head, that he had too much INDUCED
his beloved daughter; that he should
not have INDUCED her thus till she had
exhausted-she, hardly entered upon
lifo--all the riches of the world Now
he had nothing to offer his child, to as
tonish and charm her.
Still bordering, still wondering, for
long, long while through the cloudy
transparency of the window, he allowed
his wearied gaze to wonder over the
stripped garden, under the gray and
weeping heavens.
.sWhat did she really still desire?"
Suddenly he sprang to his feet.
rive will see her" said he, "see her,
and perhaps be able, without her sus-
pecting anything, to divine her caprice"
He turned and struck the gong hang
ing by a silken cord from the teeth of
monster in bronze.
Immediately the panels forming she
walls glided noiselessly apart, separated
to each side, permitting you to see
long perspective of room after room
filed by samourais Of service, pages,
guards and household domestics. The
samourais-noble vassals wearing two
swords-bowed profoundly before him;
the pages and servants Frustrated them
selves. brows to the ground.
Il am going to visit my daughter"
said the daimio gravely. Gomez
And Immediately the escort formed
about him. while the guards ran in ad-
vance to clear the way.
Fiaki-that is to say, Ray of Sunlight
in we'll closed hail of her own special
palace, was seated. according to custom,
upon broad white mats laid upon the
floor. the long folds of her magnificent
trained robes billowing and spreading
about her like the leaves of gorgeous
fan, tissues, muslins. silks and satins,
the most abundant of them all a sky
blue gauze figured with spiders webs, in
which were caught the petals of rare
flowers.
The face of this young girl was white
as cream, her tiny mouth like cherry
cleft in twain, disclosing two rows of
fine little rice grains; her eyebrows
shaved and replaced by two little black
spots made with brush and placed high
no on her brow, while her long hair, fol-
lowing the mode of royal fashion, was
unbound and streaming down her back
to lose itself in the folds of her garments.
The maids of honor formed half
circle about their mistress, and in front
of her, behind light carved balustrade,
a dancer moved slowly, waving her fan
in time to the notes of the orchestra, in
toning a strange, weird chant, with a
gotto, Diva, three kinds of flutes, a
drum and tanbourine.
At the princes entrance the symphony
ceased, and F'iaki quickly concealed be-
hind the spiders webs of her sleeve the
twin cherries of her lips, which was a
ral,1te to her father. tender and chaste.
He smiled with pleasure at the sight
of the beauty and grace of his idolized
child. She rose to greet him, and, like
a sea agitated by sudden tempest, the
silk, satin, muslin and brocade of her
skirts rustled and undulated behind her.
He caressed her lovingly, heaped her
with tender names, calling her his In
comparable. his Supernatural Beauty,
his Perfume of Heaven; then he de-
rnanded Of her if she were perfectly
happy, if there was aught that she de-
sired?
'Ahl illustrious prince! adored IA
therl" Fiaki responded, bending back
ward her supple body in a pretty move
ment Of sorrow, show can any one be
happy when the earth suffers as now
and the sky continually drops tears?
The gods have been cruel in creating
winter. Not even the purity of the
snow can create for me an illusion OF
my vanishing spring"
TAe dairnio listened thoughtfully;