Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-12-09

and corruption.
The first place that Inari visited was
the counting house of one of the great
est merchants of the city of 1edo
SAT any rate" he said, II shall find
fair dealing and honesty here, for this
mans iunks float on n hundred
waters, his word is as good as bond,
and his name is a by-word for upright
ness and integrity"
He took up his figure in the shape Of
n cobweb in corner of the sample
room. The tide of customers and mer-
chants flowed in and out; the money
ratified into the Golfers; the clerks
were busy with pen and scroll; but no
one saw what Inari saw. His heart
smote him to see the tricks OF trade
and the receptions practiced; the
chests of tea were filled with colored
leaves and dust sweepings; the bales
of silk were weighted with false ma
terials, and their contents dyed with
false colors; lacquer and bronze man
ufaetured in the next street were sold
as the veritable productions of old
times; the very scales used were false;
the entries in the scrolls were false;
and the stories told to the customers
were false The next day the whole
lily was tAAONA AAlD q SteAAE Va (OA-
sternation at the news that the great
firm had failed, and the head partner
had gone away no one knew where.
The next journey of the god was to
''yashiki," or palace of the great lord
of Bizen, one of the haughtiest and
proudest of the mobiles Of the empire.
As he seated himself in the guise of
fly on the top of a sword-rack in the
banqueting chamber, he said: He is
too great to be ambitious; he is too
rich TO be avariclous; he has too great
expenses to be extravagant; his fame
is too bright for him to dare to sully
it by dishonesty; he is too familiar
with pleasure to be vicious"
The banquet was spread, and the
great lord entered in gorgeous APP
parel. The sweets with which the
meal commenced were served in dishes
of the purest Nagasaki porcelain, the
rice was in the finest of old gold
lacquer, the wine-that prince of
wines, the Flower in Full B!oom''-
Kissed and bubbled in vases of the
choicest Bizen ware. while the rarest
of fish and fowl came mp in quaint
dishes brought from China Merrily
the feast proceeded, the wine-cup cir
cled necessarily, cheeks grew flushed.
eyes began to sparkle, and tongues
wagged fast. There was nothing in
this with which Inari could find fault.
for the prince was wealthy, and it be-
came h 5 dignit, to keep sumptuous
table, but he was annoyed and dis
gusted TO observe with what brutality
the prince treated his wife, poor,
modest retiring creature. whose only
fault seemed to be that she brooked
her husbands insolence too meekly.
IL she spoke Bizen answered her
roughly, if she smiled he frowned;and
the POOR woman knew not VIII ch way
to lcok or how to behave. When the
dancing girls were ushered in. re-
tainer. humbly prostrating himself as
he crawled along the floor, brought
the prince a note. Inari, who of
consre could see through walls, doors,
and every thing espied q poor ragged
man, evidently half dead with cold
and want. sitting in the snow outside
Now" said the god to himself, II
shall see the true nature of the
prince" When Bizen opened the note,
his face grew purple with Tassion,
h s brow was puckered into net
work of frowns. and his hand stretched
ont to his sword-an act at tabe
which is only tolerated under
the most exceptional circumstances
When Bfzen had SO far collected him
self as to. be able to speak. he roared,
t'What does the scamp mean By in
truding upon my privacy with his
beggariy petitions?"
What is it?'' asked his wife in
cautiously. The prince turned on her
like wild animal. what is it,
madam" he Kissed. why, it's a let
ter from an impostor, who declares
that | have ruined him by FORGETTING
his tenure last summer; ne says he is
starving, and has the unheard-of in
science to ask me for the loan of 100
riyos!'
''You can afford to let him have
them. can you not?" meekly asked his
wife; so | will go and give them 10
him" The prince raised his hand
and struck the unhappy woman to the
ground.
mari could stay no longer. Outside
where covered the beggar, he as
sumed the guise Of retainer. "Where
do you live?" he asked the poor man
AT Kawasaki, your noble Honor"
replied the man trembling with ter
ror, land have walked here through
the snow some fourteen miles to ask
his Highness for little help, for am
very POOR and miserab BILE, and through
no fault OF my own" "Are you hon
est?" asked Inari II try to be, your
Honor" answered the poor fellow.
II can easily find out, said the god:
$50 do not deceive me The beggar
looked Mt him. Inari placed his hand
I'm the poor mans sleeve and disap-
peared. The beggar, b.wildered.
looked round, then felt in his sleeve.
and pulled out notes to the value of
five hundred riyos. Then he fell on
his knees and cried: 1T is the yor-
shipful mari himselfl' and went his
way rejoicing
The next day the Prince of ISizen
was murde ed and his palace burned
TO the ground by a mob of discon-
tented tenants.
The next journey of Inari was to
hall of justice. IF don't find hon
esty here" he said, II don't know
where to look for 1t. Z
The days business began. and Inari
took the form OF q pen 10 tho hand OF
one of the clerks. .'Call the first
raea - cold {ha fu1rra :, hin I,o.,,,,,