The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-10-19

the pest Oh Japanese IOOQ. one mdue
up her mind to ask for money only,
and buy her own meals at way-side
tea houses. She wandered here and
there for days, begging from house
to house, but finding no one who
seemed to her could be her father or
mother. Footsore and weary, cloth
ing worse than that of any beggar
she met, yet her little heart beat
bravely on and she pressed forward,
never needing the sun or the rain,
the hungry days or unsheltered
nights. Her childlike hope that the
next day, the next hour, might real
ize her expectations never deserted
her through the long, long weeks of
unremitting search.
One afternoon after hours of walk
ing across a treeless plain where the
sun beat down pitilessly on her bare
head and feet she came to the foot
of the mountains. She was almost
too weary to move, but hunger drove
her on. Slowly and more slowly
she crawled up narrow ravine hard
ly knowing what she was doing. Her
only thought was to get over the
mountains, for on the other side must
surely be some village where in some
wretched hovel she could find rest
and food. To her surprise in a Sc
cluded nook she saw before her
charcoal burners hut. 1t looked d.
lapitated and deserted but there she
could at least have shelter from the
heat and chance to sleep off her
WEAKNESS. AS she pushed back the
mat that served as a door she was
surprised and almost frightened to
hear woman's voice say 'Dare de-
suka'" who is it. She began her
we'll learned beggar's plea "Tabe-
mono yatt kudasai'' (please give me
food), but fell fainting on the dirt
floor of the wretched place. The
woman picked her up and laid her on
one of the two mats in the house.
AS she gazed on that little, worn
face, faint memories began to stir in
her breast of the baby girl so long
ago in her arms. The feeling grew
and strengthened that this was the
little daughter-her own. A mothers
love and pity began to grow even in
that hard heart. The years had been
lonely years. The hunted, wretched
creature looking on that fair, pure
face, felt the throes of remorse, the
stings of guilty conscience. When
the child began to revive the mother
set before her all the food the hut
contained-a little cold boiled rice
and cup of weak tea. She deter
mined to find out if the child were
really hers and why she was wander
ing about a beggar. Little beggar,
why has thou come to this lonely
place? Thou seest am poor. I can
not help thee"
Honorable lady, | want to get
over these mountains, and in trying
to find the way came upon your
honorable house."
''But why wouldest thou go SO far,
child?"
Honorable kind lady, you do me
honor to deign to ask of my humble
ness whittier and why I go. Be
pleased to know that am searching
for my dear parents"
Little by little the details of the
girls childhood were skillfully drawn
forth, and the mother felt this to be
indeed her own child. But to make
certainty more certain she continued
the conversation.
"Knowest thou thy fathers name9"
"Hei, kindly condescending lady.
He is called in his home Jurobei."
The very name of hush and, surely
here can be no mistake. Further
proof, if needed, was brought out by
the next question. "And thy moth
er's?"
"She, lady, was known to her
friends as o YUM San"
The mothers heart leaped. This
was her own, but how innocent, how
unsuspecting. Unsuspecting? The
tears that stood in the eyes unused to
weeping stirred the girls heart
strangely. Could it be that her long
search was ended? If so, why was
her mother living in such poverty
while she had been brought up in
comparative wealth? The girl with
her wits sharpened by long use de-
termined not yet to make herself
known. The mother was puzzled
what to do. She dare not tell the
girl that her parents gained their
living by plumber and murder. She
was sure that her daughter must