The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1899-04-13

| 10 is beautiful story told By LIicadlt
Hearn Of 40 old man whose great deed b,
lopes TO Japanese history. He Was Hsu
sguchi, and bis farm house stood on th,
verge OF u small plateau overlooking th'
bay The plateau. mostly devoted to rice
cnlure, was hemmed 10 on three sides BY
thictly wooded SUBMITS. and from tb,
oct r verge tue land sloped down to tht
sea. Below we're 30 thstcbed cottsges and
temple. These composed the village.
One autumn evening Hsmsg guchi Gohei
was looking down from bis balcony on
the preparations Tor some merrymaking
10 the hamlet below. All the villsgeis
were ott aud he would have gone With
them had he not been feeling less strong
than usual.
Suddenly there came an earthquake
shock, not vtry strong one, bat Hama
eucb', who had felt many before this,
thought there was something odd 10 its
LONG, spongy motion. As the quskipe
ceased, be chaDced to look toward the
ses, an 4 there be saw The s,rsneest eight.
II seemed to be running away from the
land.
Apparently the whole village noticed ii,
for the people stood sill 10 wonderTent
Ooly Hsmsgucti drew any conclusions
from the phenomenon and guessed what
the sea would do next. He called his lit
tie grandson. lad OF 10. the only one Of
the family left with him.
Tsdsi Qiiokl Light me torchl
The child kindled pine torch, and the
old mao buried with IL TO the folds,
where hundreds Of rice stalks stood ready
for transportation. One by one be lighted
them in haste. AMI they caught like tinder
sending skywsrd masses OF smoke that
met and mingled in one cloudy whirl.
Tsds, astonished and terrified, ran after
bis grandfather, weeping and calling;
Whyp Why2 Why?
Hamssucbi did not answer. He
thought only Of 400 lives in peril. lie
watched for the people. and 10 q moment
only they came swsrming up from the
village like ants.
And still the sea was hseing toward the
horizon. The fret party OF succor arrived
. score Of agile young peasants, who want
ed 10 attack the fra at once, but Hams
guchi. sretchiog out his hands, stopped
them.
LIT II burr, lad. be commanded. Let
It be. ! want tle whole village here.
The whole village cane, mothers and
children last Of ell drawn by concern and
curiosity.
GisndfslLer is mad. ] sm sfrsid Of
him. sobbed little Tsda. He set FIRE 10
the rice on purpose. saw him do IL,
As for the rice, said Hsmae the
child tells the truth. ! set fire to It. Are
a the people here2
Al r. htr.. was the snew3r. But we
canlof undsrsisnd this thing.
Se, cried the old man st the top OF
bis voics, poibtiDg to the open. Bay II !
be mac
II wss the returning sea, towering like
q Q fl aud coureing swifter than the kite.
Then white horror OF sea rsved over
the village i'self II drew back, roaring
aud tearing ont the land Is II went,
Twice. thrice, 6vs times IL struck and ebb
cd, each time with lesser.surses, and then
ii returned to its ancient bed sni stsid
there, slthcush still raging. Ol sll the
homes soon. the bay nothing remained |
but two straw roofs tossing msdly 10 the
ofilnp. All lips we're dumb until Hams
guchi observed senily:
Tbs was by set FIRE to the rice.
lie sss Gov poor ss the poorest 10 eli |
the yi lige. bn, he bsd saved 400 lives.