Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-17
CUPID IN JAPAN.

Jill ueIIlVT ASKS nor
receives kisses from his dark-eyed Juliet,
nordoes he press her dainty hand to make
her aware of the fervor of his passion;
out ne continues to court the native maid
en- to their mutual satisfaction, and,
knowing no more about these things than
he, she misses nothing.
When a Japanese belle wishes to indulge
IN a li'tle Irritation, she waves her long
hanging sleeves, or perhaps just her right
hand with the palm turned downward.
Fan and handkerchief firtations are as
little known or practiced as kissing. but
the language of flowers is familiar to both
sexes and is much employed.
Lovelorn maids and ardent swa.ms ex-
press the tenderness of their devotion in
poetry-good, bad or Indifferent. accord
ing to the smitten ones ability. Japanese
poem-making being of a rather mechani-
cal nature, bad poetry-that is, very bad
poetry-ls less common than with us,
Judging native poetry, of course, by the
native standard.
One of the most romantic incidents in
native history is the story of the mar
riage of M:namoto Yoritomo, a celebrated
shogun Of the 18th century. The Nina
motto family had been vanquished and al
most exterminated by their rival, the
Taira. Yoritomo was the head of Nina
mc.o family, and being ambitious. de-
termined to restore the prestige Of his
house despite it's hopeless condition. H
was a shrewd, Diplomatic young fellow,
and one Of his first acts was to endeayor
to ally himself by marriage with some
powerful noble. The HOBO family had al
ways been friendly, so Yoritomo inquired
which was the most beautiful daughter.
He soon found that Massage, the eldest.
was noted for her loneliness, while her
younger sister was as plain as Massage
WAS hPa11fifnJ Tho n1oir IL, T., r-1u
the child of a second wife, Masago's
mother having died when she was very
young. Yoritomo. anxious to secure the
good will of Hojo's wife, resolved to adj
dress himself to the younger and palmer
sister, so he wrote her a letter and sent it
by mis- chief confidential retainer, NORM
aga.
n more Morinaga thought Of his mis-
sion the less he approved of his masters
rltomo would soon tire Of the ugly girl
declsion, TOR he argued to himself that Yo-
and then her mother would Ike him ever
less than If he had never married her. Sc
the etalner destroyed the letter and wrote
another like it, but addressed to Massage
Moringa arrived with the forged letter
and Massage accepted Yoritomo's propos.
al. When they saw each other a most
passionate and devoted affection was
kindledtin their breasts.
But it was the old story of true love
never running smooth. When Massage
and sYoritomo were b%etrothed Hobo, the
father. was in kyoto, and on his way
home, meeting a Taira noble, he promised
Massage in marriage to him.
When HOBO came home, though h, was
distressed at the turn of affairs, vet hi
considered his word of more Importance
than that of Massage, and declared tina,
she should marry the Taira. The weddine
day came, and with great ceremony the
despalrlng Massage was married to the
| Taiv0 lint horN~@ -s-tA 80.
had flown with Yor.tomo.
HOBO feigned great displeasure with the
runaway pair, but secretly he much pre-.
ferred Yoritomo to the Taira noble. anG
was easily pacified. Finally his beautifu
daughter persuaded him to lend the as.
s,stance OF the whole powerful HOBO Fam
lly to her husband. and with aid the latter
not only vanquished the Taira, but be.
came one of the greatest mobiles Japar
ever boasted.
Near every temple in Japan are certain
trees which are supposed to be peculiarly
loved by the gods and to be sacred tc
them. Any one injuring or causing to bt
injured one of them VIII bring dawn thu
wrath OF the "Kani" or god whose partic.
lar property it is, If the trees be injured
IN the name of any one the kami avenge:
himself on that person instead. SO tina,
when a girl finds that her swain's love
has cooled, and she thinks revenge woulf
be sweet, she mak a straw man:kin anf
calls 1t by his name. If she is very re.
vengeful she may also make one of he1
mated rival. AT 2 O'Clock at night-calle(
the hour of the bull-she rises, and cla(
in a white night dress only, with her clogs
on her feet, her hair hanging loose, ant
crowned with an iron tripod on which
three lighted candles are stuck, she nro.
ceeds to the shrine of the patron god O.
the family. ~ y
All consecrated trees are hung will
straw Wreaths. and knowing this, she Sc
lects one so decorated. She nails tn,
straw effigy to it while she repeats :
prayer that the kami will avenge the in.
upon her recreant lover and her rival.