Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-04-06
MADE HIMSELF A PAUPEe.
But by His Ready wit Four Hundred
Lives Were saved.

It is a beautiful story told by Lafcndio
Henrn Of an old man whose great decd be-
longs to japanese history. lie was Ham
aguchi, and his farmhouse stood on the
verge of n small plateau overlooking tHe
bay The plateau, mostly devoted To- ri.e
culture, was hemmed in on three side, y
shickly wooded sumInits and from %
outer verge the land slopcd down TO ,.o
sea Below were 90 matched dwellings
and temple. These composed the VILLAGE
One autumn evening Hamaguchi Golei
was looking down from his balcony IN
the preparations for some lHcrrymHk.l1
in the hamlet below. All the villag RS
were out, and he would have gone vii
them had he not been feeling less strong
than usual.
suddenly there came an earthquake
shock, not very strong one, but Hama
guchi, who had felt many before this,
thought there was something odd in ~
long, spongv motion. As tic quaking
ceased, he CHANGED to look toward the sea,
and there he saw the strancast possible
sight. 1t seemed to b. running away from
the land.
Apparently the whole village had noe
ticcd it, for the people stood stil IN won
dcrment. Only Hamaguchi drew any con-
illusions from the phenomenon and ruos ID
what the sea would do next. He ca ID
his little grandson, lad Of 10, the only
one Of the family left with him
"Iada! Quick Light mo u torchn
The child kinded pine torch. ana the
old man hurried with it to the iie Is,
where hundreds Of rice stacks stood re; ly
for transportation. One by M no ligr',a
them in haste and they caught IKE n.
der sending s.vw1rd masses OF smo IS
that met and mingled in one cloudy WI RI,
Tada, astonished and terrified ran a. a
his grandfather, weeping and calll <,
Why? Why? Why"
Hamaguchi did not answer. f1O THOUGHT
only Of 400 lives in peril. He watched 81
the people, and in u moment ONLY they
came swarmng up from the village Xxx
ants
/ And still the sea was fleeing toward tbs
horizon The first party of succor arriv d,
q score of agile young peasants, who want
ed to attack the fire at once, but Hn' a
guchi, stretching out both his arms stop.
ped them.
"Let it burn, lads" he commanded.
Let it be- Iwant the whole village herr.
The whole village came mothers aud
children last of all, drawn by concern and
curiosity.
"Grandfathcr is mad. am afraid Of
him, sobbed little Tada He ,t tire 10
the rice on purpose l saw him do II
"As for the rice" said HamacIchi,
1.-THE child tells the truth set lire to it.
Are all the people hcre:'
"All IRE here was the answer. But
we cannot understand this thing"
see" cried the old man at the top Of
his voice, pointing to the open. say II !
be madl'
II was the returning sea towering Ike
cliff and courSing swifrer than the kite.
There WAS IA shock, heavier than thunder,
as tine colossal swell smote the shore. with
foam burst like blaze Of sheet light
ming.
Then white horror of sea rayod over
the village itself 1t drew back, roaring
and tearing ont the land as it went.
Twice, thrice, five times, it struck and
ebbed, each time with lessor surges, and
then it returned to its ancient bed and
staid there, although still raging OF all
the homes about the bay nothing remained
, but two straw roofs tossing mad.y in tho
ofling. All lips were dumb Until Hama
| guchi observed gently
THAT was why l set fire 10 the rice.
He was now poor as the poorest in all
the village, but he had saved 400 lives