New-York tribune., 1901-02-10
SlllWO SANS PILGRIMAGE
BY MRS. HUGH FRASER.

much OF that which they had seen on she roaS
,, ou - colSort with the dignity of the priests
ilouhef 10 si and chatter with chance coners
put a counsellor would have been welcome 10
h'f, Tor she Was often in doubt how 10 act
IL was a source Of great pUrgeNity TO ShiHo
san THAT such priest as her ad,nira ble son
should be afflicted with such a son as her ahom-
az .'Iie ,. iiIlle sfahdson There were many boys
,h -, Nhe E4haSe ana boys were imps. everybody
knew, nut such an imp the priests Kokichi
me elders vowed, had never been begotten in
Azuina yet He Was the ScOurge of the school
master the plague Of the policeman and the
only trial than had ever troubled the O Rassan's
cam approval OF the ways of the gods Not for
her was n To say that they might have made
her rich instead OF poor; that, considering her
dAuEhter-in-law Was dead they might have left
her more eyesight for the sewing; even her rheu-
matte left hand she would have passed over in
silence. Tor WAS il not a testimony 10 the hon
ored age which, thanks to their clemency she
hai feachtdt but kOkichi almost shook her
taita- 4 boy Of em.nently respectable parent
age. Who stiu tore his clothes. stole pickles
shaved the inspectors cat, and could only write
characters of fiVe strokes at The age of ten was
almost an argument for fearing that the gods
as Wen as The spirits Of KoAichs ancestors We're
growing careless in their old age. kokchi's
father would rot allow the . 8assan 10 speak
much II the GODS being himself a severe Shin
tolst But the - B2ssaE had her OWN thoughts
2hout th1t' an her Nene-&tioa for her clever son
could not make her forget that she had praved
10 hMannon Sana for a priest son long before
ne came INTO the WcIlc, and that when he was
uAy scarlet cotton bundle that could not hold
up his he-ae she ha9 carried him on her
crowned goddess. So though she never contra
dicted his theology, she said her prayers and
took her bits Of offerings TO her old friend all the
same.
The last time she had visited Kwannon's
temple the wise nun who lived there had ad-
Nised her L Try the liberating blister for KOki-
chl 5 ~ickccnrss. Shiwo replied Ihat IL had been
applied when the sinner was quite small hut
that instead Of letting the devil out OF him it ap-
peaTed as II some new demon had taken ad-
vantage OF the opening 10 enter and remain
We'll % Bassan," the old nun replied shak-
ing her bald head till ii shOne in the SUM- and
"a he ID rfra ri.
If the blister does no good there is nothing for
IL but 10 Try another pilgrimage. let ne see.
whore did you go last time?'
80 Zenlloii." replied Stliwo but there was
e fire there just afterward. and the answers TO
the prayers must have got mixed up. I had a
present from nay married daughter, a mosquito
net and some bean curd, and she had another
son; but Kokichi is naughtier than ever"
GO to Mike and pray there" said the nun
"the spirit Of .iOngen Sama viii gran: your re-
quest. and ;he evil child will become piOus and
dOcile."
Il viii try" said shiwo looking discouraged
''if il is possible 1 viii do you advise. but
there many difficulties. i thank you. how
ever. and ! beg you TO pray for and TO ac-
ce5lt my present, worthless pine needle, too
small TO offer such a distinguished person
she produced white wooden box with plated
r'rShes dividing II into green squares, in each
OF which nestled a new laid egg. Then she
trOtted off, AID began 10 mount the long
hill TO the Csui Toge rather sadly. The ad-
vice 10 go TO NikkO had come at the wrong
time for her wishes, and yet her desire
for Kokichis conversion. well her
the hour for il had struck. But how much more
gladly would the o Bassan have obeyed had
some other place been recommended
The could not know that Aikko was the
name which stirred all the fire left i'm the old
humble heart. once, little girl, ShiwO san
had away from home tmhen home" Was
much nearer 10 the sanctuary than il was nOw)
with band Of other children. They had begged
or borrowed enough for their small needs ana
had started of a pilgrimage 10 Nikko. 1T
was a pious act; their parents minds had been
set at rest by a loyal neighbor who kept their
secret until they were out Of reach, and the nine
little girls had tTiumphantly tramped the twenty
miles in two days. Their village was a
mere brown nest in the hills, and NikkO showed
! them a vision II grandeur such Shiwo had
\peyer dreamed Of before. Her black eyes grew
rounaer and rOunder a kind guide led the
klitfle deVotees to all the wonders OF the place.
nothing for his pains. Shiwo felt IL
'irnpossible TO be in the presence OF so much
,rreatness without making effort TO meet IL
half WAY SO she fell on her face before the
tomb of Iyeyasu and pronounced vow, heard
with awe by her companions. binding herself. IL
ht.ayen permtted, TO return here TO die, so that
her spirit might remain forever IN this august
and glorious spot
te IAN 10 grow old she made visits to other
sli-ines hut kept her second pilgrimage to Nikko
Tor the last of all because IL was so Tar away
ina she ,.o,lld not hope reach IL twice at her
age a small sum OF money, sewn into the sleeve
n, nor host kimono, reserved for the jour
ncv. az ,be gods We're kind. and answered her
DraS,e-s there would be no expenses Tor her
,,,-,l, the VOW was now fifty years old