Arizona republican., 1901-08-24
OKUSAMA
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 o Toyo San sits tapping the ashes from her silver pipe in one of the sma'; thatched houses that stand just outsiSe the blackened walls of Tatsumi, waiting for her kurumaya, who has dropped the shafts of his jin-riki-sha and is taking a bowl of rice with some old friends at the gate where he has served so many years. O Toyo Is on her way to Biwa. and farther south, and has stopped at the cottage on Ter way that she may see her children.
 There is longing in her eyes as she sits half kneeling on the little square mat by the brazier. now arranging the bits of charcoal with her tongs and now taking a bit of tobacco for her pipe from the pouch besioe her on the ma.- ting. Her face is gentle and sweet to look upon. When she smiles her eyes sparkle and her parting lips discover pearly teeth that have never needed dentists care. But her smile is hardly more than courtesy despite It's Sen't" look, for there is a yearrling in her heart that a woman of another race
  her children are growing np almost as strangers to her. It is not her fault at all. Her parents had arranged her marriage when she was hardly In her teens without asking her whether she would or not. Obedience was the only law she knew, and with filial piety (why Is there not an Old English equi : valent for this term?) she had done her parents bidding. not questioning their choice. Her lot had been that of many another native woman. 1t is typical.
 Q Toyo San must wait outside to see the children born to her fin Tatsuni, a girl and a boy. The boy. o Bo Chan, as the house folk call him, is heir to the ancient manor. The master or Tatsumi is lord of all the region round. He has owned Hombo. the village ex- tending northward ever since men first abode there, and the chet.ker-board of rice fields reaching far out toward the boundaries of Niu Gun, one of the rich est countries in the famous province of EchiZen.
 Those, however, who have long known Tatsumi and the lord thereof doubt if much but the name of these great pos sessions will be left by the time O Bo Chan has come to mans estate. Bo's grandfather has been inkiyo many years. Before he retired from active life to devote himself to study and med itation he had lived like prince, but we'll within his income When he handed over his estates to his son, Hi- kusaburo. he had accompanied the transfer with much good advice which the heir had acknowledged dutifullv saying "kashi ko mari mashita" an'l "saio de gozaimasu" frequently.
 But Tatsumi's friends said "nelSo nj kohan" (gold coins to a ceD when they spoke among themselves, though in public they held their peace.
 Since then their silent prophecy ha, been fulfilling rapidly, but the ink!yo | has not paid heed. His cares for this | life are over and his days arc swee. and peaceful. O Kamu San. his hon. cred wife saw plainly but she could no; speak. Indeed, soon she was Kamu | San no longer, only O Ba San. grand mother. Her son had become the head of the house and her duty, as q wo- mans duty ever is in Japan. was te obey, not to criticize.
 So Hikusaburo had free way Never did any one say no to him. His father had given to him o Toyo san before h' was done with school She was the daughter of rich relation, q sak; brewer. Like all other native mar riages. it was purely family agree. ment, without civil or religious cere mony, and of course both houses wcr' happy over the event.
 When the bride arrived at the hom, of her new parents, dressed in silker robes and her face painted white ai chalk, the place was, thronged witf guests. Tatsumi threw wide its gates and there was feasting for week Clam broth and mushrooms were dis pensed lavishly; there was joy through out the whole of Echizen.
 Later, when boy was. born. the olt walls once more overflowed with joy I ousness. Oj San smiled al his grand child, and seeing that 1t was healtt. babe, put his affairs in order and be came inkiyo Hikusaburo aided hin in this, for he was eager to take control He accepted everything with due hu miity, even to the patriarchal blsssn: and advice. Then he began the life h had longed 10 lead. His home saw littl of him. except when he came in with band of geisha and made merry till tn sun rose. Wherever he went the sam isen began to twang, and the moon fiddle, the koto and the drum to fill tn air
 One day Hikusaburo. who now wa the father of two children, fell in lovc
 He had been in love before ofteI enough for a day or two, or possibly
 week; but this time the feeling clun 10 him and hurt. Of course she was
 geisha, for that was the only sort O woman Hikusaburo had paid attentio to since he became lord of Tatsumi H bought her release from the master wh had trained her, and took her homc along with a dozen other of her sister in the art of spending money. H fea,ed lest she might be lonely.
 Tatsumi saw wilder times than eve 1t had known before. Sake flowed lik water. Hombo hardly recognized ltsel
 0 Kamu San, Hikusaburo's wife. onl