The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-27

Copyright, 1901 by Daily Story Pub. Co.
Poor little O'Toya-sant She plucked
nervously at her girdle, while her mother
poured out voluable admonitions as to the
necessity of this distasteful marriage Of
fered to her Distastefull What was
she, a mere girl, to have opinions of her
own AS If she could be supposed to
know what was best for her future well
fare Here was a man who would hon
orably condescend to settle 10 kokus of
rice upon her honorable father, besides
the presents of tea and silk which had
already been received! Would she in
deed dare to question the wisdom of her
parents in this matter concerning her
welfare.
O'Toya-san pouted her red lips and
essayed a feeble protest: But he is SO
old, so yellow. He is like a tdthered
tree, bent and twisted by storms. HIS
teeth are like the fox-demon's and when
he looks at one his eyes CLEAN like a
ferret's" A shudden of disgust quivered
through her frame.
The O-kami-san eyed hersdaushter with
suspicion.
'sWho has put such nonsense in your
head?" she queried. This comes of your
visits to the Bund and the bold talk OF
the young girls who hire themselves to
the foreign devils as amahs. 1t was not
so when [ was young. We knew that in
order to be pleasing to the Buddha we
must show filial respect and piety. Ga
away from my sight, ungrateful one, I'M
til you learn to show an obedient spirit
TO your parents wishes.
O'Toya-san went out into the minia-
ture garden with bent head and forebod-
ing heart She had no eyes for the pink
cherry blossoms, which clustered in fra
grant bloom upon the leafless trees,
showing interstices of blue sky between.
In vain they drifted like prismatic snow
fakes at her small feet She relent-
lessly crushed them. She was deaf to
her Gagged singing crickets, which greeted
her with musical raptures. TIE gold
fish in the artificial pond darted to the
side in quest of the tiny morsels of rice
cake. O'Toya-san needed them not, for
today she felt that a crisis had come into
her young life and that she must pray
to Hotai, God cf Happiness, to help her.
OToya-san made an alluring picture
as she stood there with hands thrust
into the long flowing sleeves of her
kimona, her night-black hair glossy as
the copper mirror which reflected her
image when she dressed her couture in
the quaint fashion of her country wom-
en-: the piquant little nose, the full red
lips; the marvellous transparency of her
warm hued skin, where brown and da-
mask met; the arched brows shading her
soft dark eyes, in which were blended
the mystery of the Orient with the visit
full faith of girlhood. She seemed in
deed part of that wondrous whole, the
fantastic, mist-covered, ghost-haunted
land of the Gods-Japan
That which her mother had said was
true, O'Toya-san reflected. Down on the
Hatoba she had frequently met certain
friends who, with their young charges
the children of American tourists-were
in the habit of strolling there. One Of
them had accompanied her employer to
America, and in due time returned with
wondrous tales of that great and Tree
land.
1t was like a dream of enchantment to
listen to the greatly travelled one.
O'Toya-san recalled the description OF
the palaces where one bought beautiful
things to wear and to eat, of the tea
houses which reached the sky. and OF
the small rooms. substitute for stairs.