Middletown transcript., 1902-11-01

love, ne Drlngs 70 Cho
experience tremendous
capacity for enjoying it.
It was in Amada's temple that the rev.
eIation was made.
Evelyn Benedict, in gown OF pink
null, diaphanous as the lining of a sunset
cloud, with her broad hat making a
shadow over her fair forehead, stood with
lips parted and eyes shining before the
entrance to Amada's shrine.
A curtain, heavy with gold embroidery
hanging stiffiy from carved teak-wood
pole, swayed gently, as if figure were
moving among its folds.
"Incensep' Evelyn exclaimed, shifting
delicately. Sand listen, Mr.. Osborne,
can't you hear something like the sigh
of an Eolian harp? He's praying" she
concluded in a rapturous whisper.
The curtains parted, and for the first
time Evelyn and Osborne were youch-
safed sight of the shrine of the great
Amada-shaped like pagoda, its delicate
supports and peaked roof sparkling with
a fine frost. work of gold and silver cum
ningly blended. The radiant, aerial
structure seenSd to spring from bed of
lotus flowers Mckly powdered with prec-
ious stones, hich reflected from their
cleaning faces thousand leaping rays
of orange and dcrimson.
Prostrate Before the shrine lay the
little figure Of Amada's high priest, his
r!th yellow robes heaped in shining folds
on the lacquered floor. Over his head
from a bronze vase, forked tongues OF
fame licked the gold chains by which
the vessel hing. Apparently the priest
had ended bis prayer just as the curtains
opened. H6 now abandoned himself to
ecstatic meditation. Suddenly, ieweled
bamboo pottiere behind the shrine moved
with a PLEASANT confusion of tinkling
sounds, and out of the half-gloom, fitting
along with pompous strides, stork ad-
vanced to the priests side and stood
motionless as a statue on one slender
yellow leg. It gazed over Eyelyn's and
Osborne's heads, to all intents as lost in
the contemplation Of transcendental
things as the priest himself.
Evelyn waited breathlessly for some
thing, she knew not what. While o.
borne, his thoughts busy with his marvel
ozs discovery, studied her face with its
look of rapt exaltation, note from the
brazen throat of bell stirred the silent
air, passionate as a prayer, importunate
as the appeal Of soul unshriven, linger-
ing upon the ear as if 10th to die.
The priest raised himself, and turning
with hands extended, repeated something
in swift, sibilant treble. The ghost of
a smile glimmered in bis black eyes as
they met Eyelyn's. In another moment
he was gone, followed by the stork, which
retired with the same high-shouldered
elegance as it had come.
"Do you think" Evelyn whispered
after moments silence, "do you think
that he blessed us?'
'T don't see how he could have done
anything slse," Osborne replied with
quiet smile, as he stopped at the doorway
to pick up Evelyn's shoes.
'I should 80 like the sandals for SOU
venirs," Evelyn sighed, eying them COW
etously.
Osborne, kneeling at her feet, looked
up at her quickly.
"Do you want something to remember
the day by? shall never forget it."
Evelyn blushed family, just why she
did not know. They had gained the
temple grounds; Amada's sanctuary, gilt
tering in bronze, scarlet lacquer and
silver film, rose like brilliant mosaic in
Cloissone against the blue Of the sky and |
the emerald greenness Of Toyama's shore. |
Along the eighty-nine stone steps leading
to the shrine, one hundred and seventy
six lanterns hung before the lesser divin-
tiles in brazen effigy, who paid court in |
varying degrees of squat impassivity to |
their supreme deity.
Slim, symmetrical bamboos, camphors
and cryptomerias flung their restless
shadows on the close cropped turf. Foun-
tains decorated with frieze of sleeping |
elephants or dragons in bas-relief, made
ftful music for the storks which came to |
dip their yellow bills into the water.
Evelyn stopped to fling some bread to
the birds, which huttered their wings and
bent their graceful necks as they half |
few, half ran towards her.
II should like something to take away !.
with me-" she said. SIT seems too bad
to 90 home and forget all this, doesn't it?
Now If one could have that little priest"
in the direction of Amada's chief |
who was standing among |
some shrubbery, looking for all the world |
like statue in porcelain, "or one of these
toy houses to set up on the lawn at home,
or even sacred stork! Why, yes" she
repeated, ga sacred stork would be per.
fectl How it would bring back my first
sight of the sacred shrine and 'Toyama
beckoning with jeweled finger to Sado,
while the Japan Sea wooes both with
lingering caress OF sunlit and star-refected |
watersp Isn't that pretty? Mr.. Maras-
Rru, the poet, said it to me last night at
the dance on the Dauntless. We sat out /
three numbers because he, poor man,
although he writes verse in five languages,
can't waltz in one."
Now Osborne could not dance, but
neither could he write poetry, wherein
Mr.. Marasaru had the advantage of him.
It did not bother him, however. He was
burning over in his mind Evelyn's desire
Tor something by which to remember
Toyama.
mo one could live up to that priest"
be said at length with the air of one who
Ias decided something to his satisfaction.
sThe house, too, is out of the question.
That leaves nothing but the stork. If
you really want sacred stork you shall
have one."
n.l |