Evening star., 1909-05-15

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the treat towns Hana's baskets of wis
taria stem, gray-green and mystic WIN
the silence of their birthplace. pure and
classical in form, always found reaoy
buyers and the kind woman at the WOOD
shop would say. as she handed over the
piles of coppers Ground. coarse ceppers
with a square hole to string them by)
which represented Hanas tiny gains, "Oh,
Hama San. bring me more of the wistaria
baskets, That creScent-shaped one is al
ways liked. and as for the gourd with
the hanging vine-why. l could sell ten
OF those for every one you BRING"
Then Hama would smile her thanks and
return to Kamoyo exactly ten per cent
of what she had received as thank OF
fering for her trouble, and would say.
VERY WELL. Kamoyo San, I will see II
can make some more soon. I am CRATE
full, and my poverty is enriched by all
your kindnessv But as she went away.
after tucking the little packet Of money
inside her sash. she would say to her
self rather sadly. 'Kamoyo San sells; she
does not make the things. II the sun is
shining and the birds singing, can weave
the full stems and think Of pretty shapes
for them; but when the days are short
and the rain comes down. the full IL cold
and gray. and / want to work with the
warm pine needles or those strong brown
ferns It is strange that Kamoyo San
! does not understand"
For Hama was an artist in an humble,
unconscious way and the artist Is Ma
ture's born disciple. He may make or
break other allegfances. but to her he Is
always true.
Hama had many things to do beside her
woodsy weaving; there was the house
to sweep and the food to see to: clothes
! to wash in the tumbling brook. and her
| grandfather's pipe and tobacco box with
it's mimic Fujiyama OF wistaria ash to
set in order against his homecoming.
Now and then pilgrims or travellers would
ished veranda seat. and when they did.
1t was not long before Hama brought out
her tray, carved like a lotus leaf. and
her best blue teacups full Of fragrant
topaz-colored tea for their refreshment;
also the second best tobacco box with pipe
and all complete. Some offered money
and others thanks for the hospitality,
but the thanks were all she would accept.
Then when they went on their way she
would wish them good luck and smile.
and return to her tasks by the time they
stopped to look bac', at her from the last
bend Of the climbing road Once . dainty
lady had come. in a beautiful basket-work
palanquin, followed by train Of serv-
ants. She was so pretty and smiling that
Hama had felt impelled to mako her a
present OF hanging basket In the shape
OF a young moon, with trail Of wild
ivy dropping over It's edge and another
twined in the delicate chain from which
1t was meant to swing. and the lady had
said 1t was lovely and fastened 1t to the
inner roof OF her litter; and she gave
Hama in exchange a picture book that
she had been looking at as she journeyed,
and the book was now one Of Hana's
greatest treasures. She kept It wrapped
in a bit Of purple crepe that Kamoyo had
given her, and when her work was done
she would spread 1t out on the mat and
hon oil he fct,
Some of them were portraits Of the en-
peror and the imperial family-and the
very first time she opened 1t she saw the
giver's own face looking at her from one
of the pages. She was 50 unused to the
world and it's ways that this only struck
her as a most delightful surprise; but
when her grandfather came home and
she showed him her treasure. he looked
quite awe-struck and at last told her
she must have made a mistake. She
shook her head triumphantly. No. In
deed, there was no mistake. The lady
in the picture had her hair more grandiy
dressed, and her robe was not the same;
but that was her face and no other! It
was rather a peculiar face with the dark
hair growing in five deep points round
the brow; the eyebrows were unusually
arched and the mouth smiling, and there
was a quaint dimple at one corner which
the court photographer had caught very
we'll Hana's grandfather fetched his
horn-rimmed glasses and began to spell
out the lettering beneath: Her Imperial
Highness the Princess Chiye Takehito the
cousin Of the Emperor!
A few days after the Princess had
passed that way another visitor came
to the cottage on the hill. This was q
young man whom Hama had met two or
three times in Kamoyo's house, for he
was a cousin of the kind shopkeeper, and
once when Hama had some heavy bundles
to carry home Kamoyo had suggested
that he should 60 with her and take the
rice bagtand the roll Of mating which