Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-19
BY ADACHI KINNOSUKE

you smiling at Jzo or just at your little funny monkey
thoughts which, eh?"
The baby had come to them month-just one
month to day-before the official announcement of
the annexation of Korea So her birthday was pretty
close to the birth date of Greater Nippon And Baby
Sister like child of her parents loved to de-
clare-came them the outermost frontier line of
the expanding Empire To Charmed Life and his good
wife it was the most wonderful thing that ever hap
pened.
"The meal is on the table Husband the wife called
from the adjoining
"Bvby, Baby Sister," said the man, patting her
chubby hand gently; with fear and trembling, in fact,
if afraid that his clumsy bear touch would surely
break the baby "Byby Baby!'
CHARMED LIFE sat down to his evening meal, and
- beamed and beamed at the steam curling up from
the rice The warm, all comforting, almost motherly
perfume of radishes and dried mackerel made him
drunk as heady wine A meal rude pioneers
evening meal the Korean frontier-was a thing Of
art to Charmed Life; he enjoyed the poetry of it. Did
not his wife prepare it? Who said that she not
artist to the very edge Of her pink fngertips?
aBessed-oh, thrice blessed be the hands of woman"
chanted he piously smiling his big boy smile, (which
can put halo sardines head'
And his young wife laughed at him. the silver laugh
of woman beloved and thoroughly happy.
a suppose you making your cosby acquaintance
with the Korean tigers now said he loosely 4Arent
you a little afraid at night all alone here?'
ooh, not bit, said She still smiling. 3Why should
aThats right" he declared putting his chest, and
he detained in a round, full throated voice aWhy in
Sendai Sanurai!" After which oratorical effort he
said, "Deign to pour out another cup of tea. 1t
warns me up like mothers hug It's good Wife.
And need it tonight to keep me awake No sleep last
night, you know"
SHORTLY afterward Charmed Life returned to his
post at the door of the prison shack, and his friend
with his left in the sling ambled away quite
snothered in misty night, back to his cabin And
the great silence of the forest all about the clearing be-
gan to chant its eternal hymns to the stars.
At first Charmed Life paced back and forth in front
of the entrance, for the autumn night frosty; but
soon he became weary of it. He leaned against the
side of the doorwayvery lightly first and them with
out knowing it himself rather heavily Once he took
searching look the interior of the prison cabin At
lamp fighting duel with its own
smoke forgetting light the world; the prison
ers, peace and chdlike sleep. No temple bells tolled
off the midnight but the starlt face of the night he
read its coming and its passing.
"Ah!" said he to himself stamping his feet vigorously
a. falling asleep at my post soldier sentinel asleep
on duty!" He smiled to himself 1t was funny to him;
how absurdly impossible the very thought of it was
be sure! He began again his pacing back and forth.
But could walk all night He came back to his
old doorpost and leaned against it, yawning.
SUDDENLY he found himself sailing aoer the gold
~ of the shutdown seas under pregnant sail-as in
the fairy book of the blessed childhood days. Every
stranger thought Charmed Life. 4Was | not stand
ing guard at the door of the prison cabin?' But the
vessel cleaving the spendidly that he