The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-07-07
DEFIED THE MIKADO
BY JANE CRAWFORD.

My aunt's predictions as to my fate
were dire and dreadful, if l continued
longer to defy the traditions of my
family. My prediction for girl
hachelorhood was a thorn in the
flesh Of my worthy relative. who de-
c'ared she didn't know where got
it. She mentioned it as a disease
that had stolen upon me in spite Of
her watchful care. Again and again
she recited the matrimonial achieve
ments of my family. My mother was
bride at seventeen. My two sisters
were debutants and brides simuita-
neously. She herself was twice re-
nct, while at twenty-eight l still
roamed the earth under the name to
which | was born. l reminded her of
my engagement to John, which al
ways served to divert her wrath to-
wards that most devoted and consid-
crate of lovers. She had no personal
objections to John; on the contrary,
she. in common with other designing
mothers and aunts, realized that he
was most eligible parti, but court
ship of three years standing! Well, 1t
was not so in her day. A more i'm
patient wooing was far more flatter-
ing than such patient waiting. 1t was
bad enough for man to be i'm
mersed in musty books studying the
manners and customs of the heather
Japanese, but to made those manners
and customs the sole subject of con-
versation with his fiance, that was
loo much!
She admitted the Japanese were an
interesting people, and John talked
well, but she threatened to assert her
authority as my legal guardian and
break off the match. I laughed and
30 did John, knowing that she
couldn't and wouldn't We demanded
why We should rush out upon a trou-
bled sea when we we're both enjoying
the calm of the harbor? Why slip
the ropes from the present pleasant
moorings7
Which ffippancy she received in
disdainful silence.
My perversity finally got upon her
nerves and she took to her bed,
threatening to go into a decline, but
our good doctor persuaded her that
long sea voyage would restore
her pofse and, wonder Of wonders,
she selected the Oriental route. with
Japan as the objective point, and one
beautiful spring morning we landed
In the kingdom of the Mikado, that
land Of sunshine and flowers, and con-
trary customs where the little brown
people laugh when they should weep
and make merry when they mourn.
| met Carolyn Warrington one morn
ing strolling through the shops in
Tokyo, and after the first greetings
were over she demanded: Aren't
you married YETI"
Not yet." responded.
Take care" she cautioned, "the
laws are strict here regarding old
maids" at which we both laughed,
and after promising to see each other
soon and often we parted.
Married yet! An old maid. In
deed!" I'm year younger than she.
But her recurring words were like
the pricking of a pin. l wondered
what she meant by that law. Some of
her nonsense, of course. She was al
ways joker, and then forgot all
about 1t in the bewilderins display of
silks and curios, but when l returned
to our hotel l found my aunt In a
state bordering on hysteria The
cause was little Japanese gentleman
who looked like a toy in the conven-
tionA black that Americans wear
only after six o'clock In the after
noon He was bowling and salaaming
and endeavoring to force upon her a
roll Of parchment, which he said was
a letter. It was written by the yard
and looked like the laundry check for
the entire kingdom.
am the Imperial Go-Between.
he explained, turning to me.
looked properly impressed. yes?
what?"
Read the letter; it will explain"
But l can't read Japanese; I'm
sorry"
"Ah, then will translate" and in
beautiful, correct English he read a
most interesting epistle It said that
In this charming country of his the
affairs Of the heart were managed by
a third disinterested party, called a
or Go-Between. That when 4
Lady refused the husband selected for
her by her relatives the Emperor
himself took hand and chose q hus-
band for her. was long past the age
when the women Of Japan marry:
quite an old maid, in fact. l WINGED.
but smiled and blushed when he con-
tinued that l was too rich, and far
too beautiful to live longer without a
husband. He said other nice things.
which | am too modest to repeat. In
short, the Emperor, mindful of nv
many fine points had selected for nv
husband his own elder brother and |
was commanded to come at once to
the Imperial Palace to be united in
marriage to this worthy gentleman.
l laughed heartily. What absurd
aonsense! I'm not Japanese"
1T doesn't seem at all funny tn
me" remarked my aunt grimly. 81
knew some ridiculous thing would
happen to you. I've always told you
so,' and she seemed somewhat con-
soled at the fulfillment of one of her
many dire prophecies.
Don't be foolish, Auntie. It's a
Joke. | met Carolyn Warrington this
and she has lived here for
five years. Her husband Is an at
tache of the American legation. She
said something of this kind to me.
You know she was always a joker"
The Go-Between shook his head sol
EMMY. 1T is not what you call the
Joke. madam. l am ordered by the
Emperor to bring you at oncel imme-
diately! forthwith" The exclama-
tons were like shots. 1.-THE Mikado's
soldiersl" waving his hand impress
sively toward the door and six little
brown men in the uniform of the I'm
perial Guard tripped into the room
and stood at attention. They would !
have delighted small American Y
could he find them in his stocking
some Christmas morning My aunt
had wholesome respect for the mill
tary of all nations, and by this time
she was thoroughly alarmed
Perhaps you would better CO." she
murmured. | had passed successfully
through several seasons under my
aunt's chaperonage. l feared neither
Mfkado nor Nakodo, and realized
this would be an excellent oppor-
tunity to see the inside of the rulers
palace. 1t is said he is descended
from a god I signified my willing
ness to go and was soon seated in a
rickshaw, with my military guard
painting in their efforts to keep pace