The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-06-21

the like slowly come into the shifting
light.
Men pass bearing eight great. round
decorated drums. Men bearing cght
large ancient gongs, more torchhcarers
and thru--surprisng sight-eightcen tall,
tim banners twenty feet high and thirty
In hes wide nine of silver white and nine
OF golden yellow, tower above the pro-
cessIon. Torchbearers again, and then
s!NtCCn men with quivers and sixteen
men with tall ancient bows, sixteen bear
ing long shields and sixteen halberd
bearers There are two more tail, white satin
banners bearing the red figure OF the
sun. and more stately officials and torch
bearers, and two large evergreen Shinto
funeral trees, and then with chests for
offerings and torchhearers come the high
Shinto priests In full canoncals They
have OBLIGATED at the palace and Will
oncate at the shrine-a very stately.
quaint. impressive group. band OF
seventeen musicians playing upon pipes
that make a shrill pibroch sound, masters
OF ceremonies and lord stewards. all
strangely colfed and robed then twelve
torches.
A visible thrill now shakes the native
onlookers. but not a word is spoken. They
sway gently like people in standing
dream A strange sound like the distant
lowing OF cattle comes to the ears and
for sacred oxen festooned with white
ropes, attended by n cloud of antique
cowherds, come into sight drawing the
funeral car of the Empress. II Is high
and square and of deep brown red lacquer.
| with long golden tassels/huns from cir
| cular. chainlike plates Of gold. and rests
| on two large wheels covered with black
| lacquer. but Its strangest quality Is that
| the wheels creak in prolonged UNI
mclodious groan that to the minds or
the ancient japanese meant the woe OF
| the Inarticulate for the mighty dead A
| glance at the multitude pressing around
| us showed bowed heads, and on the faces
| OF those nearest to us, tears.
| with the passing of the funeral car the
| tension vsibly relaxed. Here was the
lord of the imperial household in full
white robe and sword white ROBBED Off
ral carrying the imperial sandals in a
white box, then stool and step bearers and
| officials in full white robe and sword then
officers OF the imp. rial guards In modern
uniforms heavy with gold lace then, in a
generals uniform, Prince Kan-ln of the
imperial family, chief mourner repre-
sentng the Emperor, n middle aged gentle
man who marched we'll, followed by line
OF glittering aidcs-de-camp; then princes
of the blood and their sons marching two
abreast.
The court physicians followed, then
masses of disnihed men in gold braided
coats and cooked hats--knights, as II
were, of the Grand Order of Merit-gen-
erals, admirals, dignitaries very splendid
and grave personag5s, some OF whom
raised mundane umbrellas against the
gently descending rain then trumpeters
then another band and then regiment
after regiment of the guard OF honor from
the army.
SO, old and vanishing, picturesque
Japan with the Empress Dowager's hearse
went on into the night the sailor men OF
to-day before and the army boys of to-
day closing the line. on through the
miles of bowed heads the pageant slowly
slowly passed and in AT the Yoyogl gate
between the wider lines OF onlookers
under the first tori near the gate and t.
the second tori before the shrine, The
waverlng glow from the blazing cressets
the pale moons of the lanterns and th'
flames or the expiring torches were iior'
the only light