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

from Yokohama. 'it Ia pretty hard TO see
through the Japanese"
And so 1t went. At half past o'clock
1000 sailors from the battleships, four
in front. marched Wit. reversed rifles
down the middle OF the road toward the
palace. When the head OF the column
reached there they halted and turned
right about face. They We're to be the
advance guard of the procession, and
when they moved again the sending
away would truly begin.
Solemn Moment mt Hand.
II was approaching the solemn moment
and one became conscious OF a subtle
thrill In the air. For one thing the
silence. Within pistol shot OF us were
90. 900 people, and all 50 hushed that u
whisper seemed an intrusion on state
of intense thought 1t was not a pageant
to be wondered at for the waiting Jap
anese. 1t was their whole history glowing
vital before the eyes Of the soul. 1t was
not merely the passing Of n Great Lady
and Empress Dowager Of the regning
house, but II was an illustration from
soul heights OF the divine origin of Japan
and the Japanese. To their eyes the
spirit Of the august lady was in way
at one with the spirits OF all their dead
for seventy-five generations, back TO the
coming of Jimmu Tenno, "the Emperor of
Godlke Valor." $500 years ago
For he. be II remembered, was grand
sun of the great sun goddess. from whom
all their empebrs. and so all their ma
ton. had sprung, and ever since then they
have lived in her light in this land of
Yamato. the Gate OF the Mountains, which
to-day they call Nippon, the land OF tho
Rising sun. So the Empress Hakuro, to
be known for eternity as the Empress
Dowager Shoken, II OF an UNNECESSARILY
higher caste was Mt one with the spirits
| OF their ancestors, down to the ghostly
| forebcars OF the poorest laborer in the
markets OF Toxic. Here then is n rare
| spiritual bond--the families OF the people
with the imperial family. whose direct
| line has never failed, certainly for the
| 1000 years OF recorded history.
| Up 10 their great historic Shinto tenn
pies standing on hillsldes clad with giant
cryptomeres, mighty OF girth and pierre
| ing the skies, lead many steps OF stone
| and 10 the multitudes hereabout II Is
az though. amid the soft silence OF this
night in the heart of the city, they were
| gazing on slight figure clad in SHIN
merry white, floating over rather than
treading on such steps of stone leading
| past tree embowered shrine after shrine
! IN height after height until ut last II
| mingled at the loftiest summit imaginable
with the very glow of the Rising sun
| They could close their eyes and see heI
rise from the night TO the day, and they
and their kami, their ancestors, were al
one with her She was of their very
| own.
The goodness, the Genileness, the public
spirit, the poetic inspiration, the worldly
wisdom, the helpfulness to men ant
| women, the family love, the character
which made her prop for forty-siS
years of her married life to the En-
peror Meiji. whose trials and triumphi
she shared. are all celebrated among thu
people around us, as they might be by
any Western people; but 1t Is the spri
bond which In the most potent in this hou
| when the coffin OF the August One IL Il
pass
one must try to grasp this spiritua
attitude to understand. The japanese o
Toxic great and small. gentle and sim
pie, are as plainly worldly as Christian G.
Jew In mundane matters They can worl
steadily. skiifulIy. patiently; they can bar