The Washington times., 1916-10-02
Stories of
Stories
TAJiMA.
Translated by Helen Mitford.)

Translated by Helen Mitford.)
|TAJIMA had been q student, a
soldier. q merchant and a half
j dozen. other things; and he had
prospefed In nothing 30 he turned
tramp. In Japan there are many such
mesterless mon" or 'ronins," who
trudge aimletaly around the country
and live a. best they can on nothing q
Tajima one day journeycd along the
Tokaido-ths great hiEhroad leading
past the Eastern Sea from Kioto 10
feddo. And there he fell into talk with
. wandering priest. who was also on his
Tho road was long, and the two men
enjoyed each others companlo nshlp. Al
last. In q moment Of confidence, the
priest said he had spent the past year
or more In collecting alma for the erect.
ing OF q statuette to the god Budd-
scraped together zoo ounces OF silver
which was enough for the purpose. And
ne was now on his way to the Holy
CITY to buy the statue. The money wa
Tajima was not wicked by nature.
Yet. as no listened to the priest's talk
he found himself thinking;
am nearly forty years OLD. Yet
am penniless wanderer, with a pow.
erty,.trieken old age to look forward
Dragging about could live at ease
for the rest OF my days"
Presently they reached the port where
they must take ship for the rest Of
the priest laid his Enapsack on the
deck, and stood beside the rail- lookins
out over the sea. TajimA Joined him
there. When no one was looking he
caught the unsuspecting priest by the
ankles and pitched him overheard. A.
AZ tina ahtV hnA fAr f0f
any hope OF rescuing the victim Tajima
Bhrieked aloud that his dear companion
had overbalanced himself on the rail-
and had toppled into the water. He
sympathy Of all his fellow passengers.
Then. when the ship reached port. he
picked up the priest's knapsack and
Two hundred ounces Of silver Is tidy
little fortune. Yet Tajima resolved &c
increase II. He went to the capital and
there became merchant. Fortune la
vored him. The stolen money was cleV
erly invested and II brought enormous
returns. Within three years Tnjima wal
And for a time he fanciod he was O,
happy as he was rich. He married and
built q handsome house. His friends
were many. His reputation was spct'
less.
hliNs hhu bNBuh w wv
thing he had done. Vai1,y lie longed e
undo his crime. Sleep forsock him. Ht
was seized by so terrible n melancholy
that his family feared he was going IN
sane. In dreams he was haunted By thu
vision OF the murdered priest.
His wife. hearing that q very holy
man was passing through the city. sen'
for him to try to cure her husband. A,
sight of the visitor Tajima screemcd
aloud In fear. The holy man ordered
every one else from tho room. then
turned to the panic-strickcn Tajima and
said, gently:
Three years ago you nung me into
the water. I had learned. as a boy, to
swim. 80 I reached shore. You have
done a hateful deed. Repent and turn
from evil and shall feel repaid for my
sufferings. Poverty drives a man to sins
that he looks back on In horror In the
days Of prosperity"
Tajima fell on his knees. implorins
forgiveness. which the priest willingly
granted. Then. by way of atonement
he gave the priest four times as much
money as he had stolen from him. The
priest bestowed this fortune on the poor
that II might no longer carry curse
And Tatima, though stripped OF most OF
his wealth. knew true happiness for the
first time in all his life. For his was the
peace OF forgiven sin.
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