The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-03-03

shoes, as is the custom. But not De-
ing accustomed to this, she drew
knot; when he himself stopped to undo
it he felt warm tear drop on the
back of his hand
Don't cry for little thlng IKE
that said Wendes, in cheering tones.
The child raised her almond eyes to-
ward the European.
Il am not crying about that, sir;
the knot is united"
why, then, do you cry?'
0 Fana dried her tears on a corner
of her kimono, without answering.
us it possible?" unused the Teuton
before retiring. 'When o Fana plays
the lutte she seems the happiest girl
in the world, and here she was crying
like a child in the greatest suffering.
Perhaps she has been wronged by one
of her companions, or by her master,
or it may be there is a rival some
| where! But no. The ways OF the
Japanese are not as our ways; their
affection for one another is but a
puppy love-" With this thought he
| fell asleep.
The night was warm and oppres-
| sive, and Wendes soon awoke. That
| hot tear on the back of his hand
| seemed to burn into his imagination,
and filled him with the deepest sym
pathy for the sad little Geisha.
In the same large apartment were
many strangers, each in his separate,
| improvised room made of Japanese
| screens. A light from a gaudily tint
ed lantern family Illuminated the
whole apartment Wendes soon per-
| ceived that some one was smoking,
for a tiny ring of perfumed smoke
was gently waited toward him. In
fact, after few moments he heard
the pipe gently strike the ash tray,
and the smoker moved restlessly.
who can be smoking at this hour,
| thought the youth, as he looked at
his watch it was a little after mid
night. g.,
Henry was about to doze Off again
when a stitied sob reached his ears.
The almost silent weeping emanated
from the same place whence the pleas
| ing fragrance of perfumed tobacco
had first proceeded. Gradually the
sobbing became more noticeable, more
painful, and finally convulsive; in a
moment as if smothered by a supreme
effort, it died completely away in the
awful silence of the night
WendeS at once arose. He was now
certain that the smoker was none
other than o Fana, who was apparent
ly weeping most disconsolately. He
was seized with an intense desire to
| go and seek to console the poor child
So" he unused, even a Japanese girl
could weep! The sorrows and suffer
| ings of life were therefore felt by
| others as well as by Europeans, en-.
doWed with finer sensibilities, with
| greater tenderness of heart, more
| delicate temperament, and all the
blessings and refining influences of a
| superior civilization; Even a semi
barbarous Japanese, of an alien race,
and child of paganism, was susceptf-
| BILE to human sorrow, could grieve,
could weep! The mysterious and en-
exorable law of suffering made itself
felt even in her sphere, and the pitt
less hand of grief could scourge her
| soul, just as the waves of the sea in
every cline, under every sky, on every
strand, lash the shore."
| A prey to such thoughts, the young
Teuton spent the remainder of the
night in sleepless agitation, and when
he arose the next morning the sun
was high above the horizon, and he
was thus obliged to abandon all
thought of his early morning walk,
one of his most regular habits.
| He took breakfast in his room that
morning, ordered cigars, and settled
down to forget the troubles and dis
turbance of the night by taking up
| the thread of a German romance
which he had been perusing the pre-
ceding day. But in vain. Although
his eyes were riveted on the pages of
| the thrilling story, his imagination,
worked up to tense pitch, wandered
| aimlessIy, but feverishly, through the
realms of fancy. He could still feel
| that warm tear which 0 Fana had
| let fall on his hand the evening be-
| fore, and her pitiful sobs during the
night pierced his soul.
A maid now appeared at the open
! ing of his apartment, and having
bowed down to the ground i'll obsequi-
GUS salute, inquired why she had been
| summoned.
Il would like, to hear o Fana play
| and sing"
Sir, your heart shall rejoice at the
sound of o Fana's koto.'
o Fana entered, bent down low to
the ground, threw back her head,
dropped on cushion, and was about
to begin to play.
20 Fana," exclaimed Wendes, fixing
his gaze on the girl, last evening
| you let fall a burning tear on my
| hand; last night you wept most bit
terly; speak! What great sorrow has
thus Overwhelmed your young hearth
o Fana raised her eyes and gazed
into those of the stranger, and then
for moment remained as If undecid-
ed what to say or do. 1t appeared
passing strange to her that one who