The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-03-17
- ----s 49, $50
Continued from page 80
THE GElSHA.


through the formality of Catholic
ceremony. IS
His answer to his fathers letter was
respectful, but firm and resolute, de-
claring that he was Of age, he was
perfectly justified in availing himself
of the natural right that every human
being possesses to provide for his own
happiness, and in the manner in which
he saw fit. To his mother he address
ed himself in different strain, trying
to make her understand that in 0
Fana she had acquired daughter who
loved her with the greatest tenderness
without knowing her, and he dWelt at
length on the noble birth of his loved
one, on her unsullied life and morals,
and on all the other lovable qualities
OF mind and heart, as we'll as on the
physical beauty which, united to the
foregoing, made of her most des1r-
able acquisition as relative.
Thus far o Fana was in complete
ignorance of these letters; still, her
native sagacity served her to good pur-
pose, and she was not long in discov-
ering that a cloud had passed over
the hitherto undisturbed peace of soul
of her husband. She therefore set
about to redouble her efforts to please
and distract him from the unpleasant
thought, whatever it might be. Her
efforts We're not unavailing, for soon
she had the pleasure of beholding the
accustomed smile and the wonted
cheerfulness return in all its splendor
Peace once more smiled beautifully
over the home Of Wendes.
The winter passed in peace and tran
guilty, and just as the summer was
about to enter with all its glories and
delights, the happiness of our friends
was made complete by the arrival of
a little stranger destined to play an
important part in the future destiny
of botn. Wendes was almost beside
himself as he contemplated the al
| mond blue eyes of the tiny guest
eyes that recalled at once the traits of
father and mother. Kiwaci came all
the way from Nagasaki to visit his
| young nephew, and with characteristic
solemnity declared that in all Japan
there was not another child to COM
| pare with this one in beauty. The
mother of 0 Fana remained for hours
watching over the little creature, and
seemed immovable for sheer pleasure
and delight; as for o Fana, she seem
ed unable to realize whether she was
in heaven or upon earth, so strange
did the past appear.
! Mayer one day limited to Wendes
that it would be we'll to have the child
baptized, but Henry at once took him
up, and cut him short by saying that
religion was to be- 'rigidly excluded
from all that concerned both him and
his family "Still,'' he added, "as for
baptizing my son, leave the whole
matter in the hands of o Fana; if
she wishes to make Christian of him
| have no objections to offer"
1t was more than evident that O
Fana was the last one to think of hap.
tism. No one had ever spoken to her
of the God of the Christians, or of the
Catholic religion Her husband never
so much as mentioned the subject, and
although Mayer would have desired to
opportunity to do so. The Japanese
ladies who visited at their home were
forth most part, like O Fana, pagans
and the few Europeans who called
were, in matter of religion, like Wen,
des himself.
| Although o Fana was not a Chris
tian, still she was possessed of a pro
found religious instinct. Her belief
was a mixture of various superstitions
drawn from idolatry which form at
present the foundation of the much
lauded Buddhism. When she beheld
herself, therefore, mother, she al
once invited the Bonza of the nearest
pagoda to write on her child's gar
ments the various talismans that were
warranted to insure future happiness
and prosperity; over the infants era
die she hung the long strips OF vart
ously-colored paper, with the images
of the kami, or spirits, of her ances
tors; and from time to time, sitting
beside the cradle, she called forth
sweet strains from the lutte, and soft
ly crooned the national airs and ditties
that were calculated to keep all harm
from her child when addressed to the
gods. Henry took in the whole per
Torrance, and laughed good-naturedly
The child waxed strong and robust
with the bloom of health on his cheel
that was sufficient; the rest was al
immaterial to the father.
The greatest difficulty presented 1T
self when the question of naming the
child was approached. The father be
gan by calling him William, but this
name seemed too coarse and harsh FOL
the gentle lips of o Fana. And be
sides, what did the name William sig
Nifty to her Japanese mind, accustomed
as it was to the flowery names heapet
upon every child of the land of the
rising sun? To her the little creature
was a Cherry Blossom, a Morning
Star, a Shell of Nagasaki, Snowflake
a Blushing Rose, Light Cloud in
Serene Sky, a Sweet Nightingale,
Silver Pheasant, a Blessed Spirit re
turned to earth, and in one word, ne
was little god in human flesh. These
poetic names and titles blossomed, sc