Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-06-29
BUDDHA's6IfT
BY ROSE WELLER.

Nowhere in the world does the 81
in his spring greeting, meet with. SUD
joyous response from nature as in q
away, beauty-dOwered Japan
His call to life, reached in all
compelling sweetness, q garden
that flowery isle. and joyously the AZ
cient cherry tree In the center. OF q
garden heard. and burst into pinI
petaled splendOr, redolent with del
cate perfume. wooing bee and buttel
fly. T.
Under it's waving branches droope(
a maiden, delicately lovely as thu
cherry blossoms above. Her head Wa
bowed. every line of her figure de-
noted detection. e.. ~.
Yuki Wan was sad; that morning
she had, after the Japanese custom.
been promised I'm marriage by hers
parents to a man the age Of her ia
Their.
Only last year at this very seasons
she had walked meath the cherry
blossoms with an English youth. the
prince of her maiden dreams; and,
even as the Suns call to sleeping ma
ture, had been the call Of youth to
youth, beauty to beauty, love to love.
And nOw-ah, the agony of 1t all The
injustice of it! The uselessness Of
1t! For had she not heard that In
that other country, where he lived.
girls married for love. youth mated
with youth?
Was there no appeal from parental
authority? Must she submit to the
inevitable?
Her soul cried out in agony, Must
1t be. o, Buddha, must 1t bea'
Ever since those dream days when
love was all, there had lain, carefully
hidden beneath the folds Of her Hm0-
no. a tiny, heart-shaped pendant fash
toned from sapphires and pearls. the
parting gift of the English youth as
he had said to her: ut Is like the
sky and the cherry blossoms Of JAPAN.
Wear It until my ship sails back
again."
With one long pressure of the .locket
to her heart she clasped the mement0
In her hand, and passed with falter-
ing steps out of the garden and along
road toward the temple of Buddn4.
Ascending the worn stone steps ne
made her way hesilatingly to the altar
in front of the huge stone image, tim
idly laid her cherished pendant at its
feet and fell on hands an knees In
supplication. ~
Then, with quivering sob she hurs,
riedly retraced her steps.
Back in the garden Yuki Wan threw
herself desOlately on the soft grass
beneath the cherry tree. Presently
she. turned her face toward the
patches Of blue sky, deeply hued a.
sapphires showing through the riffs
in the pink-petaled blossoms. In til
broken English she had loved to use
because It was the language of her
! youthful lover. she WHISPERED: "Ah,
Buddha, now you more better help
me. or maybe so, wash my heart clean
from wish for love which is not ~
japanese girl" s
Then, gently, very gently. her eye
lids fluttered and closed, blue tints OF
ivory-hued cheeks, Like 4 child. she
slept
In a dream there came to Yuki Wan
the great Buddha, no longer awesorne.
but with a look Of compassion and
understanding. Softly he touched her
forehead, saying: ut is we'll"
Yuki Wan awoke. sat up and looked
about! All was the same, yet not
the same. A new glory seemed to
have crept into sky and sunshine.
."Yuki Wan" came a gentle voice.
Slowly Yuki tArned her head. and
there, stalwart, smiling. arms out
stretched, stood the English boy. HIS
ship had sailed back again.