The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-09-04
BUDDHA'S GIFT
BY ROSE Weller.

Nowhere in the world does the Sun,
in his spring greeting, meet with such /
joyous response from nature as in far
away, beautydowered Japan.
His call to life, reached in all its
compelling sweetness, a garden in
that flowery isle, and joyously the an
cient cherry tree in the center of the
garden heard, and burst into pink
petaled splendor, redolent with deli
cate perfume, wooing bee and butter
fly.
Under it's waving branches dropped
a maiden, delicately lovely as the
cherry blossoms above. Her head was
bowed, every line of her figure de-
noted detection.
Yuki Wan was sad; that morning
| she had, after the japanese custom,
| been promised in marriage by her
| parents to man the age of her ia
Their.
Only last year at this very season,
| 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 it all The
injustice of it! The uselessnesS OF
it! 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 parenta
authority? Must she submit to tn
inevitable?
Her soul cried out in agony, Mus
it be, @, Buddha, must it be?"
Ever since those dream days whel
love was all, there had lain, CAREFUL
) hidden beneath the folds of her kline
; no, a tiny. heart-shaped pendant fash
Toned from sapphires and pearls, til
parting gift of the English youth a
he had said to her: ut is like tn
+ sky and the cherry blossoms of japan
i" Wear it until my ship sails BAG
again."
: With one long pressure Of the locke
to her heart she clasped the memeni
: in her hand, and passed with falte
:, ing steps out of the garden and alor
II road toward the temple of Buddha
II Ascending the worn stone steps, 81
II made her way hesitatingly to the alt;
II in front of the huge stone image, til
II idly laid her cherished pendant at
II feet and fell on hands and knees
II supplication.
II Then, with quivering sob she hi
y riedly retraced her steps.
Back in the garden Yuki Wan thrt
herself desolately on the soft gra
beneath the cherry tree. Present
= she turned her face toward
4 patches Of blue sky, deeply hued
sapphires shoysng through the ri
4 in the pink petaied blossoms In I
y broken English she had loved to I
to because it was the language Of
youthful lover, she whispered: =
= Buddha, now you more better h
- me, or maybe SO. wash my heart Gle
- from wish for love which is not
~ japanese girl"
Then, gently, very gently, her e
lids fluttered and closed, blue tints
ivory-hued cheeks. Like a child,
on slept.
In dream there came to Yuki VI
- the great Buddha, no longer aweso
but with a look Of compassion
IN understanding. Softly he touched
ali forehead, saying: 1T Is WELL"
Yuki Wan awoke, sat up and loo
It about! All was the same, yet
the same. A new glory seemed
so, have crent into skv ana sunshine
"Yuki Wan," came gentle vo
Slowly Yuki turned her head,
there, stalwart, smiling. arms
! stretched, stood the English boy.
shin had sailed hack amin