The Glenwood post., 1924-05-22

delighted with 1t. This Wells did not
understand. He remembered only her
last tired hours. and had them with
him often.
That Bobbie should acquire the
mannerisms Of his playmates was nat
ural, but that his skin became
creamy-yellow in tan, that long days
In the hot sun should cause his eyes
to narrow-this gave his father secret
dlsmay. The lad swan, played with
the rest. His arms and legs Drowned
the missionary saw nothing in the
boy that resembled either his wife or
himself.
The lad was bright His subtle
reasonings and brilliant cross-cuts
through problems In mathematics
were, Doctor Wells felt, means to
learn with superficial rapidity. Nor
had the boy proper reverence; he had
early been disgraced for clapping his
hands in Shinto prayer, learned at the
temple, while Doctor Wells was per-
forming a funeral ceremony over a
departed church member. The excuse
was that HE wath Japanethe, ia
ther-than. I thought he would like
Bobbie saw in the village many
things that were beautiful. These. his
father, with the stern taste of the
West already developed, did not see,
or would not look for. Especially were
the temples unesthetic and abomina
BILE; he had no patience with the very
few missionaries who saw them as OBJ
jects of art.
1t can be seen that Doctor Wells
had no sympathy with the very afr
which his son breathed, since that air
was filed with ancient folklore and
myths, filled with Orientalesque per-
fumes and habits
He felt that application to his
studies would soon remove Bobbie far
from this insidious influence even bet
ter than he himself might do 1t. It
was merely an induced phase.
Misako became tootfless. There
was no more Bobbie-San. She could
remember no such person. Instead,
there lived in the house the heir to
the house of the Thunder Gate. She
bowed before him, calling the boy
Kayama-San. Doctor Wells did not
exist, save az sort Of upper servant.
The house was Bobbie's. Bobbie was
served first. Bobbie's wishes must be
consulted before she would permit a
servant to carry out one Of Doctor
Wells orders.
Bobbie took It az a matter Of
course. Misako liked 1t. That was
enough. Wasn't she his little moth
err
To please her, he would memorixe
long Shinto prayers Became adept
In the Rules of Courtesy. Because 1t
delighted her to see him imperious, he
could adopt a commanding manner
before her and the other servants.
| Misako had one principal worry. The
boy was old enough to be married.
To whom?
In vain she painted picture for the
boy. There would be beautiful girl,
versed in every duty and appreciative
Of her exalted position. A girl with
long, fine fingers, with eyes that would
shine like black Jewels under brows
curved as the wings of the nightbirds /;
her black hair would be woven with
the blossom Of the plum; she would
have kimonos Of pale silk with shift
ing colors changing with the light.
Here, and here alone, Bobbie would
laugh, although he took pains to con-
ceal his amusement from Mlsako.
The position of Doctor Wells, in his
own household, became tntolerable.
He could discharge Misako. yet dread
ed facing his Maker and admitting
that he had acted so with one Of such
great and simple faith.
It was in a bitter moment that he
fumbled through his scant correspond
ence.
! He found letter already creamy