The Glenwood post., 1924-05-22
CHAPTER ~


some twenty years before the God Of
Chance ordered the course of Robert
Wells to fall into strange ways. There
must be foundation: 1t was laid in the
home of Doctor Wells, missionary. in
the little village of Takusaki, many
leagues from Mtagiri.
Here, and then, Bobbie-San Wells,
despite the constant reminders of MI.
sake, his nurse, preferred making the
temple court his playground rather
than the inclosed family garden. This
was natural. The garden had been
uprooted of Its single wild-peach tree,
whose blossoms, in the early spring,
gave of an odor thin as that which
clings to the silk of forgotten robe;
Doctor Wells mind was firmly set
upon a "space to remind him OF the
austere and godly home which he had
left behind and the peach tree was
ultra Oriental. Thus, in season, snap
dragon and canterbury bell would
burst from the rain-soft ground in all
promise Of erect stern splendor In the
summer solstice: promise never full
filed, for the long spikes gave birth to
nothing save a trickle Of puny flower
and early found disgrace upon the
baked ground
Small wonder that the child played
between the long walled courtyard Of
the Shinto temple where the grass was
tall; where trees on either side inter-
locked their moss-grown arms above
him; beshadowing the way; where the
birds sang and butterflies sought out
the dancing, slanting sunlight.
Misako had more than love for the
boy: added to the strong affection was
an imperious sense Of the Importance
of Robbie Sans missionary father.
Was he not an honored servant of
HIM loves-little-children, for love
of whom Misako had fled her position
in the household of the Lord of the
Thunder Gate, her people and town
and province7 True, Misako did not
understand many things about Him !:
1t was said (and Doctor Wells did not
deny) that He was the son of car
penter. How, then, could a god Z.
but Misako, simple in faith, believed
because she believed. If 1t were wrong
to bow before the Towering peach in
the garden (before an az found the
the blossoms are the visible sign sent
by the Six Goddesses to tell that they
assure good luck for the coming year,
why did Doctor Wells worship the
pine tree Qacking fir or spruce) which
each winter season he set in the main
room and adorned with ornaments
which must, Aisako figured, be pray
ers offered the Carpenters Son7 She
did not understand. It was all very
strange.
But with all the explanations which
Doctor Wells must make, and the dis
ruption to the household affairs, the
coming Of Misako was boon to the
frightened lady=mother of little Bob
bic. Mlsako brought Ut was all they
could do) letter from the mission
aries in village near Mitagiri; six
months later she became Bobbie's
-me-n-bed an kiss-me'night, for
I the lady-mother died.
His father, always silent man, be-
came doubly stern; devoted perfume
torIly to his duties, insistent that the
boy spend long hours over dry books.
Bobbie saw him seldom.
AS contact with his father de-
creased, so did Misako usurp all Of
Bobble's affection. Long tales she told
him, ms they sat evenings upon the
mats. Most of all of the town from
whence she had come. its grandeur
and richness, the terrific god who
lived in ATitagiri, the Thunder God.
whose face was yelled, that ordinary
men and women might live. To look
upon the god. save for the highborn,
was certain death, so awful was his
visage.
As the child grew, a sturdy, brown
skinned youngster, Misako's love be-
came rapt devotion. 1t was typical Of
Doctor Wells that ne had not fiinched
at having been sent to Takusakl, al
though he had seen Its location upon
the map. and knew that he would be
the only missionary for miles around.
This had not daunted him. inspired
rather. He did not consider 1t as
martyrdom: 1t was his duty.
Now this very thing reacted against
him. More than once he had felt that
II II only he had been able to
secure medical attention. lie mightn't
have lost Elsie. Now he saw his son
playing In the dust with the ragged
urchins of the village. Takusaki 1t.
self, as town, might well have been
any Of thousand. He did not con-
slider 1t rs town. It was place Of
heathen. who did not listen or. listen
| ing. did not learn.