MAYA

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 108, 25 April 1908, Page 3

MAYA

. (By X. Garine: Translated from tinKussian). Along ilio beautiful <|iiay of Yokollama iv;i- trotting « little Japanese woman—all Japanese arc little—in her kimono, slightly bent, because upon her ' hack Ha- sitting three-year-iihl .Maya .Maya, a- usual, had clasped |, IT ' a i lni around her nurse's neck, and was gaily chattering in Japanese, like a real Tittle .lapanc-c girl. I Anil the nurse could not listen to her I without teams, because Maya was going away. She was carrying Mava for I lie last time— to the steamer. ' Hie tears rolled down the nurse's I lace j|,e two V( .„ rs sh( , ],.,,, , ]iv( , (l with Maya seemed to her. like a dream She was going, the little girl with hair as golden as the sun-Maya, the delight ana marvel of all the - apanesc. When would they lincl such another as she. •Now she would never more carry upon l«r hack; Maya's little arms would never creep round her neck; the little Inrd would never again chirp gleefullv I "|K»n her shoulders; she would never I more feel soft kisses showered upon her head ami ears as she walked carrying the little, fair-haired .Mava °\ '

Xobody would slop her now and ask"From where is the angel with the shin nig hair?"

The people would no longer -a\ to her: "Bring her into our lwu.-os that .-he may brighten our homes with her )iu|.. head which shines like the sun, thai. -lw may rdied joy nnpon our lives." Killed with pride, the nurse would enter, and. sitting with .Mava upon the mat, would say to her iii a tender, crooning voice:

"Xow, ,it still-still, ami listen how the tiny-tiny birds will sing." And Maya would listen attentive],ana look knowingly at the golden ca»'e to see if there were really little birds in it, while the humining-llies chirped faintly anil tenderly, like tiny drops of water falling and splashing softly. And, no longer able to restrain her delight, Maya would laugh, and her laughter, like a peal of little silver bells, would ring through the clean, cool little I room, with it- varnished para-nN acn wbieh the .-ilver storks were living. Maya would laugh, and look through the open door at the rosy peaches with their rich bloom, hanging in the sunlight. And the nurse would gate at .Maya—all would gaz e upon her and re joice.

Hut now all this was past, ami Mava was going away—away on the great, black steamer.

The steamer would sail away, carrying Maya with it, just as a few years More it had carried her love,- to the war with the Chinese. How she hail loved liini! Sh,. had known lie would not return. Heroes never return. Like a corpse she had crept about, awaiting (he awful news.

When at l;iit thev -aid to Ikt: "lie i. dead." si |y asked: "Was it a hero's ileal Ir;"

"A hero's." "Where is he buried*" . The hero was buried in her heart! Until that heart slopped lieating it would recall him to thr ininils of men.

The steamer H 'as moving away from tell l«iat on which she ita» standing—the little Japanese nurse—and the bitter tears rolled down her cheeks.

And in liewildered dspaired. Maya, standing upon the deck and seeing how the steamer was aerryile/ her away from her nurse, stretched out her little arms towards the nets and cried: "Nurse! Nurse!"

The world was dealing her its first cruel offence, the first wound straight in (he heart, and it pierced the little heart so deeply.

"N'urse! Nurse!" Fainter and fainter grew the shore, the sails of the boats, the distant gleaming crests of the mountains. The snow peaks of Fujiyama stretched up to thp very heaven and melted away there into silent peace. All her tears being spent, Maya heaved three sobbing sighs and gazed at the direction in which her nurse was stand-

ing. And so she fell asleep, exhausted by her first sorrow. In her dream she saw her nurse again and thee hihlren with whom -lie had played, and everybody who had loved her much and made her so merry, at whom she had laughed so gaily at meeting. Two years had passed since Maya's father and mother had left Japan and set led in Manchuria.

Mava ban alieadv begun to .-peak Chine-c. She spoke it as freely a- she had forniely spoken Japanese. She pronounced it like a real little Chinese girl—in the nose when necessary, and when necessary in the throat. Her niir-s' mm wa- a Chinese boy. wild a long pigtail, dressed in a blue shirt, with wide blue trousers and soft bla.-k slippers wit), thick felt soles.

Maya loved him. and kissed his face and hands. Sh e kissed all the Chinamen.

And Ilk' Chinese, who mndl.v love ciiililri'ii and never punish thpin, worshipped .Maya. Whenever slip went with ••Jldv'' tii the townAhey surrounded her with aprons full of sweets anil fruit* She would shift* with delight. Her mother would -ometimes say in disgust : "Fi! What horrid stuff!" ISy Maya would eagerly eat the oily Chinese dainties. She still had the same golden hairling and wavy the same ringing laugh. the Mime joyful and impulsive love for evervliodv.

Iler mother was angry that she sometimes trotted away without leave, and onre put in the corner for doing ->o. "You put me in the corner, hut I'll run away just the same. And when J die you won't have a Maya any more, and you'll cry anil cry and cry'.'' Maya's tears rained fast, and "Hoy'

wept, 100, and said: -Better kill me... but don't punish Mava." ••Yes, yes." agreed Maya between her sobs, "better kdl us both, and give us back our toy- afterwards!"

Suddenly everything changed. No Chinamen came to tlic house, and they would not let Maya approach (hem. "liov" was crying all the time. Maya asked him why/"but he answered nothing. At last, however, he said secretlv to Maya's mother:

"I'aiu ci-ving U>i-;Ui-<' tin- Cliim-.s<- are going to kilTj-oti all! They have or-ili-ml me to leave you.'' One ila\ Miiya woke up. and instead •if "Bov" lu'r mother Willie to dress

her. •'Where'- -Hoy";" " -Boy" has gone." "tbme where';" "He lias, gone altogether. 11l- "'ill never 'fine liaek again.' ••He must eome liaek!'' Maya almost shrieked. "Firs-t nurse went away, and uov 'Bov' has gone. I will never love an'vlmly any more! He must clinic back!" , , Vud "Bov" rt'iillv 'did conic buck. tine ilav"a lavge crowd of ('hiuamellt eame to tin- bouse. Tbey carried ill their bands rifles, swords, and halberds. Pale as death, the terrified inhabitants of the bouse peeped cautiously through tlie window. Suddenly among the f'Uiiiaiiii'ii Maya noticed bi'i" "liny.'' Without waiting ~w iu-lant. slic- '|iriinjj out through the window into the street liefore anybody bad noticed her. and with outsretelieil hand- van toward- him. She ran. and while far away she cried to him joyfully in Chines': "I knew vo;i would conic back. I

-aid so!" Ami rc-iu-tiiiip him. she threw her arm-; around liis neck, and ki-sed liim and all I lie China men.

And not one of the llnn-llnse- eonld -hoot or ataek them. Thev all wauled to kk- llu-ir lieloved little, "oldcnh.ired Mava a- thev used In. Then a eouneil of war n- hfdd. with

Mava a- lite president. The end of it was that Maya'- father ;:nve the Hun-Iltises -onto inonej. and 'thev went awnv. promUinn never 1" eoine l.aek any more, and they allowed T.ov" to return to l,is sorviee. How «lad Maya was. and how yhid was '-liov"! And Mava. lioldinj.' 'T.ovV hand, walked alone; the streets with him and she said to him pivfiillv: I -When we are hi- we will «o to mv „,ir-e. and then we will live all t0...■1 ...■I her."