This lover presumes to write his girl's whole name; but the example, so
far as I am able to discover, is unique. Other enamoured ones write only
the yobi-na of their bewitchers; and the honourable prefix, 'O,' and
the honourable suffix, 'San,' find no place in the familiarity of love.
There is no 'O-Haru-San,' 'O-Kin-San,' 'O-Take-San,' 'O-Kiku-San'; but
there are hosts of Haru, and Kin, and Take, and Kiku. Girls, of course,
never dream of writing their lovers' names. But there are many geimyo
here, 'artistic names,'--names of mischievous geisha who worship the
Golden Kitten, written by their saucy selves: Rakue and Asa and Wakai,
Aikichi and Kotabuki and Kohachi, Kohana and Tamakichi and Katsuko,
and Asakichi and Hanakichi and Katsukichi, and Chiyoe and Chiyotsuru.
'Fortunate-Pleasure,' 'Happy-Dawn,' and 'Youth' (such are their
appellations), 'Blest-Love' and 'Length-of-Days,' and 'Blossom-Child'
and 'Jewel-of-Fortune' and 'Child-of-Luck,' and 'Joyous-Sunrise'
and 'Flower-of-Bliss' and 'Glorious Victory,' and
'Life-as-the-Stork's-for-a-thousand-years.' Often shall he curse the day
he was born who falls in love with Happy-Dawn; thrice unlucky the wight
bewitched by the Child-of-Luck; woe unto him who hopes to cherish the
Flower-of-Bliss; and more than once shall he wish himself dead whose
heart is snared by Life-as-the-Stork's-for-a-thou sand-years. And I
see that somebody who inscribes his age as twenty and three has become
enamoured of young Wakagusa, whose name signifies the tender Grass of
Spring. Now there is but one possible misfortune for you, dear boy,
worse than falling in love with Wakagusa--and that is that she should
happen to fall in love with you. Because then you would, both of you,
write some beautiful letters to your friends, and drink death, and pass
away in each other's arms, murmuring your trust to rest together upon
the same lotus-flower in Paradise: 'Hasu no ha no ue ni oite matsu.'
Nay! pray the Deities rather to dissipate the bewitchment that is upon
you: