--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Hewlett, Frank J. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 11 number: 6 published: 1908-04 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Frank J. Hewlett, "An Oriental Prayer," *Improvement Era* 11, no. 6 (April 1908): 431–434.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1106unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1106unse start_page: 431 end_page: 434 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1908-04) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1106unse publication_year: 1908 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1908, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # An Oriental Prayer AN ORIENTAL PRAYER. BY FRANK J. HEWLETT. The Yamishiro Maru, a Japanese steamship of 6000 tons, bound from Shanghai, China, to Yokohama, Japan, early one fine morning, with her white flag with red circle in the center flying to the gentle breeze, glided into the little harbor at Shimonoseke. I was standing on the deck engaged in conversation with the engineer, a kind, sturdy old Scotchman who, by the way, was the only foreigner aboard, when the purser, a bright young native dressed in a dark-blue uniform trimmed with brass buttons and white braid, cap to match, after making a polite bow, said to me in very good English, "We stop here for two hours to take on freight. You can go ashore if you like." "Any special attraction?" I asked. "Great day, feast to Buddha. Also see house where the treaty was signed that closed the war between China and Japan. Li Hung Chang very great man." After thanking him for the information, I asked him to make arrangements with a jinrikisha boy to take me around to see the sights during my short stay, with instructions to return in time before the ship sailed. A few minutes later we were taken to shore in a small steam launch. Several boys surrounded us with their jinrikishas, and beckoned for the preference. The purser selected one drawn by a half-naked boy about seventeen years of age, and in a few moments explained to him what was wanted. Climbing into the jumbo two-wheeled baby carriage, the human horse trotted off at a lively gait for a few hundred yards, then stopped. Turning around he looked at me with his big brown eyes, saying in a tremulous tone, "Tempo, tempo!" 432 IMPROVEMENT ERA. At that time, if I had followed my inclinations, I would have gone to see the Treaty House and other attractions of the quaint little town first, but could not resist that earnest, almost pitiful, appeal, so nodded assent. The answer pleased him, so he started along again on a fast trot. We passed through several narrow streets; the shops and AN ORIENTAL PRAYER. 433 little homes were nearly all decorated with long, red flags, covered with Japanese characters. Soon we entered a long avenue arcade, with overarching pines. Both sides were dotted with tall stone lanterns which led direct to the temple. Leaving the vehicle in a small grove of cryptomeria trees, we walked on a path of stone six feet wide to the entrance. Near the door stood a stone basin filled with water, and floating on top was a tiny wooden dipper with a long handle. The boy washed his hands, wiped them on a white banner covered with some inscriptions, then motioned for me to remove my hat and shoes. On entering, all was still as the grave; a carved image being in the center of a slightly raised stage. On one side was a large box with narrow slats across the top . The boy found a copper coin in the pocket of the only garment he had on, which he quietly dropped through the crevice. Next, in a mysterious manner, a handful of rice was deposited in another receptacle. Standing before this unknown god, he softly clapped his hands together, and folding them on his breast the little worshiper bowed his head, while his lips mumbled forth a prayer. A second time he went through the ceremony, while the tears trickled down his brown cheeks. I have been in the church La Madeline, in Paris, where the most aristocratic and refined people of the French nation bow in solemn worship before the cross; have seen the people in their prayers and supplications at the Notre Dame, also in many of the grand old churches of England; have seen the Buddha and Shinto priests in the rich, gold-carved temples of Shanghai, China, Kyoto, Nikko and Tokio, Japan, dressed in fantastic apparel; listened to them chant prayers to their gods of wood, stone and precious metals; and have heard Edwin Booth and Lawrence Barrett read some of their most tender lines, but none of them touched my heart or brought the tears to my eyes as did the worship of that poor little half-naked Japanese boy at Shimonoseke. Tourists may laugh and scoff at the heathen, but here was true simplicity of worship in its most humble form . I have been taught from a child that where there is no light there can be no condemnation. Who can tell but that simple prayer went direct to the throne of grace rather than to that carved god of wood, 4:^4 IMPROVEMENT ERA. and was answered by our Heavenly Father, the creator of heaven and earth. He not only holds the destiny of nations in his handsbut observes the sparrow when it falls to the ground. Let us hope that the day is near at hand when the dark clouds of superstition will fade away, so that this industrious and intelligent people will see the beacon light, also hear and be converted to the gospel truths that will put them in the path that leads to God, with the blessing of eternal life. Salt Lake City, Utah. VIEWS FROM THE PROPHET JOSEPH'S BIRTHPLACE. The two views presented herewith, and kindly given to the Era by Elder Junius F. Wells, are taken from the memorial cottage at Sharon, Vermont. The one showing the deer under a tree is a snap shot from the veranda, and shows Alvin's Peak to the southeast of the monument. There were four other deer in sight but so hidden among the trees that they do not appear in the engraving. There have been a few head on the premises all the time, and they appear to be increasing. As many as seven at one time have been seen near the cottage. Under the restrictive game laws of the state of Vermont, which permits an open season of only five days at the end of October, the white-tailed deer have become very numerous. Even with such severe restrictions, the report of the state game warden for last October showed that about seven hundred bucks were killed during the five days. The other view is of the lily-pond which has been made at the foot of the lawn, lying to the southeast of the cottage and monument. In it are two fountains, the water being piped from springs nearly a mile distant. There will be planted some Japanese pond lilies before summer, which will make a very attractive feature of the landscape. In the left hand upper corner of the engraving is the hill called the Partriarch, from the top of which a most comprehensive and beautiful view of the landscape of Vermont is obtained, including the summits of the whole Green Mountain range, from Mount Mansfield to the north, clear down to Askutney in the south .