PS 3537 
 . U9 G5 
 191^ 
 Copy 1 
 
 THE GIRL BENEATH 
 THE CHERRY TREES 
 
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 HOWARD V. SUTHERLAND 
 
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 THE GIRL BENEATH 
 THE CHERRY TREES 
 
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THE GIRL BENEATH 
 THE CHERRY TREES 
 
 . BY. ^ 
 
 HOWARD VyVuTHERLAND 
 
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 NEW YORK 
 Desmond FitzGerald, Inc. 
 
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Copyright 1914 
 
 By 
 Desmond FitzGerald, Inc. 
 
 DEC I8l9i4 
 
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A young lady is here represented walking 
 against the wind which is blowing the cherry 
 blossoms about her, and which are clinging 
 to her robes. The carving is by the late Kodo 
 Asahi, a resident of Tokio, and in his lifetime 
 under the patronage of The Imperial House- 
 hold. Kodo is the family name, Asahi the 
 given name, which, as is usually the case, 
 has a fanciful meaning. Asa means Morning, 
 and Hi, Light; together, 'Asahi' — The 
 Morning Light. The carving was a Fine Art 
 Exhibit in Tokio in the fall of 1899. 
 
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THE GIRL BENEATH 
 THE CHERRY TREES 
 
 To what far bourne of utter joyousness 
 
 Is she addrest — this wind- encircled maid 
 
 Of old Japan? Whence comes she; 
 
 from what tryst 
 
 Of whisper 'd hopes that leave upon her lips 
 
 The smile we cannot fathom? Does she dream 
 
 Of one to whom her beauty is the peace 
 
 Of temple bells at even? Or do yet 
 
 No fancies stir the gentle heart of her, > 
 
 Nor mist her eyes when dawn-flush 
 
 wakens her 
 
 With promise of the golden things to be? 
 
I sense the scene about her. Overhead 
 
 Dear trees are bending, and their petals fall 
 
 Like blessings on the limbs that flash 
 
 their way 
 
 Above the yielding grasses. Here and there 
 
 They cling like fragrant, rosy messengers, 
 
 All-loth to leave her ; and an upraised arm 
 
 Shields from the breeze a face so delicate 
 
 That surely somewhere from the orchard peer 
 
 Gnarl'd faces at her — spirit presences 
 
 Who loved, long years ago, such joy, ^ 
 
 such innocence. 
 
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The gentler grace of dead and gentler days 
 
 Haunts us the while in memory again 
 
 We strive to live them, watching her who is 
 
 The Past and yet the Present. We must fade 
 
 Like breath from off the surface of a glass, 
 
 But she shall live forever; other eyes 
 
 Shall someday smile upon her; other lips 
 
 Shall tell her praise, and question, as we do, 
 
 Whence comes she, whither wanders. 
 
 They shall change 
 
 To things invisible, but she shall smile. 
 
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Pass on, blest maid, fair seeker of the quest 
 
 The sun has seen these ages. Never we 
 
 May know if loved thou art, or if alone 
 
 Thou pressest onward. But thy grace shall be 
 
 To us a promise of white things to come, 
 
 Of dreams to be fullfill'd; and if not here, 
 
 Then otherwheres. For when on 
 
 Beauty's face 
 
 We see the Light, we know that 
 
 somewhere shines 
 
 A rare effulgence, in whose heart at last, 
 
 Our little labors done, we shall find peace. 
 
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