Page:Eminent Authors of Contemporary Japan, volume 2.pdf/121

Rh bred amongst plebeians. They all felt that no woman would ever like to become the wife of a man with such a nose. Some of them even ventured to say that his nose was the cause of his becoming a priest. But the Naigu once having gone into the priesthood, did not feel that his worries were reduced in the least. His mind was too delicately subtle to weigh the consequences of marriage under such circustancescircumstances [sic]. He tried very hard to overcome his pride.

First of all he tried to think of some way of making his nose appear shorter than it really was. He enthusiastically attempted all manner of means. Looking carefully at himself in a mirror when he was alone, he viewed himself at many angles, but he became moody and dissatisfied when he found that there was no way to change his face. Sometimes he would sit before his mirror for a long time, supporting his cheeks with his hands, and pressing them together; and sometimes he would press his finger firmly under his chin, but none of these attempts seemed to alter or shorten his nose in the least. On the contrary, he often imagined that his nose became even longer than before. At such times the Naigu would put his mirror back into its case, and would sigh heavily as if some new trouble were arising. He would then return to the small alter at which he liked to sit to read the Buddhist sutras.

Besides the things I have mentioned, the Naigu always took great care to examine the noses of others. At the Temple of Ikeno-o memorial services