living from the dead. This you must wear, in its covering, next
to your body,--under the girdle.... Besides, I shall presently
perform in the temple, a segaki-service(3) for the repose of the
troubled spirit.... And here is a holy sutra, called Ubo-Darani-
Kyo, or "Treasure-Raining Sutra"(4) you must be careful to recite
it every night in your house--without fail.... Furthermore I
shall give you this package of o-fuda(5);--you must paste one of
them over every opening of your house,--no matter how small. If
you do this, the power of the holy texts will prevent the dead
from entering. But--whatever may happen--do not fail to recite
the sutra."

Shinzaburo humbly thanked the high-priest; and then, taking with
him the image, the sutra, and the bundle of sacred texts, he made
all haste to reach his home before the hour of sunset.

1 The Japanese word mamori has significations at least as
numerous as those attaching to our own term "amulet." It would be
impossible, in a mere footnote, even to suggest the variety of
Japanese religious objects to which the name is given. In this
instance, the mamori is a very small image, probably enclosed in
a miniature shrine of lacquer-work or metal, over which a silk
cover is drawn. Such little images were often worn by samurai on
the person. I was recently shown a miniature figure of Kwannon,
in an iron case, which had been carried by an officer through the
Satsuma war. He observed, with good reason, that it had probably
saved his life; for it had stopped a bullet of which the dent was
plainly visible.

2 From shiryo, a ghost, and yokeru, to exclude. The Japanese