第12章

executeddolls。Shemetthemwithveryformalbutgracefulbows。

Whentheywereallassembled，sheandherverygracefulmother，squattingbeforeeach，presentedteaandsweetmeatsonlacquertrays，andthentheyplayedatveryquietandpolitegamestilldusk。TheyaddressedeachotherbytheirnameswiththehonorificprefixO，onlyusedinthecaseofwomen，andtherespectfulaffixSan；thusHarubecomesO-Haru-San，whichisequivalentto“Miss。“

AmistressofahouseisaddressedasO-Kami-San，andO-Kusuma——

somethinglike“mylady“——isusedtomarriedladies。Womenhavenosurnames；thusyoudonotspeakofMrs。Saguchi，butofthewifeofSaguchiSan；andyouwouldaddressherasO-Kusuma。Amongthechildren’snameswereHaru，Spring；Yuki，Snow；Hana，Blossom；

Kiku，Chrysanthemum；Gin，Silver。

Oneoftheirgameswasmostamusing，andwasplayedwithsomespiritandmuchdignity。Itconsistedinonechildfeigningsicknessandanotherplayingthedoctor，andthepompousnessandgravityofthelatter，andthedistressandweaknessoftheformer，weremostsuccessfullyimitated。Unfortunatelythedoctorkilledhispatient，whocounterfeitedthedeath-sleepveryeffectivelywithherwhitenedface；andthenfollowedthefuneralandthemourning。Theydramatisethusweddings，dinner-parties，andmanyotheroftheeventsoflife。Thedignityandself-possessionofthesechildrenarewonderful。ThefactisthattheirinitiationintoallthatisrequiredbytherulesofJapaneseetiquettebeginsassoonastheycanspeak，sothatbythetimetheyaretenyearsoldtheyknowexactlywhattodoandavoidunderallpossiblecircumstances。Beforetheywentawayteaandsweetmeatswereagainhandedround，and，asitisneitheretiquettetorefusethemortoleaveanythingbehindthatyouhaveoncetaken，severalofthesmallladiesslippedtheresidueintotheircapacioussleeves。Ondepartingthesameformalcourtesieswereusedasonarriving。

Yuki，Haru’smother，speaks，acts，andmoveswithacharminggracefulness。Exceptatnight，andwhenfriendsdropintoafternoontea，astheyoftendo，sheisalwayseitheratdomesticavocations，suchascleaning，sewing，orcooking，orplantingvegetables，orweedingthem。AllJapanesegirlslearntosewandtomaketheirownclothes，buttherearenoneofthemysteriesanddifficultieswhichmakethesewinglessonathingofdreadwithus。

Thekimono，haori，andgirdle，andeventhelonghangingsleeves，haveonlyparallelseams，andtheseareonlytackedorbasted，asthegarments，whenwashed，aretakentopieces，andeachpiece，afterbeingveryslightlystiffened，isstretcheduponaboardtodry。Thereisnounderclothing，withitsbands，frills，gussets，andbutton-holes；thepoorerwomenwearnone，andthoseabovethemwear，likeYuki，anunder-dressofafrothy-lookingsilkcrepe，assimplymadeastheupperone。Therearecirculatinglibrarieshere，asinmostvillages，andintheeveningbothYukiandHarureadlovestories，oraccountsofancientheroesandheroines，dresseduptosuitthepopulartaste，writtenintheeasiestpossiblestyle。Itohasabouttenvolumesofnovelsinhisroom，andspendshalfthenightinreadingthem。

Yuki’sson，aladofthirteen，oftencomestomyroomtodisplayhisskillinwritingtheChinesecharacter。Heisaverybrightboy，andshowsconsiderabletalentfordrawing。Indeed，itisonlyashortstepfromwritingtodrawing。Giotto’sOhardlyinvolvedmorebreadthandvigouroftouchthansomeofthesecharacters。

Theyarewrittenwithacamel’s-hairbrushdippedinIndianink，insteadofapen，andthisboy，withtwoorthreevigoroustouches，producescharactersafootlong，suchasaremountedandhungastabletsoutsidethedifferentshops。Yukiplaysthesamisen，whichmayberegardedasthenationalfemaleinstrument，andHarugoestoateacherdailyforlessonsonthesame。

Theartofarrangingflowersistaughtinmanuals，thestudyofwhichformspartofagirl’seducation，andthereisscarcelyadayinwhichmyroomisnotnewlydecorated。Itisaneducationtome；

Iambeginningtoappreciatetheextremebeautyofsolitudeindecoration。Inthealcovehangsakakemonoofexquisitebeauty，asingleblossomingbranchofthecherry。Ononepanelofafoldingscreenthereisasingleiris。Thevaseswhichhangsogracefullyonthepolishedpostscontaineachasinglepeony，asingleiris，asingleazalea，stalk，leaves，andcorolla——alldisplayedintheirfullbeauty。Cananythingbemoregrotesqueandbarbarousthanour“florists’bouquets，“aseriesofconcentricringsofflowersofdiverscolours，borderedbymaidenhairandapieceofstifflacepaper，inwhichstems，leaves，andevenpetalsarebrutallycrushed，andthegraceandindividualityofeachflowersystematicallydestroyed？

Kanayaisthechiefmaninthisvillage，besidesbeingtheleaderofthedissonantsqueaksanddiscordswhichrepresentmusicattheShintofestivals，andinsomemysteriousbackregionhecompoundsandsellsdrugs。SinceIhavebeenherethebeautificationofhisgardenhasbeenhischiefobject，andhehasmadeaveryrespectablewaterfall，arushingstream，asmalllake，arusticbamboobridge，andseveralgrassbanks，andhastransplantedseverallargetrees。Hekindlygoesoutwithmeagooddeal，and，asheisveryintelligent，andItoisprovinganexcellent，and，I

think，afaithfulinterpreter，Ifinditverypleasanttobehere。

Theyriseatdaylight，foldupthewaddedquiltsorfutonsonandunderwhichtheyhaveslept，andputthemandthewoodenpillows，muchlikestereoscopesinshape，withlittlerollsofpaperorwaddingonthetop，intoapresswithaslidingdoor，sweepthematscarefully，dustallthewoodworkandtheverandahs，opentheamado——woodenshutterswhich，byslidinginagroovealongtheedgeoftheverandah，boxinthewholehouseatnight，andretireintoanornamentalprojectionintheday——andthrowthepaperwindowsback。Breakfastfollows，thendomesticavocations，dinneratone，andsewing，gardening，andvisitingtillsix，whentheytaketheeveningmeal。

Visitorsusuallyarrivesoonafterwards，andstaytillelevenortwelve。Japanesechess，story-telling，andthesamisenfilluptheearlypartoftheevening，butlater，anagonisingperformance，whichtheycallsinging，begins，whichsoundsliketheveryessenceofheathenishness，andconsistsmainlyinaprolongedvibrating“No。“AssoonasIhearitIfeelasifIwereamongsavages。

Sake，orricebeer，isalwayspassedroundbeforethevisitorsleave，inlittlecupswiththegodsofluckatthebottomofthem。

Sake，whenheated，mountsreadilytothehead，andasinglesmallcupexcitesthehalf-wittedman-servanttosomeveryfoolishmusicalperformances。Iamsorrytowriteit，buthismasterandmistresstakegreatpleasureinseeinghimmakeafoolofhimself，andIto，whoisfrompolicyatotalabstainer，goesintoconvulsionsoflaughter。

OneeveningIwasinvitedtojointhefamily，andtheyentertainedmebyshowingmepictureandguidebooks。MostJapaneseprovinceshavetheirguide-books，illustratedbywood-cutsofthemoststrikingobjects，andgivingitineraries，namesofyadoyas，andotherlocalinformation。Onevolumeofpictures，veryfinelyexecutedonsilk，wasmorethanacenturyold。Oldgoldlacquerandchina，andsomepiecesofantiqueembroideredsilk，werealsoproducedformybenefit，andsomemusicalinstrumentsofgreatbeauty，saidtobemorethantwocenturiesold。Noneofthesetreasuresarekeptinthehouse，butinthekura，orfireproofstorehouse，closeby。Theroomsarenotencumberedbyornaments；asinglekakemono，orfinepieceoflacquerorchina，appearsforafewdaysandthenmakeswayforsomethingelse；sotheyhavevarietyaswellassimplicity，andeachobjectisenjoyedinitsturnwithoutdistraction。

Kanayaandhissisteroftenpaymeaneveningvisit，and，withBrunton’smaponthefloor，weprojectastonishingroutestoNiigata，whichareusuallyabruptlyabandonedonfindingamountain-chaininthewaywithneveraroadoverit。Thelifeofthesepeopleseemstopasseasilyenough，butKanayadeploresthewantofmoney；hewouldliketoberich，andintendstobuildahotelforforeigners。

Theonlyvestigeofreligioninhishouseisthekamidana，orgod-

shelf，onwhichstandsawoodenshrinelikeaShintotemple，whichcontainsthememorialtabletstodeceasedrelations。Eachmorningasprigofevergreenandalittlericeandsakeareplacedbeforeit，andeveryeveningalightedlamp。

LETTERX——(Continued)

Darknessvisible——NikkoShops——GirlsandMatrons——NightandSleep——

ParentalLove——ChildishDocility——Hair-dressing——SkinDiseases。

Idon’twonderthattheJapaneseriseearly，fortheireveningsarecheerless，owingtothedismalillumination。Inthisandotherhousesthelampconsistsofasquareorcircularlacquerstand，withfouruprights，2。5feethigh，andpanesofwhitepaper。A

flattedirondishissuspendedinthisfullofoil，withthepithofarushwithaweightinthecentrelaidacrossit，andoneoftheprojectingendsislighted。Thiswretchedapparatusiscalledanandon，androunditswretched“darknessvisible“thefamilyhuddles——thechildrentoplaygamesandlearnlessons，andthewomentosew；fortheJapanesedaylightisshortandthehousesaredark。Almostmoredeplorableisacandlestickofthesameheightastheandon，withaspikeatthetopwhichfitsintoaholeatthebottomofa“farthingcandle“ofvegetablewax，withathickwickmadeofrolledpaper，whichrequiresconstantsnuffing，and，aftergivingforashorttimeadimandjerkylight，expireswithabadsmell。Lamps，burningmineraloils，nativeandimported，arebeingmanufacturedonalargescale，but，apartfromtheperilconnectedwiththem，thecarriageofoilintocountrydistrictsisveryexpensive。NoJapanesewouldthinkofsleepingwithouthavinganandonburningallnightinhisroom。

Thesevillagesarefullofshops。Thereisscarcelyahousewhichdoesnotsellsomething。Wherethebuyerscomefrom，andhowaprofitcanbemade，isamystery。Manyofthethingsareeatables，suchasdriedfishes，1。5inchlong，impaledonsticks；cakes，sweetmeatscomposedofrice，flour，andverylittlesugar；circularlumpsofricedough，calledmochi；rootsboiledinbrine；awhitejellymadefrombeans；andropes，strawshoesformenandhorses，strawcloaks，paperumbrellas，paperwaterproofs，hair-pins，tooth-