Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1865-06-07
Life in Japan.

The New York Tribune has occasional
letters from Japan, which give details of
interest The following paragraph from
recent letter is descriptive.
Nothing in Japan will impress = stran-
ger more torcibly than the exceeding still
ness of its rural life, nor is it in the coun
try alone that the tendency to quiet IS ap,
parent There is little boisterousness in
the everyday life Of the japanese The
farmer swearing at his refractory OK or
horse, the master or mistress loudly chid-
ing negligent or unwilling servant to
the edlhcation OF n neighborh03d, are
sights and sounds more german to our
cultivated ways than those Of these rude
people. Many is the time when, walking
solitary aheld in some by path, ] have
come sudden on a farmer leading home
ward his laden beast The animal snufis
the stranger, and in alright piunges away,
breaking his leadIng-rope and spilling his
load. Patiently the peasant goes to work
10 soOthe his frightened beast, not pound
Ing him, gathers his spilled load apolo-
gIes for the trouble he has made, and goes
on again, leaving one to reflect on the
lesson of patience and forbearance taught
by the rude peasant. Ga the great
thoroughfare Of the Tokadio the daily
throng passes by, sliding smoothly along
In stocking feet or sandals of straw \
damio's train, with its hundreds of re-
tainers. winds through the crooked thor
ou@hfare, noiseless as serpent's trail
save where the herald in advance calls
out to citizen and wayiarer, "lSta ma iro,
Down on your knees" The road bed
beaten by the tread Of generations OF
travellers, reverherates TO 6ound from
straw -shOd feet Hf man and beast
Only the r1orin1on bearers move under
their burden-poles to the chorus OF their
Inharmonous grunt, or travelling vender
OF quack medicine. or itinerant Snowman
or pastry cook cries out the attractions Of
his trade, or some begging priest tinkles
his bell, soliciting aims with sonorons voice
at the open donrways, or 1t IS some group
IT playing children, or hoyden lass on her
high wooden pattens who awakes the stils
ness rs she goes gathering by to the bath
house. But away from the kaido, among
the fields and farms, the stiffness OF a un-
'versal Sabbath rei@ns. | see the rude
plough driven through the field, the mat
tock sink into the yielding earth, but
never click of n stone gives hack a sound
The hurGered horses come fling through
the winding pathways noiseiess IN their
straw shoes. their masters as quietly walk
ing alongside There are lahOrers in the
field at their noiseless work of pulling
weeds. The groves are less vocal with
bird songs than in orr newer land. The
very streams come gliding down between
grassy banks and over stoneess beds with
mufflei sounds. to fall into the quiet sea.
Many time | have taken a walk of miles
among alternate woods and cultivated
fields of this populous neighborhood, meet
ing rarely soul or hearing any sounds
of animal life save fhe pheasant calling to
his mate the whirr of the wood pigeons.
the twitter of myriads Of rice birds
or the piping Of the frors in the paddy
fl Ids, until have wondered when, how.
and by whom all the fields were so tidilv
cultivated