New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-24

40, if could only be rich enough to rest
to sleep on thick mating, wrapped in XIII
imon of soft silk y Such was the sigh IL
breathed to heaven. An angel interrupt
ed it.
at shall be according to thy desire,
said the angel to him. And he at once be
came rich and he rested, slept upon thlcl
mating, and wrapped himself in kirimo,
of soft silk.
1t happened that the emperor passed by
He was preceded by heralJs ON foot and OF
horseback, followed by brilliant escort o
cavaliers, and surrounded by persons wh'
held over his head an immense parasol re
splendant With gold
What good does it do me to be rich 2
murmured the man, "as long as have moi
the right to 90 out with an escort, and my
head protected by golden parasOl Why
am not the emperor"
Thou shalt be" SAID the angel.
And, indeed, lie became the emperor. liz
had an escort of cavaliers before and behinC
him, and people who held above his head al
immense parasOl respondent with gold.
However. the sun with his ardent beams
dried up the contry, and the dusty road
! quiycring with his brightness, fatigued the
| eyes.
1T is great advantage to be emperor,
cried the man, when the heat OF the day
eXhausts you, and the SIM never ceases to
make you feel his power. But if one could
be the sum-
"Behold! Are You satisfied y the angel
asker. For he became the sun, and he
darted his beams mp and down, right and
left and all around him. And he scorche,l
| the heritage of the earth and the face of the
| princes upon the earth
But now Il cloud thrust itself between
the earth and him; it held back the rays of
| the sun, and prevented them from falling
| la aarth' =
| There is strength" cried the sun. "a
cloud capable of resisting my power. 1t
would be better if | were q cloud
Very WE'LL" said the angel.
| And the Transformation was at once &C
complished. The new cloud placed itself
! haughtily between the sun and the earth,
ard 80 thoroughly intercepted the rays of
the sun that it soon saw the earth covered
with its shadow. Then it caused big drops
OF rain, and pouring showers and water
! spouts to fall on the lands, SO that the tor
| rents burst their bounds and the rivers
| spread over and devastated the fields.
Nothing resisted the force Of the inun-
| dation: only a rock detied it, perfectly mo.
| tionless. In vain the believing waters beat
| it in their fury-the rock yielded not, but
| the foamIng waves died at its foot
"A rock, then. is my superior" said the
cloud: Il would rather be i'll its place
You shall be- said the angel
And he was transformed into a steep, IN
shaken rock. insensible to the rays of the
sun. indifferent to the torrents of rain and
the shock of the tumultuous waves.
Nevertheless he distinguished at his feet
man OF poor appearance. hardly clothed,
but armed with a chisel and hammer: and
the man, with the help of these Instruments,
struck off pieces of the rock, which he
dressed into stones proper for cutting.
Nv hat is that! cried the rock; has a
man the power of rending pieces of stone
from my breast Shall | be weaker than
he! Then it is absolutely necessary that
l should be that mani
''uave your will said the angel. and he
became again what he had been-a poor
stonecutter, a simple workman in the quar-
ries. His wife was rude; lie worked much
and gained little, bat he was contcnted
with his lot
HOW CHILDREN ARE TREATED.
The baptism of u child is always an occa-
sion of municence on the part OF the fam
lily toward the priests. The latter. Of course
enter the chiid's name on their books. and
never lose sight of it during all the changes
OF its after life. The registers OF the rnonas-
teries have the reputation of being well
kept and they are always open to the ex-
animation OF the officers of police. AT the
aye of three the boy begins to wear the
girdlc, and. if he is noble. at the age of
seven the two swords indicative of his
caste. Tie weapons. of course, are only
provisional. First. when he is fifteen. he
exchanges them for the neutrality-suspicious.
belonging to his family.
Among the three citizens the three epochs
are the occasions OF festivals. which are
only less important than that of marriage.
On the very day when the boy Is fifteen he
attains lis majority. dresses his hair like
of his pGtcInal household. On the evening
before. he is still addressed as a child;
then. suddenly, the manner Of those around
him changes: the ceremouious forms of
japanese clviiltV represent his eInancipa-
ton t. his own eyes and he. on his part,
endeavcrs to respond to tho con9ratula-
ti0ns Of the others, III such a manner as to
snow that lie appreciates the responsibility
OF his new POSITION. His testimony, in fact.
is not confined Ia hollow assertions. and l
do not hesitate TO count among the most
interesting traits of japanese society the
care, the patience and seriousness with
which boys Of fifteen abandon the sports of
childhood. and devote themselves to the
stronger discipline OF practical life.
Apprentices to a branch of manual labor
implies a service of ten years During this
time the master furnishes food, lodgi and
clothing, but no salary until toward the end
of the term. when he gives the apprentice
enough pocket money for his tobacco. He
is interested IN developing the latter's skill
as much as possible, for he offers his name
to the guild for membership when he claims
to be elected a master. The distinction can
not be conferred, however. until the work
man is twenty five years old. As soon as it
has been obtained he is free. and his former
masters furnishes him with all the utensils
OF bis trade.
JAPANESE ART AND INDUSTRY.
Whatever may be the variety of indus
trial products displayed in the shops of the
commercial city, there is one feature which
characterizes all of them, one common
stamp which denotes their place among the |
works OF the far East and venture to call
it. without fear of contradiction, good taste.
The artisan of leddo is verita bic artist.
If we except the conventional style to
which he still feels himself compelled to |
submit III his representations of the human
figure, If we overlook the insutfcency of
his knowledge of the rules of perspective.
we shall have only praise left for him in all
other respects. His works are distinguished
from those Of Mako by the simplicity of
his forms. the severity of the lines, the
sobriety of the decorations. and the exquisite
tt0i!ng for nature which he exhibits in all
subjects of ornamentation drawn from the |
vegetable or animal kingdom. These are
his favorite subjects; the flowers and birds
have the power of inspiring him with com
positions which are charming in their truth, |
grace and harmony. In regard to periec
ton of execution, the works produced III
both capitals are equally admirable.
Let us pause before a magazine Of objects |
of art and industry, among the curious OF |
both sexes and of all ages, who never cease |
ia, llp roo tI,ar ft,a al