The New York herald., 1879-09-30


itself with sincerity than in devisng pleasures
Tor the little people. There is something tangible
you wool the dogs about and worry the cats with
out seeing them unrsvel the nursery fo)r. And
the dolls You take An assortment of babies at hone
and they seem to have been cast in the same mould
They look alike, they have expression-the faces
are dead, dull. habby; it will be mercy if they
have ears; and the only way the boys can be
told from the girls by the way the hair is parted
But what you expect from mighty people
thinking of canals ana railways The genius of
America does not to dolls but to manifest des-
tiny and bonanza mines. The Japanese artist makes
doll as though he loved It, and when he is through
may be poem; something to come home to the
baby heart to have joys and sorrows, to be loved
with the passionate love Of innocence and child
hood. Those wore, indeed. our hours of tempta.
tlon those after breakfast hours i'll the billiard
room at Euriokwan. Especially in the matter OF
swords! There is place in the world where you
can buy such beautiful swords az in Japan. Until
within the last few years gentlemans retainer
weapons were the mark Of his rank-his badge of
gentle life He took pride in his swords and aimed
to have them of the kesnesf temper and most exqu-
site adornment. But in the hour of change came a
decree forbidding the wearing OF the swords. sup
pressing the two-sworded men. the sumauri as they
called class. SO all that was left for the
abolished sumauri to carry their swords to the
bazaars and turn them into rice and fish. Conse
quently the bazaars overstocked with swords
and spears of the finest work manship. with scab-
bards OF lacquer and bronze, ineeniously worked in
specimens and never found two alike. Each separate
weapon seemed to be the expression OF idea. and
you ceased to marvel at the endless variety and
sweep OF the decorative art.
MEMORIES THE ANCIENT DAYS.
You felt also If you bought OF the swords
that you investing in the antiquity and chvalry
of Japan The two-sworded men are now as other
people, and wear plain clothes and work for their
living and use civil language. which was not always
their custom when Sir Rutherford Alcock four
ished And yet. that nothing is left of the poor
samauri but their swords which litter the bazaars
and which you haggle and chatter. trying to
cheaper the weapon that for generations. perhaps.
was the heirloom and the pride OF gentleman's
family-now that the sanlauri no longer intest the
streets to worry British Ministers and foreign
chants-I am disposed to think kindly Of them. and
not feel harshly Sir Rutherfords narrative
would justify me in doing. "It IL rather
pity" said Sir Harry Parkes, the British Minister.
day the writer. ''that the samauri abol-
ished. They included in their ranks men of cul-
ture and valor. They were the middle class-or one
might say the martial class-and were q kind OF
backbone to the social system Some Of the old sa-
mauri now hold high places. do not think they
did any harm. and the country would have been
stronger with them." quote this indulgent opin-
OF the samaurl, and rather Offset to the unfa
vorable impression given OF their character by Sir
narry's predecessor. Mr; senaul was in Japan
and at the crisis Of the revolution which
was to destroy their power. and he noted
turbulent body Of men, he did not see act Of
rudeness nor hear one word OF illtemper. take it
feels more generous toward his friends.
more disposed to do them justice and the real
virtues in their character than when he is attend
ing bankruptcy or executors sale OF their effects
and possessing himself of their household gods
for about one-tourth their value. 1t awakens the
hidden springs of benevolence in your nature. and
as I marvel at the finish of these sainauri swords
think of all the kind things possible about the poor.
shorn gentlemen who once bore them. One advan-
are cheaper than they will ever be sgain. and
they make capital presents. That is Of the
problems of travel-to find something unique and
valuable that you can buy cheap. What pity 1t is
that you cannot make presents tho principle that
England governs India-by prestige. When some
Maharajah gives the Prince Of Wales a dia-
mond aigrette for his wife. the Prince knows he
cannot give diamonds in return. SO the Mahara-
ah is declared to be loyal and deserving prince and
has two guns added to his salute. The Prince has
the diamonds and the Maharajah the guns. and both
satisfied. the Indian especially. Now,
his hi good intentions and have them accepted at
their par value what relief 1t would
how and would be pleased with this that and
what heart burnings would be avoided when the
various idols of your existence in after days
compare your offerings aud sit In judgment upon
your affection.
WORKERS CLAY.
But while we had our hours Of temptation In tho
tent OF which. am afraid. SO far some of
concerned. will never be known until the time
cometh when all things must appear-we had hours
of instruction. Our hosts werc ever thinking Of
some new employment for each new day. We
grow tired in time of the public institutions.
over. and aftor We had recovered from our
wonder ut seeing in Japan schools and workshops
tere than schools and Ths
heat of the weather made going about oppressive.
and even the lost its freshness and
when the tides went down and the breeze was
from the land the effect OF the water increase
the heat. Our interest in earthquakes was always
tain conditions our Japanese friends would tell us
that We might expect shock In Japan the earth
quake is 5. as % common pbenomena as thunder
prosch. have told you Of one experienced
we owed it to Governor Hennessy that we discov-
cred there had been earthquake. On that day It
had rained. and all that I remember specially was
that in walking about the grounds before dinner the
air seemed to be heavy aud the sea sluggish. A
few mornings before we left Euriokwan there
workers in pottery to show the skill Of the
Japanese in department Of art in which they have
no mo- superiors; n One & Of the .n famous potssrs
eral his work After breakfast we found
tho artisans arranged in the large drawing
room. There was the chief worker. . solemn
middle aged person, who wore spectacles. He was
dressed in his gala apparel and when we came into
the room went down his face in Japanese style.
Another baked the clay. third made himself gen.
orally useful. The chief OF the party painter.
We saw all the processes Of the manufacture. the
inert lump of clay going around and around and
shaping itself under the true. nmble fingers of the
something fascinating in the labors Of the wheel,
the work is thoroughly the artisans own, for
when he begins he has only lump of mud
and when he ends his creation may be the
envy of throne room. 1t seems almost like Prov
dence this taking the dust of the valley and creating
1t, for the work is creation, and reminded OF
Providence in remembering that whep the Creator Of
all fashioned His supreme work 1t made of clay.
The decoration of the clay interesting. requiring
y quick. firm stroke. We were requested write
something on the clay before Il went into the fur
mace. General Grant his autograph and the
OF US inscriptions written well could writo
with soft yielding brush After the inscriptions had
been written the cups were washed In white sub
stance and hurried into the furnace When they came
out the fire had evaporated the coating and turned
into gloss the tints of our writing anu the painters
coors had changed. and inscriptions were fas-
toned in deep and lasting brown.
AN EARTHQUAKE.
1t was while we were watching the pottcrs over
their clay, and in conversation with n Japanese
citizen. who spoke English and interpreter
about the progress of the special industry in Toxic
that heard noise though the joists and
wooden work OF the house were being twisted or as
II some ono were walking on the floor above with
heavy step. But there second floor in Eurio-
kwan. and suppose the incident would have passed