The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1879-03-12

MISCELLANY.
"A REG UL1R MESS.
A JAPANESE STORY.

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Some six years back lived in the beautiful
village of Minoge an old lady who kept the
big tea-house of the place known as the
"Whte Pine" Minoge is situated at the
bottom of the holy mountain Oyama, and
during the months of August and September
trade in Minoge was always brisk, on account
of the influx of pilgrims from all parts of
Japan, who came hither to perform the holy
duty of ascending the mountain, and paying
their devoirs at the shrine of the Thunder
God, previous to making the grand pilgrim
age of Full Yama.
The old lady was well-off and her inn bore
an unblemished reputation for possessing the
prettiest serving girls, the gayest guest cham
bers, and the prmest stewed eels-the dish
par excellence of Japanese gourmets-of any
hostelry in the country sde One of her
daughters was married in Yedo, and son
was studying in one of the European colleges
of that city still she was as completely rus
tic and unacquainted with the march ofaffars
outside as if she had never heard of Yedo
much less of foreigners. At that time it was
a very rare thing indeed for foreigner to be
seen in Minoge, and the stray artists and ex-
plorers who had wandered there were regard
ed much in the same way as would have been
so many white elephants
1t caused, therefore, no little excitement
in the village when, one fine autumn evening,
the rumor came along that foreigner was
making his way towards the {" White Pine.n
Every one tried to get a glimpse of him. The
chubby-cheeked boys and girls at the school
threw down their books and pens, and crowd
ed to the door and windows the bath house
was soon emptied of its patrons and patron
esses, who, red as Holsters with boiling water
with dishevelled locks and garments hastily
bound around them, formed line outside the
very Yakunin, or mayor, sentenced prison.
er he was judging straight off, without both
ering himself to inquire into evidences, so as
not BIO baked of the sight and, every wine
and barber's shop sent forth its quote of star
ers into the little street.
Meanwhile the foreigner was leisurely strid
ing along. He was taller by far than the tall
est man in Minoge, his hair was fair, and ev-
en- his bronzed face and hands were fair COM
pared to those of the natives. On the back
of his head was felt wide-awake, he wore a
blue jacket and blue half trousers (Anglice,
knickerbocks), thick hose, and big boots. In
his mouth was ppe-being much shorter
than Japanese smoking tubes-in his hand a
stick, and on his back a satchel.
AS he passed, one or two urchins, holder
than the rest shouted out, Tojn baka
{" Foreign beast ~ and Instantly fled in
doors, or behind their mothers skirts but
with an occasional interjection expressive of
wonder at his height fair hair, and costume.
At the door of the White Pine - he halt
ed unstrapped his bundle, took off his boots,
and in very fair Japanese requested to be
shown to his room. The old lady, after full
ten minutes posturing, compiimenting, bow
ing and scraping, ushered him into her best
guest chamber. " For" said she, being
foreigner, he must be rich, and wouldn't like
ordinary pilgrim accommodation. And she
drew TO the sliding screens, and went off to
superintend his repast. Although nothing but
the foreigners boots were to be seon outside,
a gaping crowd had collected, striving to peer
ing the boots as if they were internal ma
chimes. One, more enterpiising than the rest,
took boot up, passed it to his neighbor, and
in short time it had circulated from hand to
hand throughout the population of Minoge,
and was even felt and pinched by the mayor
himself, who replaced il with the reverence
due to some religious emblem or relic
Then the hostess served mp her banquet
seaweed, sweets, raw "tighe 1.-THE salmon
of Japan-in slices, garnished with turnps
and horse radish, egg soup with pork Jumps
floating in it, chicken delicately broiled to-
gether with a steaming bottle of her choicest
"San Toku Shiu," or wine of the Three Vir-
tues (Which keeps out the cold, appeases hum
ger, and induces sleep.
The foreigner made an excellent meal, eked
out by his own white bread, and wine from
fash of pure silver, then, lighting bis pipe,
reclned at full length on the mats, talking
to the old lady and her three damsels, 0 Hama,
o Kiku, and o Rui miss Flower, Miss Chrys-
anthemum, and Miss Dragon) He was walk
ing about the country simply for pleasure, he
said-which astonished the women greatly
he had been away from Yokohama three
weeks, and was now ON his road to the big
mountain. The party were soon screaming
with laughter at his quaint remarks and at
his occasional colloquial slips, and in short