Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-09-19

like guitar another is something between q
banjo and drum They wear the costume
of the country, the costume that was known
before the new days came upon Japan. They
have blue silk gowns white collars and heav-
lily brocaded pearl-colored sashes The prin-
cipal instrument was long and narrow, shap-
ed like a coffin lid and sounding like harp
sichord. After they had played an overture
another group entered, fourteen maidens,
similarly dressed, each carrying the small
banio-like instrument, and ranging them
selves on bench against the wall, the tap
estry and silks suspended over them. Then
the genius Of the artist was apparent, and the
rich depending tapestry. blending with the
blue and white aud pearl, and animated with
the faces of the maidens, their music and
their songs, made a picture of japanese life
which an artist might regard with envy. You
see then the delicate features Of Japanese
decoration which have bewitched our artist
friends, and which the most adroit fingers in
vain try TO copy. When the musicians enter
the song begins. 1t is an original compost
tion. The theme is the glory of America and
honor to General Grant. They sing of the
JOY that his coming has given to Japan, of
the interest and the pride they take in his
fame of their friendship for their friends
across the great sea. This is all sung in Jap
anese, and we follow the lines through the
mediation of a japanese friend who learned
his English in America. This anthem was
chauted in low. almost monotOnous key,
one singer leading i'll a kind of solo and the
remainder coming in with a chorus. The
song ended twelve dancing maidens entered.
They wore a crimson-lke overgarment fash
ioned like pantaloons-a foot or 80 too long
so that when they walked it was with a
dainty pace, lest they might trip and fall.
The director of this troupe was constantly on
his hands and knees, creeping around among
the dancers keeping their drapcry in order
not allowing it to bundle up and vex the play,
These mnid Ms carried bouquets Of pink bios
sons artitciaiy made, examples Of the flora
Of Japan. They stepped through the dance
at as slow a measure as in a minuet Of Louis
NV The movement of the dance was sim
pie, the music humming drumming, as
though the performers were tuning their in
siruments. After passing through few
measures. the dancers slowly filed out and
We're followed by another group, who came
wearing masks-the max in the form of a
large dolls face-and bearing children's rat
ties and fans. The peculiarly of this dance
WAS that time was kept 10y the movement of
the fan-a graceful, expressive movement
which only the Eastern people have learned
to bestOw on the fan. With them the fan be-
comes almost an organ of speech, and the
eye is employed in its management at the e1-
pense of the admiration we are apt at home
to bestow on other features of the amuse-
meut. The masks indicated that this was
humorous dane, and when il was over four
special performers, who had unusual skill
came III with flowers and danced panto-
mime. Then came four others. with costumes
diherent-blue robes trimmed with gold who
carried long, thin wands cntwin,d IN gold
aud red, from which dmgled festoous of pink
blossoms
All this time the music hummod and thrum-
med To vary the show, We Lad even more
grotesque anus, ment: First came eight chill
dren, who could scar, ely do more than tod
die. They were dressed in white embroider-
ed in green and red, wearing purple caps
like the Phyrgian liberty cap and dangling
on the shoulders They came into the tenn
pie enclosure and dane, on the gravelled
walk, while two, wearing al imitation of a
dragons skin, went through dance and
various cOntortiOrs. supposed to be dmgon
at play. This r'nind, d MS Of the pantomime
elephant, where one performer plays the
front and another the hind legs. In the case
of our Japanesr dragon the legs were obYi-
Gus, and the p rformer, seemed iudisposed
TO respect the illusion. It was explained
that it MAS M ancient village dance one of
the old, st IL Japan and that, on festive oc-
casious when thr hnrvcsts are ripe, or when
some legend or feat Of heroism is to be COM
memorated, they assemble and dance it. 1t
was trifing. Innocent dance, and You felt
as YOU looked at it-aud. indt, d, at all the
features of our most unique entertainment
that there was a good deal of nursery imagi-
nation in japanese fGtes and games A more
striking feature was the decorations which
came with the second course of our feast.
First came servants, bearing two trees, one
of the pine, the other of the plum. The plum
tree was in full blossom. One of these was
set on a small table in front of Mrs. Grant :;
the other in front of the general. Another
decoration was cherry tree, surmounting a
large basin, i'll which were living carp fish
The carp has an important position in the
legends of Japan 1t is the emblem of am
bition and resolution This quality was
shown in another decoration, representing a
waterfall, with carp climbing against the
stream. Th3 music is in full flow, and the
lights of the town grow brighter with the
shades of darkening night, and some of the
company have long since taken refuge from
the dinner in cigars, and over the low brick
wall and in the rece.ses Of the temple grounds
crowds b, gin to cluster and form aud be-
low. at the foot of the steps, the crowd grows
larger and larger and you hear the buzz of
the throng and the clinking of the lanterns
of the chair bearers for the whole town was
in festive mood, and high up in our open
temple on our hillside We have become a show
for the town.
Here are fried snappers-snappors again,
this time fried with shrimps, eggs, egg plants
and mashed turnips Then We have dishes,
FIVE in number, under the generic name of
''shimada" | suppose shimadai means the
crowning glory, the consummation of the
feast In these dishes the genius of the ar
tist takes its most daring flight. The first
achievement is n composition of mashed fish,
panyu, bolone, jelly aud chestnut, decorated
with scenery of Futamiga-ura. Here the SEN
timent of art is gratifed Your dinner be-
comes panorama, and when you have gazed
upon the scenery of Futamiga-uTa until you
are satisfied, the picture changes. Here We
have a picture and legend. This picture is
of the old couple of Takasago-a Japanese
domestic legend that enters into all plays
and feasts. The old couple of Takasago al
ways bring contentment peace and happy
old age. They are household fairies, and are
invoked Just as we invoke Santa Claus in hol-
iday times. Somehow the Japanese have
improved upon our legend for instead of
giving us frosty, red-faced Santa Claus,
riding along the snow banked house-tops.
showering his treasures upon the just and the
unjust, a foolish, incoherent old fellow, about
whose antecedents we are misinformed, of
whose manner of living we have no infOrma-
ton, and who would, If he ever came into the
hands of the police, find it difficult to explain
the possession of so many articles, We have n
poem that teaches the peace that comes with
virtue, the sacredness of marriage, and the
beauty of that life which so soon comes to an
end. Burns gives you the whole story in
John Anderson, My Jo;" but what We have
in a song the Japanese have in legend. So
at our daimio feast the legend comes, and all
the lessons of perfect life of content and
virtue are brought before you. The old coup
lie are represented under trees of palm, bam-
boo and plum. Snow has fallen upon the
trees. Around this legend there is a dish
of shrimp, fish, potato, water potatoes, eggs
and seaweed. The next dish of the shima.
dai family is decorated with pine trees and
cranes, and composed of varieties of fish.
There is another decorated with plum tree,
bamboo and tortoise also of fish and anOtl.