Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-09-07
LETTER FROM JAPAN.

Early vegetation-Rice Culture-Blossomi
Without Fragrance Burial ofs Prin.
csss-Japanese Graves Funeral Of {
Wealthy Merchant Cremation-Famll
Affecti ons of the Japanese.
YOKOHAMA, Japan, May, l, 1904 ride
across country to-day Zone scarce evel
drives in Japan showed us barley in full
head, peas in blossom and coolies standing
knee deep in the water and mud of the rice
grounds, slowly but diligently turning up
the soil with what seemed half-rake, half
hoe implement, and themselves in much the
same costume approved BY our remotest an
cestors before their attention had been di-
ected to fg-leaves. Some of the valleys are
lovely now-their unsightly seams and ridges
covered by the growing grain. and the woods
aad hills and mountains seem all to have
sprung into new life, suddenly and joyously
sat the coming Of the May" There is some
thing in sky and air, in wood and wave, in
the very "caw, caw' of the crows that settle
close about you and stare up into your face
as If they knew their rights, "and knowing,
dare maintain them," that makes you forget,
for an hour, that all is not solid and trust
worthy down below, and lose yourself in o
dream of perfect Leauty and perfect peace.
All along the way you see hedges-and
beds no human hand hath made-of ~
blossoms and opening buds, patch
es of violets1 here and there !,
violets that have look of home and thst
WOO you from your jinrickisha to lay your
face down where they laugh, and to leave
among them your kisses, tender and true, for
love of the blossoms and for love of the land
lying 80 far away. But none of these
blooms has fragrance-if except the azaka,
which grows wild here everywhere, in every
icate perfume imaginable, and all are, as my
brains, just beautiful, nothing more.'' But
to delight ones eye and to gladdens ones
heart with even tjuet beauty" is gift of no
inconsiderable value, and to-night's dreams
will be sweeter Il am sure, for to days near
ness to the wayside blossoms of Japan.
When the lovely princess Nabushima was
buried in Toxic. q month ago. the great
court, in which was placed the pretty Japan
csc house where the body reposed as if in
sleep, was very blossom of blooms, q par
adise of beauty. The pail, wrapped in white
linen, was borne on the shoulders of eight
men, clothed in white from head to feet, and
placed with its precious burden under
bower of pines and palms, where, for the
last time, the idolized princess received the
homage Of her people and heard (did she
hear?) her praises sung by solemn priests
and echoed by the winds.
At the door of the miniature castle were
laid sprigs of evergreen by the friends and
even by the foreigners present. On the
ground beside it was golden cage with
some of its bars broken and just above the
empty cage bird with outstretched wings,
seemingly just escaped, and soaring upward
happy to be free. Beautiful emblem of the
beautiful soul.
The grave in which, after many ceremonies,
the house with its solitary inmate was de-
posted, was fully twelve feet square and
twelve feet deep, and there the princess
sleeps while her husband, who was. devoted
~ attached to her, pursues his lonely way
across seas as envoy extraordinary to the
court of Rome.
The ordinary Japanese is buried in q
shallow square grave, the body confined in q
sitting posture, in what seems little more
than huge, square band-box of rough wood
without lining or cover. Prayers are said
for the repose of his soul by one or more
priests, according to the SUM paid by his
friends, who generally get drunk at the grave
on saka (rice wine and very powerfully and 60
home, or lie down by the wayside in semi
forgetfulness of all things sorrowful. At
the funeral of wealty rice merchant the
other day, the ceremonies at the temple
differed little from those of the Romish
church, on like occasion, in our own country.
The long narrow coffin, drapped in black,
was placed before an altar, behind which
candles and incense were burning, and
there were many be autiful things, shlines,
flowers and pictures, arranged in much the
same manner as in Catholic churches. I
noticed there, as in many other temples, q
picture-the very counterpart of our own
Madonna and child, the sawe halo about
the bead, the same purity and tenderness of
expression.
Six priests, in robes of cloth Of gold, as
sisted by six choral boys, intoned the service
which was really solemn and beautiful,
though We could not understand word, and
their prayers, told on rosaries, seem as sim
cere as any. Had it not been for the people
constantly passing to and fro, as if at fair,
and even the mourners talking, laughing,
crying little, too, now and then, and drink
ing tea and saka, it would have been easy to
believe ourselves in Romish church, fac
ing her altar and her priests, and listening to
her burial service solemnly intoned.
A little latter we followed the priests up
q hill to the place Of sepulture, and were
OF oxyc3o Int
view Of Whatever was to follow. Presently
came the bare legged, white hated, and by
that time half drunken coolies bearing the
coffin and followed, hap hazard, by the mourn
ers and friends, chief Of the former being q
daughter, In pure white as is their custom.
who sobbed violently at times, and at times
conversed smilingly with her neighbors who
consoled her with numerous cups OF tea,
laughing as merrily as If at harvest feast.
The velvet cloth was removed from the cof-
fin ian economy that amused Us no little at
the time) its cover was partially lifted; pack
ages of rice, fruits, chopsticks, etc., were
tucked in over the face and about the head;
then the lid was nailed down and the coffin
placed in very shallow grave, while the
priests chanted and the mourners sprinkled
handfulls of earth into the s'chamber under
ground'' where their loved must henceforth
lie. Six lighted lanterns were suspended
about the grave, and huge boxes of provis-
sions and clothing we're piled upon the
mound to be disposed of afterward, know
not how. My lord gave to the principal
priest Q little gift for his temple, and just az
we were leaving in our jinrickishas, one Of
the choral boys came to rs in great haste
and after bowling to the ground, presented us
with gold leaf fan used by one Of the
priests during the service, and which he
begged us to ssaccept as token of regard. =
It is pretty and valuable souvenir. During
the burial ceremonies described above,