The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-08-10
yAPAN.s CHERRY FESTIVAL.
Poetic and Picturesque Phases Of sprin
Time In the Miknd0's Land.

Poetic and Picturesque Phases Of Spring
Time In the Mikado's Land.
Under the cherry trees roamed hum
dreds and thousands Of people-men,
women, little children and babies on
the backs of the elder ones. The gray
boards were lost in serene contempla-
ton of the lovely trees, and to do honor
to the blossoms the young girls and
children were dressed in the gayest
and brightest of their holiday grapes
and silks. Nc little girl could befound
in all Uyeno without a cherry blossom
hair-pin Ornamented her deliberately
dressed head, The day was warm and
sunny enough for barefOoted and half
clad people to seem in place, and even
the wee toddlers, taking their first
steps. were trotting about in barefoot
ed joy. japanese babies are the droll.
est and oldest mites, and their gar
ments are identically those of their
parents, reduced in size. but not short
ened. On such a holiday their tiny
kimonos, with big square sleeves,
rivaled the rainbow in colors, and un-
der the trees these gayly-colored groups
completed the picture. Family parties
came in the morning with lunch
boxes and spent the day, and from end
to end of the park happy picnic groups
were scattered. On the high ridge.
under q long grove Of cherry trees, the
tea-hOuse benches were close and
many, and the people as thick as at a
mass-meeting. While tea and sake
flowed freely all were happy, peaceful,
friendly, and courteous to one another,
the most advanced sake-drinker being
only little redder, little happier, and
giggling little more steadily than any
one else: Rulers Of all European coun-
tries may well envy the Emperor Of ia
pan, whose subjects gather by thou
sands in the parks of the capitol, not
to riot for bread and demand the divis-
ion of property, but to peacefully ad-
mire the blossoming cherry trees, and
indite poems to their loneliness.
Over one mass of blooming trees
peeps the gilded halo round the head of
the colossal Buddha, and down an ave-
nue. of stone lanterns ranged beneath
giant cryptomerias is a glimpse of
matched temple-rOOfa and drinking fOun-
tain and clouds of blossoms. 1t is ques-
ton which is more picturesque and ex-
quisite, the deep-curved gables of the
richly-tOned thatch standing in relief
against the clear vaporous masses Of
pink blossoms. or the sharp outlining
of heavily covered branches against
dark thatch or sQmber forest greens.
From the open point where General
Grants sturdy little pine tree stands,
one looks up the great arch of an ave-
nue. Of old trees to plantation Of young
cherry trees. with which are other bios
soming fruit treee-almond, peach and
quince-that run the shades of pink to
the deepest rose and bright vermilion.
The love of the cherry blossoms is a
trait among all classes Of Japanese, and
from highest to lowest this blossom sea-
son claims its holiday. The beggars
bask in the temple grounds where the
cherry blossoms are thickest, and the
highest Ministers Of State take formal
leaves to go and see the blossoms at some
favored spot. 1t is announced with the
greatest dignity that Prince Sanjo has
gone to Nara to the blossoming trees
there; but one can fancy the bewilder-
ment of readers across the water, if the
morning papers told them that Bis
marck, or Gladstone, or Secretary Bay
ard, had left their respective capitals
and gone away for few days to see
some cherry trees in bloom. Every
one who has garden with cherry trees
gives garden party at this time, and
legations, peers and rich citizens are
showering the foreign residents with
decorated cards, bidding one to their
grounds on certain afternoon to view
the perfect blossoming of their beloved
trees. These esthetic fetes continue for
a fortnight from these initial days at
Uyeno, and after them come Wistara
and Iris festivals in their favored and
famous spots.-Fr0m Ruh0ma's Toxic
Letter