The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-08-14
manitomof pilot.
THURSDAY, AUGUST IA. 1890.
AuTTLE GARDEN IN JAPAN.


The following is from John La
Farge's Letter from Japan" in the
Century: You have heard of the lit
tie gardens, and of their exquisite de-
tails, in which the japanese makes Il
little epitome of nature, arranged as If
for one of his microscopic jewels of
metals, ivory. or lacquer.
Here in our own garden there
would seem no call for an artificial ma
ture. The mountain slope on which
we live must always have been beauti-
full of itself; but for all that Our garden
this is to say. the space about our
landlords house and our own-has
been treated with extreme care. Our
Enclosure is framed towards the great
temple groves, and the great noun
tains behind them, by high wall of
rock, over which. at a corner edged
with moss. rolls a torrent making
waterfall that breaks three times. The
pool below, edged with iris that grow
in the garden sand. is crossed by
bridge of three big flat stones, and
empties secretly away. On each side
of the fall, planted in the rock wall
stands thick-set paulownia with
great steady leaves. and bending
towards it willow. whose branches
drop far below itself and swing perpet-
ually in the draught of the waterfall.
Bunches of pink azalea grows in the
hollows of the rocks, and their refiec-
tions redden the eddies of the pool.
Steps which seem natural lead up the
wall of rock; old pines grow against it,
and our feet pass through their upper
most branches. On the top is planted
a monumental stone, and from there a
little path runs along. leading nowhere
nowadays. as far as | can make out. l
am right in calling this mass of rock.
which is spur of the mountains slope.
a wall, for look down from its top to
the next Enclosure far below, now
overgrown and wild. What is natural
and what was made by man has be-
come so blended together. or has al
ways been so, that | can choose to look
at it as my mood may be, and feel the
repose of nature or enjoy the disposing
choice of art.
Where the little bridge crosses
over, and where messy rocks dip down
n little to allow passage, edged by
maple and pine, | look over across
the hidden road to a deserted ydshkt,
with one blasted tree. all overgroSvn
with green and melting into distances
of trees, which, tier behind tier, reach
to little conical hill, that is divided
and subdivided by sheets of mist at
every change of heat and damp, so that
/ feel half as if knew It's forms per-
fectly-half as if could never get them
all by heart.
"In the sand of our little garden are
set out clumps of flowers, chrysanthe-
mum mostly, and occasionally iris and
azalea; and the two houses make its
other two sides. The priests house.
an old one, with large matched roof
projecting in front and supported there
BY posts covered with creepers, is near
er the water. | see the little priest with
his young neophyte curled on the mats
in the big front room whose whole face
is open; while in a break. or wing,is the
opening to the practical housekeeper
side of the dwelling.
Our own house, which faces south
like the priests, completes the square,
as | said. 1t is edged on the outside
by small plantation of trees with no
tudt SlltlCH AWAY W lue
back road and to 4 wall terracing a
higher ground behind. There wide
space overgrown with bushes and her.
bage, that cover former care and beau
ty, spreads out indefinitely towards
conical hills hot in the sun, behind
which rises the great volcanic slope of
Nio-ho. A little temple shrine. red,
white, and gold, stands in this heat of
sunlight and makes cooler yet the
yiolets and tender greens of the great
slopes. This is to the north. When |
look towards the west | see broad
spaces broken UP by trees, and the
corner of Iyeyasu's temple wall half
hidden by the gigantic cedars, and as /
write, late in the afternoon, the blue
peak of Nan-tai-san rounded off like
globe by the yellow mist.
The garden, embosomed in this
vastness of nature, feels small. as
though it were meant TO be so. Every
part is on a small scale, and needs few
hands to keep things in order. We
have little fountain in the middle of
the garden. that gives the water for
our bath, and sends a noisy stream
rolling through the wooden trough of
the Mushroom. The fountain is made
by bucket placed upon two big
stones. set in a basin, along whose edge
grow the iris, still in bloom. A hid
den pipe fills the bucket, and a long
green bamboo makes conduit for the
water through the wooden side of our
house. With another bamboo we tap
the water for our bath"