Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-05-13
A DAY NJ KYoro.
BY honEr1ck MACKENZIE.

the blossoms fickersd to the ground
and she awoke. In her alarm she toss
ed the heavily -wadded .ftttOns OF her,
and without waiting TO consider, walkeo
across the room, slid a screen aside,
pushed the rain-shntters into Their
cupboard, and looked out; her dream
had come true, 1t had been a rainier
spring than most, but yesterday the
sun had reappeared in his strength,
and had burst the glory of the garden.
Peach's own dear cherry-tree into a
tent of blossom. and now, as she looked
out e1ultant at its beauty, a red maple
piazed through grove OF swaying bam-
boo, a little breeze hickered through
the leaves, while away south thin
swathes of cloud hung over the hills.
and under the gray lines of mist straight
bars of yellow da1kon blossom bound
ed the line of temple roofs by the sta
ton.
Peach and her children sold um-
brellas; no fiimsy, new, native imita-
ton of our European umbrella adorned
their shop, made of bad material, light
and useless, but the toor was piled
with those heavy oilsk;n brown and
black halos, with Hoyku ai-the John
Leech of Japan-lrved so well, and
which not even the most pitiless ra ny
season is able to penetrate. Business
had been brisk, for long sha t. OF
windless ram bad barred Kyoto for
weeks past, and continual sound of
streams from the bamboo gutterIng
strangely mixed with the slush OF
wooden clogs slipping through the mud,
had subdued the ceaseless- Glitter
clatter of Japanese tongues; but now a
longed-for day of sun had come, and
all could enjoy their well-earned hoii-
day. Not an umbrella would be want
ed to-day; yesterdays sun had gar
landed the hills with blossom, and the
whole town would make pilgrimage to
see them in their beauty. so Miss Peach
did not linger long, but Int the stove
under the bath, got down her little bag
of bran, and laid ready her hest kimono
and her new obi. BY this time the
water was boiling, or nearly so, in the
cedar tub, so she took away the stove,
threw some OF the water over her, sat
on the floor beside the bath, scrubbed
herself with bran, deluged herself with
water again, and then FOR two minutes
in she went, scattering the drops all
. over her with her wooden dipper. But
there was no time to waste even over
the delights of the bath, her hair had
to be re-dona, and this took some time.
for our 77lllsUDli was Kyoto girl, and
Kyoto girls are not only the pre'tiest
bnt the best turned-out girls in al
Japan, so she was not satisfied with her
tIre-woman till her black locks shOne
like silk and her cOiftD'c a Ia Ft1jsdn
was as stiff as camellia oil could make
it. And after her hair was done it took
her some time to arrange her ob1-lt
would not come right; first it lnsiste
on tying itself INTO n crooked knot in
stead of beautiful butterfly bow; then
when the knot had been smOothed out.
and by chance it sat straight, 1t was too
fiat and not stiff enough. However, a
japanese girl does not know how to
lose her temper, not even over her
most irritating obi, and at last, coaXed
with showers of laughter and subtle
hands, it sets as 1t should; her break
fast does not take long, and then she
runs over the mats, slips the cord Of
her sandals between her big toe aud
number two, and clatters down the street.
She picks up Miss Pearl on her way,
and off they go. 1t is a great day for
Kyoto; there is more than cherry
blossom for them to see, for the de-
scendant of the gods has brought his
wife and himself to the neglected capi-
tai of his ancestors, at which infinite
condescension a faithful kyoto news
paper says:
at is indeed no wonder that the
rains are so heavy this spring when a
descendant of the sun leaves his pedes-
tai and travels through his realm as
an ordinary man."
However, he is making himself pop
ular in Kyoto and his consort is to-day
10 pass through the streets on her way
TO shed the light of her countenance
on two other ancient capitals OF Dai-
NIpon-Osaka and Nara. And our
demoiselles, if they viii conform
strictly to the regulat ons posted every
where, are to be allowed n passing
glimpse of her Majesty.
"Her Majesty viii visit Osaka about
the 23rd. She will stay at Nara two
days, ut Sakurai two days, at Tahara-
moto one day, and Y shino one day.
The following regulations are pro-
claimed for the guild lnce of the people
while her Majesty is passing through
this city
81. When her Majesty shall pass
along, no one is allowed to look at her
from the frame built on houses for the
drying of clothes, or through cracks in
doors, or from any position IN the
upper parts of their houses.
"2. II any one wishes to see her
Majesty, he or she must sit down at the
side of the road along which her
Majesty will pass. All children must
be taken particular care of, lest they
play IN the road and so ob5truct the
passage of her Majesty through the
street.
"3. No one must look at her Majesty
without taking off his hat, neckcloth,
or turbap, or whatever else he may be
wearing on or about his head; more
over, no one must be smoking while he
or she is looking at her Majesty, nor
must any one carry stick or cane.
Only women wearing foreign clothes
will be allowed to retain their head
covering.
'4. Although it may rain, no person
will be allowed to put up an umbrella
while her Majesty is passing.
"5. Dogs must not be allowed to
wander on the road by which her Maj
esty will pass.
sc. Until the passage of her Majesty
the route by which she will come Will
be kept free of all carriages and jim
rickshas. The roads which she will
take must be completely free of all
traffic.
"7. As her Majesty passes no one
must raise lis voice, nor must any one
be heard. When her Majesty reaches
the station there will be a discharge OF
fireworks"
The narrow streets are gay with
banners, the sun is sucking up the
damp from the moist midway, and
from every house hangs out the flag of
Japan with it's red orb burning on a
white ground. Peach and Pearl have
not very far to go, but it takes them
over half an hour to get from Sanjo-
Dori to the station, for they pass many
friends by the way. In Japan the ar
of good manners is still cultivated, and
japanese bowirg Is not an affair OF