Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1891-04-17
WITH THE MIKADO
AN ENGLlSHMAN AT AN IMPERIAL
GARDEN PARTY IN JAPAN.

Chrysanthemums and French Dresses
Everywhere-Native Costumes Gone.
How the August Parsonage Conducts
Himself Before His Subjects and Guests.
The garden party of the emperor is held
on or about the 18th of every November in
the spacious demesnes of one of the royal
palaces at Asakusa. 1t is the festival of
the chrysanthemum, which brings with it
so happy an innovation, for at this time of
year the flower par excellence of Japan, the
national Kiku, is everywhere in glowing
and glorious bloom, and the ostensible rca-
son for the gathering in the Asakusa Palace
gardens is therefore to view the innumer-
able and splendid specimens Of this special
plant of Nippon which the skillful garden
ers of the court have reared during the year
past.
Everywhere are chrysanthemum shows
and chrysanthemum parties, and while pri-
vate gardens are embellished with choice
displays in all sorts of colors the hillsides
and lanes are also full of the more modest
and quiet wild blooms of the same imperial
plant, which grows everywhere, and is
everywhere, even in the simplest speci-
mems, bright and pretty.
OF course the imperial gardeners showed
samples of the Kiku which were we'll worth
the study and admiration of all florists
and botanists if attention could have been
, devoted to them. There is nothing to he
seen at your Temple Gardens or ut any
other enter of the cultivation of the "gold-
en- bloom in England to compare with the
really marvellous developments of the kiku
under Japanese hands.
CHRYSANTIEMUMS.
Ranging through an endless number of
colors, and displaying all forms and fash
ions of structure, the beautiful plant shows
in one place Il cluster of close and compact
stars Of varying hues, in all the tones and
tints Of white, yellow, russell, amber, pur-
pie and cream, and in another fantastic
and dishevelcd yet wildly symmetrical
blooms. the petals flung abroad from the
corolla in beautiful profusion of scattered
loveliness and glory, some as if Of shot
silk or satin, some revealing u sober lin
ing Splendidly contrasted with the brill
liant uppcr surface, some in tangled deli
cacies of one and the same rich tint.
We are grouped all together. with our
backs to the beauties of the pnrtcrrc, in a
mass of some 500 or GOO people who have
been honored with the great square cards
of invitation to this high function. The
royal card, printed in gold, %cnjoins all
alike to wear frock coats C'frokko cotto')
and silk hats, and thus we all look more or
less alile-diplomats, generals, naval Off
GERS, MINISTRIES and private p~erSons-diver~
sified only by the Corean officials in long
robes of white and Puritan hats with am
Der strings and the ever graceful costu me
of some Japanese ladies present who have
proved faithful-even against court fashion
to kimono and obi. The throng sudden
ly falls to "Attention,' for the strains of
the national anthem of Dal Nippon sounds
from the gayly CARRIED band. "The En-
peror is Coming"
HIS MAJESTY WALKS.
His imperial majesty comes first and all
alone. | have often seen him, and always
find the same difficulty in analyZing my
WI impressions, or conveying them, as to
that impressive. reserved, changclrss. dark,
far removed countenance. l have seen it
all day long in the smoke of the mimic
battles at Nagoyl, and all night long in the
festnl halls at the Shire, and at receptions
and court ceremonies; but l never wit messed
the slightest alteration of it's fixed I'M
mobile features.
Only a natterer could call the proud. cold
face handsome, and only an enemy or a
soshi would, | think, style its %nrstcre con-
straint and lofty discomfort i'll looking.
One would say this is Il mikado Of the pasl
who is obliged to belong to and to bow !;4-
fore the too prevailing present, but wlu
nevertheless keeps his secret soul apart il,
the stern and great society of his ancestors,
and with the far off company of antique
Shinto gods"
He walks between us alone, his arm too
sacred, too separate, to be taken in public
even by the empress, who comes behind, a
small, eXquisitely graceful lady dressed in
a u satin toilet of Partisan style, and
mauve bonnet, with parasol to match, all
borne with the Utmost charm and becom-
ingness; behind her imperial majesty,
also passing singly, n bevy of ladies of the
court, all but one in European dress, and
following the ladies the gentlemen of the
palace in black frock coats and tall hats.
THE MIKADO'S COSTUME.
His majesty wears the undress uniform
of a general-cherry colored trousers and
black frogged coat braided with gold lace,
and on the small, close cut brows IL kept OF
scarlet with gold band. His bow in recog.
milton of all our bare and Blended heads is
the slightest possible inclination which
rigid muscles can make, yet withal accom-.
panied by a glance kindly, benign and full
of evident good will, for his lips almost
smile, his eyes are alert and lighted, his
air is, one might almost dare to say, &c.
NAL, and these nod of the Japanese Jove
must be measured by loyalty with a mi.
crometer.
Moreover, when we pass into the refresh.
ment tent and the emperor and empress
take their seats the etiquette observed
) around is by no means stiff. We may ap
, proach the royal table and speak with
friends there sitting close to the majesty
of Japan. Nay, when champagne has been
quaffed and mayonnaise of lobster OF
chicken tasted, the emperor endures very
humanity to have parsonage after person.
, age presented to him, and addresses tc
some of them-to the writer of these notes
} among many that were more worthy
some gracious and friendly words in the
soft Japanese, which he always speaks
The ladies of the court and the gentlemen
, mingle meanwhile with the throng and
) chat, sans ceremonie, with friends.
. The royal pair depart as they came, the
empress following the emperor, the plant
i've strains of the national hymn again be