The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-03
THE EDGE OF THE EAST,
Rudyard Kipling.
Cepvigh 1899 bv Rsdyard Kipiing.


and n hundred Junks had their sails hoisted
for the morning breeze. so that the veiled ho-
rizon was stlppled with square burs Of silver.
An English man. of-war showed blue-white on
the hazo. so now was the daylight. and all tho
water lay out as smooth as the inside Of an
oyster shell. Two children In blue and white.
their tanned limbs pink In tho fresh air.
sculled u marvellous boat OF lomon- hued
wood. and that was our fairy craft, to tho
shore across the stiffness and tho mothor-o-
pearl levels.
There are ways and ways Of entering Japan.
The best is to descend upon 1t from America
and tho Pacfc-from the barbarians and tho
deep sea- Coming from the East. the blaze Of
India and tho insolent tropical vegetation of
Singapore dull the eye to half-colors and little
tones. 1t Is at Bombay that tho Smell OF All
Asia boards tho ship miles of shore. and holds
the passengers nose till he is clear Of Asia
again. That's a violent an aggressive smell.
apt to prejudice the stranger. but kin mono the
less to the gentle and insinuating flavor that
stole across the light airs Of the daybreak
when tho fairy boat went to shore-a smell Of
very clean new wood. split bnmboos. wood
smoke. damp Garth. and the things that people
who are not white people eat-a homelike and
comforting smell. Then followed on shore the
sound OF an Eastern tongue. that is beautiful or
not as you happen to know it. Tho Western
TdCeS nave Iuuuy iuuSudpcS, Uut u crown
Of Europeans hoard through closed doors talk
with tho Western pitch and cadence. So 1t is
with the East. line Of Jinrlckshaw coolies
sat In tho sun discoursing to each other. and
1t vas IS though they were welcoming re-
turn in speech that tho listener must know rs
we'll as English. They talked and they talked.
but tho ghost OF familiar words would not
grow any clearer till presently tho Smell came
down the open streets again. saying that this
was the East where nothing matters, and
triNes old as the Tower OF Babel mattcred less
than nothing. and that there were old nc-
quaintanccs waiting ut evory corner beyond
the township Great Is the Smell Of the East.
Railways. telegraphs. docks. and gunboats
cannot Danish 1t. and It will endure till the
railways are dead. He who has not smelt that
smell has not lived.
Three years ago Yokohama was sufficiently
Europeanzed In its shops to suit the worst
and wickedest taste. To-day 1t is still worse
II you keep to tho town limits Ten stops be-
yond into tho fields oil the civilization stops
exactly as 1t docs in another land few thou
sand miles further West The globe-trotting
millionaires anxious to spend money. with
nose on whatever caught their llbertine
fancies. had explained to us aboard ship that
they came to Japan in haste. advised by their
guide books to do SO. lest tho land should be
suddenly civilized between steamer sailing
and steamer sailing When they touched land
they ran away to tho curio shops to buy things
which are prepared for them-mauve and
magenta and blue vitriol things. BY this time
thoy have a Murray under one arm and an
electric blue eagle. with a copperas beak and
yellow "E pluribus uuum" embroidered on
aprle-Ereen silk. under the other
We being wise. sit In garden that Is not
ours. but belongs to a gentleman In slate
a. Intr AZ 10, -
picture. condescends to work as gardener. In
which employ he is sweeping delicately welt
OF fallen cherry blossoms from under an
azaloa aching to burst into bloom. Steep stone
steps, OF the color that nature ripens through
long winters. lead up to this garden by way Of
clumps Of bamboo grass. You SOC tho Smell
was right when 1t talked OF meeting old
friends. Half q dozen blue black pines arc
standing akimbo against real sky-not n
fog blur nor cloud bank. nor q gray dish
c!out wrapped round the sun. but n blue sky.
A cherry tree on slope below them throws
up q wave Of blossom that breaks all creamy
white against their feet, and clump Of willows
trail their palest green shoots in front OF all.
Tho sun sends for an an bassador through tho
azalea bushes a lordly swallow-tailed butter
fly and his squire. very like tho fitting
chalk blue" OF tho English downs. The
warmth OF the Fast. that goes through.
not over. the lazy body. is added to
the light OF the East-the splendid lavish light
that clears but docs not bewildor the ego.
Then the now leaves OF tho spring wink like
fat emeralds and tho loaded branches OF cher
ry-bloom grow transparent and glow as
hand glows held up against flame. Little.
warm signs come UP from tho moist, warm
earth. and the fallen petals stir on the ground.
turn over. and go to sleep again. Outside. be-
yond the foliage. whore the sunlight lies on
the slate.colored roofs. tho ridged rice fields
beyond tho roofs. and tho hills beyond tho
rice fields. Is all Japan-only all Japan: and
this that they call the old French Legation Is
the Garden OF Eden that most naturally
dropped down hero after the Fall. For some
small hint Of tho beauties to be shown lator
there Is the root OF n templc. ridGed and futed
with dark tiles. flung out casually beyond the
corner OF the bluff on which tho garden stands.
Any other curve OF the caves would not have
consorted with tho sweep OF the pine branch
therefore this curve was made. and being
made. was perfect Tho congregation OF the
globe trotterS are In the hotel, scufIlng for
guides In order that they may be shown the
sights OF Japan. which is all ono sight They
must go to Toxic; they must 90 to Mike:
they must surely see all that Is to be seen.
and then write homo to their barbarian fam
lies that they are getting used to tho sight Of
bare brown logs. Before this day Is ended
thoy will all thank goodness. have splitting
headaches and burnt-out Dyes. 1t is better to
lie still and hear the grass grow-to soak In
the heat and the smell and tho sounds and the
sights that come unasked.
Our garden overhangs the harbor. and by
pushing aside one branch we look down upon
q heavy-storned fishing boat. the straw-gold
mats Of the dockhouse pushed back to show
the perfect order and propriety Of tho house,
keeping that is going forward. Tho father
flshor. sitting frog fashion. is poking at a tiny
box full OF charcoal. and the light white ash
Is blown back into the face Of u largish Jap
anese doll. price two shilings and threopence
In Bayswatcr. Tho doll wakes turns into a
Japanese baby something moro valuable
than money could buy-a baby with shaven
head and ainloas legs. 1t crawls to the
thing In the polished brown box. Is picked up
Just as 1t Is ready to eat live Goals. and set
down behind thwart. whore 1t drums upon
bucket. addressing tho ilrebox from affair."
Half n doZan cherry blossoms slide Off a bourh