The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-16
Especial Correspondence

| marvellous things to be seen in this
| country of marvcls that first attract the
attention of the foreigner is the Japanese
mirror. Its popularity consists in the fact
| that 1T is made of metal-yenerallv of
broEZe-coated on the front with IN ANAL
| gam of tin apd quicksilver, and so highly
| polished that but for its weight it might be
| mistaken for an ordinary looking glass
| The back is adorned in relief with flowers,
| birds or Japanese characters which extend
| to the handle, and the general appearance
| is that of IL handsome metal fam
That which is most extraordinary about
the mirror, however, is the quality it pos
| sesses of rejecting II luminous image of the
design on the back. In other words, the
sunlight seems to penetrate the metal and
| display the figures that are otherwise hid
! den from view. The attention of men of
| SCIENCE has long been attracted to the pie
| nomenon, but no explanation herct ofore
| given has proved satisfactory The conscn-
sus OF opinion is that the effect is produced
| by an unequal conveXity resulting from
the manipulation of an iron tool accompa-
MED by the application of mercury.
Iii connection with these mirrors. the
Japanese have Il pretty fairy tale and be-
cause of the poctical thought it conveys,
and the pleasure it may afford to young as
| well as old, l send you the following free
translation us it has been given 10 ue by
one of the English residents here:
A long time ago there lived in Il quiet
| spot II young man and his wife. They had
one child, Il daughter, to whom they were
| greatly attached, and their home was
known as Matsuyama, II beautiful village
| III the province of Echigo. 1t SO happened
that the father was obliged to go to the
great city of Toxic, the capital of Japan.
Line mother, never having been farther from
nome than the next town, could not help
being frightened at the thought of her hlis-
| band making such IL long journey, vet she
| was proud of the fact for he was the first,
man IN all that country side who had been
| to the big town where lived the emperor.
AT last the time arrived for his return
| and dressing the baby in it's best clothes
and arraying herself in the pretty blue
gown which she knew her husband liked,
she waited to give him welcome. And
| when he came, how the little girl clapped
her hands and laughed with delight over
the beautiful toys her father brought. "And
for YOU" he said to his wife, II have
brought this. 1t is called II mirror Look
and tell me what you see inside"
lie gave to her II plain, white wooden
| box, In which on opening it she found a
round piece of metal. One side was white
| like frosted silver and ornamentcd with
J raised figures of birds and flowers. The
other was rs bright as the clearest crystal.
The young mother looked into it with de-
| night and astonishment, for from it's depths
was looking at her with parted lips and
bright eyes IL smiling happy face
What do you see!' asked the husband.
Eratiiied at her astonishment II see n
pretty woman looking at me- She moves
her lips MS If she was speaking, and-dcar
me, how odd, she has ON a blue dress lust
| hv
! your own face that you sec," said the hus-
| band, proud of knowing something that
| was new to his wife. ''That round piece of
metal is called n mirror, and everybody in
the great city has one, although we have
not seen them in this country place before
The wife was charmed with the present.
But the wonderful thing was far too pre-
cious for every day use, so she shut it up in
its box again. putting it away carefully
among her most valuable treasures.
Years passed OH and the husband and
wife continued to live happily The JOY of
their life was their little daughter, who rs
she grew up became the very image of her
mother. The latter, mindful of her own
passing vanity on finding herself so lovely.
Kept the mirror carefully concealed, fear
ing that the use of it might breed a spirit
OF pride i'll her little girl She never spoke of
1t, and as for the father he had quite forgot
ten the circumstance. So it happened that
the daughter grew up as simple as the
mother had been, knowing nothing of her
own good looks or of the mirror which
would have reflected them.
After awhile, however, Il terrible misfor
tune occurred i'll this happy little family.
The good mother fell sick, and though
waited upon with loving care by day and
night she grew worse and worse until at
last the SAD announcement was made That
she must die. Calling the girl to her. the
mother said: My darling child, must
soon pass away and leave you and your ia
ther alone, but want from you promise
Here is what is called mirror" taking it
from its hiding place and handing it to her
daughter. promise me that you will look
into this mirror every night and morning
for there you will see me and know that
| your mother is still watching over YOU"
The child promised with many tears and
! the mother, being now calm and resigned
| soon after died. Obedicnt and dutiful, the
| daughter never forgot her mothers last re-
| quest, and each morning and evening took
the mirror from its box and looked at it
long and earnestly. There she saw, as she
| supposed, the bright and smiling vision of
her lost mother Not pale and sickly as in
her last days, but the beautiful young
mother of long ago. TO her at night she
told the story of the trials and difficulties
ofthe day, and to her in the morning looked
for sympathy and encouragement in what
ever troubles might be i'll store for her.
So. day by day, she lived as if in her
| mothers sight, striving still to please her
| as She had done in her mothers lifetime,
| and careful always toavoid whatever might
| give her pain or grief. Her greatest Joy
| was to look Ia The mirror and say, Mother
have beer today what YOU would wish me
u De u YOU wore b. my side"