The Progress., 1893-05-27

pliment 10 q people in any part Of the
world to say Of them that they are like the
Americans.
But the Japanese are as much like
Frenchmen as Americans. They have the
deft touch. the artistic instinct, the knOwl-
edge of how TO make everything they do
look finished and picturesque. They also
have politeness that is better than that
IF the French, because more subdued, less
.onspicuou, and self-conscious. Their
,sar,len is enclosed by bamboo fence, and
A very tight, pretty enclosure it makes.
The wonder TO me is this material, which
the ,Japs use for everything, has not been
more imported TO this country. 1t Is
CHEAP, light, easily worked up, suitable
for an immense variety OF purposes. 1t
would be an admirable material for Use in
the fencing of summer places, lawns and
grounds; for the construction Of pavilionS,
summer houses and settees. Who can tell
but that one Of the results of this cXposi-
ton may be a general use in America OF
the universal construction material of tho
Japs?
From a tall flagstaff at the entrance 70
napqr banners, each in the form of a fish
monster. Over the gate are draped the
Aars of the United States and the golden
yellow ball OF the Oriental kingdom. just
within is a little ticket booth, built OF
bamboo, and here you pay coin for quaint
tickets of Japanese paper which is almost
like celluloid in its substance and finish.
Here. also, japanese politeness takes you
- asf
ment as long as you remain within these
charming precincts The young man in
the booth carefully explains TO You in very
fair English the price of the various
tickets and what they admit you TO see.
First is the "Cha-Alise,' or common tea
saloon. II is simply a cotton tent, bu5
very inviting on warm day. Ten cents
is the price of admission, and for one dime
YOU get not only glimpse of the garden
and its inhabitants, but are served with q
cup of good tea and a small japanese cake
or bit of sweet meat The tea is called
schoice." and such it is to the average
American palate, but in reality it is a very
common tea in Japan. They give you
also a souvenir pretty flower made OF
feathers or something of that sort.
But perhaps you prefer TO pay 25 cents
and enter the .'Cha-Ya," or special tea sa-
loon. This is bamboo pavilion, with
quaint bamboo chairs and polished tables.
The tea served here is thus described on
the programme: "a cup Of the better
Japan tea than that you got at the Cha
Mise; ii is quite popular in Japan but has
never been imported" After testing it
the visitor says to himself that if the com
mon people of Japan are able to afford
such tea as this every day in the year they
are lucky mortals. For it is glorious tea
With the cup they serve you a couple Ci
Japanese cakes At least, they are called
cakes. but they are soft and you don't
know whether to eat them with fork
(which YOU have not) or your fingers.
They are sweet and rather peculiar. The
attendant gives you also paper or feather
flower and little sample package of the
tea which you very eagerly put IN your
pocket, determined to try your hand at
/ Japan tea-making as soon as you get
home The chances are you will not pro
duce any such tea as that with which you
were served in the ''Cha-Ya." There is an
art in tea-making as in everything else.
The sample package Is thus labelled:
"Basket-fired choicest natural ieaf japan
tea. Price in Japan 30 cents per pound.
1t is safe to say you will pay another
visit to the tea houses; and when you go
again YOU will pay 30 cents at the gate,
determined to ee the holy of holies of the
/ tea-making and tea-drinking business.
Again YOU will note that the Japanese un-
derstand the commercial value of polite
ness. An attendant takes you in charge,
with a deferential obeisance, leads you in
the proper path through the garden, ex-
plains the various features of the show as
he goes along, and finally drops you in a
chair before a platform in the "Cha-No-
/ Ma" or ceremonial tea saloon. This is a
beautiful structure with an open stage at
one side much like the stage of a miniature
theater Here, sitting squat upon the
floor. are five or six solemn Japs, includ-
ing two or three pretty women. They are
there for the purpose of showing you how
tea is drunk in Japan by the people of i'm
portance. \ tea urn is before them on the
floor, and with many salams and no end
of ceremony they show you how to brew
the tea and how to drink it in true Japa-
nese style.
And the tea one gets herel Well, it is
simply divine. 1t fingers lovingly on the
tongue, and tickles the palate into laugh
ter. One scarcely knows which to fall
most violently in love with-the tea in the
dainty cups or the pretty japanese maiden
who hands it to you. The big Jap with
spectacles on his nose keeps pretty close
watch of you, while he explains in toler
able English thatthis is the best tea that
japan can produce, which is equivalent
TO saying it is the finest tea in the world
You are prepared to believe him. You art
amazed to learn that such tea can bt
bought in Jal IN at sl.25 per pound. In
this country, il it were imported or to bt
had at all, which it is not, the cost would
be at least s. fer pound.
There are many curios TO be examined
or purchased, and one has to guard hi:
pocketbook W much assiduity while IN
this fascinating place. nyou are not care
ful one of th, japanese maidens-or she
may be matron. as they all look alike