New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-28


the life Of the race.
Tho J,nanesc folklore is very extensive ana
curious and Mr. Hearn writes Of it with wealth
of illustration Every god is the subject of many
mvths and no man. say the people, can tell the
names of all the gods Even more Interesting
than the mythology the stories Of family HE
and superstitions Foxes have much II do with
Japanese existence. All foxes have supernatural
power. some good and some bad. They deceive
people by enchantmen and take the form OF
human beings. though then they can be detected
If their shadows fall on water, Tor those
do not change large colony OF foxes
sometimes become retainers Of family
and in that case nobody cares to marry daugh-
ter of that house. or to buy land of it, lest the
foxes come also Some people speculate on TINS
belief and purchase foX-haunted lands AT io"
prices In some districts everybody is supposed
TO have foxes So no trouble arises. Thieves often
pose as foxes. In Matsue once ragged stranger
kept buying and eating quantities Of food. such
as foxes most like Finally the shopleeper saw
a bushy tail beneath his rags, and took pains to
treat him well. After that the stranger revealed
his character told the shopkeeper that there was
to be a fire. but that his house might be saved
by a charm 50 the fox was sent alone to the
storehouse to work the charm in the night IN
the morning the storehouse empty and there
came no fire There are also superstitions about
wOmen's hair. Medusa has her Oriental counter
part. and in ancient times 1t was believed that
the hair Of any young woman under the influence
Of Jealousy might change 10 serpcnts. japan
too. has goblin trees. particularly the willow
When an old willow is cut blood Will flow from
the CASH and the older the treA the more danger
Gus does the spectre become. There is an old
story Of a willow spectre that changed To a
woman and became the wife Of simurai who
had saved the trees life. They had beautiful
boy. Finally prince ordered the tree cut down
and would not listen 10 the husbands plea. He
wanted the wood 10 repair temple. The mother
babe g1odby to her boy and vanished When
feed. the tree became heavy that 300 men
could not move it, but the child. taking branch
in his hand said Come and the tree followed
him to the temple Not only the willows but all
shrubs and trees and rocks have souls and a
japanese garden is at once landscape. a sermon
and poem. The japanese landscape art is far
in advance Of ours as is also the treatment Of cut
flowers. The japanese does not chop of flower
heads to bunch them into meaningless masses.
but he takes single spray and arranges 1t with
vase and screen and lantern o. reveal a beauty
beyond any expectation Of the Western mind. \
cherry stem is "as though heecinst masses Of
cloud family tinged by sunset had noatcd down
from the highest sky TO fold themselves about
the branches"
The old Japan is changing Mr. iiearn found
this even In primitive IZumo. His pupils started
with him children OF the old spirit. with the old
charm. but he found them drifting away into
hard materialism Tho Government schools. he
declares have imposed upon these simple rice
fed people a foreign scientific learning beyond
their power To- assmilatc without sacrifice Of
youth. ruined many II them physically. made
material progress their ideal. and replaced with
an intolcrant. narrow sccpticism the old self
restraining smil.t cultvatng brl!cfs Loyalty
To- Traditional duty and devotion To- family are
giving way g. the free play ~ selfish ambition
and ,hc development 81 the idea II indviduaI-
ism yet 10 that past which her younger gen
Grafton now affect t" dcspise. Japan VIII c~r-
tainlv one day look back. even "a we ourselves .
look back to the old Greek civilization. She
will learn to regret the forgotten capacity FOR h
simple pleasures the lost sens" Of the pure joy
Of life the old loving. divine intimacy with
nature. tho marvellous deed art which reflected
IT, She will remember how much more lumi- /
nous and beautiful the world then seemed. She
will mourn for many thlags-thc od-fash.oned |
patience and self-sacrincc the ancient courtesy.
the deep human poetry Of the ancient fa.th.
SHf VIII NfN'l'i dI many lNlNk~ IIl SN' VIII
regret. Perhaps she will wonder most of all |
at the faces II the ancient gods. because their /
smile was once the likeness II her own.
It is difficult to obtain definite concepts CON '
corning Japan from Mr. Hcarns work. Tn" pa
pers not cohesive; and 50 far As substance /
goes. have httlc plan. an extreme ienuty ana ,
something Of the mistiness II the japanese
mountains. Incident. folk story. religious dis
cussion. ecstatic imagery. drowsy musings. are
inextrcably mingled. Just where fact and fancy ,
meet just how much the Imagination has seen |
rather than the eye. is fairly 10 be questioned.
The reader Will get glimpses innum"rablc. but |
rarely clear-cut exposiiions ~ things japanese.
Yet the charm Of japanese Hfc is in every page.
The gentle character Of the people appeals to the
author To divert themselves is. 10 his mind. the
main purpose Of their existence. The faces Of
the people have an indcscrbablc look Of patient
cXpcctancy-thc air Of waiting FOR something in
teresting to make its appearance" one day
in little fishing village Of lzumo something
interesting did make its appearance. It the
author himself and this is how he describes the
scene:
Suddenly become aware that II is growing
strangely dark and looking about me perceiv"
that all the doors and windows and other aper-
lures Of the inn dcnscly blocked up by
silent smiling crowd which has gathered TO look
al me | could not hav" believed there were 80
many people in Kaka-ura The land
lord finding the crowd embarrassing closes up
the building i'm front. The silent. smiling crowd
goes 10 the rear Then the crowd masses to right
and left OF the house and both sides have to be
closed which makes II insufferably hot. And the
crowd makes gentle protest
Whcreupon our host. being displeased. rebukes
the multitude with argument and reason. yet
without lifting his voice. (Ncver do these pro-
pie lift up their voices i'm anger And what ne
says | strive to translate. as follows:
"YOu-as-fOr, outrageous dOng,-whdt mar
velOus is"
"Thcdtre is not,
"Jugger Is not,
"Wrcstlcr is not
What amusing IL?
"HOnOra BILE guest this ia