The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-31
"KOKORO."

"Hints and Echoes of japanese Life" by
Lafcadio Heran, Houghton Mipplin & Co..
Boston and New York. In this book-as
! the title would indicate, Kokoro, meaning
heart or heart of things-the author con-
fines himself to "the inner, rather than
the outer life of Japanese" Its social and
religious customs and peculiarities are
treated of at length, with glimpses of art
drama, song and story thrown in as es-
sential tone and color. The writer being
conversant with the Japanese language, a
highly cultured scholar, and long resident
in that far eastern country, was well
equipped for the self-imposed task which
he has so faithfully accomplished.
The book is admirably written, the
author being not only man of keen SYM
pathy and unbiased Judgment, but writ
er of great skill and endowed with a fine
friends well know. 1t is calculated to
make deep impression, there is not a dull
page in the book, and through it there runs
that reverent spirit which is almost al
ways noticeable in the writings of those
who devote themselves to the close study
of the nature of things That the reader
may have some idea of the style of the
writer the following passage in reference
to a home-returning exile who had spent
years of travel and study of western civ
uization. is selected.
at was through the transparent dark
ness of cloudless April morning, a little
before sunrise, that he saw again the
mountains of his native land,-far lofty
CHI In eli a.
out of the circle OF an inky sea. Behind
the steamer which was bearing him back
from exile the horizon was slowly filling
with rosy flame. There were some for
eigners already on deck, eager to obtain
the first and fairest view of Full from the
Pacific,-for the first sight OF Full at dawn
is not to be forgotten in this life or the
next. They watched the long procession
of the ranges, and looked over the jagged
looming into the deep night, where stars
were family burning still,-and they could
not see Full. Ahi'' laughed an officer they
questioned, you are looking too low!
higher up-much higherT' Then they
looked up, up, up, up into the heart OF the
sky, and saw the mighty summit pinken-
ing Ike a wondrous phantom Iotus-bud in
the flush of the coming day; a spectacle
that smote them dumb. Swiftly the
eternal snow yellowed into gold, then
whitened as the sun reached out beams
to it over the curve of the world, over the
shadowy ranges, over the very stars, Il
seemed; for the giant base remained view
less. And the night fed utterly; and soft
blue light bathed all the hollow heaven;
and colors awoke from sleepi-and before
the gazers there opened the luminous bay
OF Yokohama, with the sacred peak, its
base ever invisible, hanging above all ike
a snowy ghost in the arch OF the infinite
day. Still in the wanderers ears the
words rang: "Ahi you are looking too
low!-higher up-much higher-making
vague rhythm with an immense irresist-
ible emotion swelling at his heart. Then
everything dimmed; he saw neither Full
above, nor the nearing hills below. chang
ing their vapory blue 70 green; nor the
crowding Of the ships in the bay; nor any
thing OF the modern Japan; he saw the
old. The land-wind, del.cately scented
with doors OF spring. rushed 70 him, touch
ed his blood. ard startled from long-closet
cells OF memory the shades Of all that
he had once abandoned and strven to for
get. He saw the faces OF the dead; he
knew their voices over the graves OF the
years Again he was a very little boy In
his fathers yashiki. wandering from lum-
nous room 10 room, playing II summed
spaces where leaf-shadOws tremble1 OF
the mating. OF gazing into the soft green
dreamy peace Of the landscape garden
Once more he felt the light touch Of his
mothers hand guiding his little steps 20
TIE place OF morning worship. before The
household shrine. before the tablets %
the ancestors: and the lips OF The man
mur-nursi again, with sudden nsE-fou1d
meaning, the simple prayer Of the child
The book can be obtained a. the Gold
smith Book ana Stationery store. Wlch-,a-