The times., 1898-05-06
ECHOES FROM ABROAD.

In occidental countries a posthumous
honor or dignity accorded when the re-
cipient was at the point of death would
be thought of little worth, if it were not
actually derided. Not so in Japan, how
ever. The other day the emperor raised
one of his subjects to the peerage the
day before his death, and the relatives Of
the late nobleman see no incongruity IN
the act. To tell the truth, though, he
who died as Baron Morioka would have
been full of honor without this last evil
dence of the imperial favor. He had been
conspicuous in the history of Japan. and
during the retirement of his later years
had devoted himself to the study of art
and the collection of articles of virtu. He
was one of the early officials of the new
government after the revolution, serving
as governor of KyotO and afterward as
vice minister OF agriculture and COM
merce. Subsequently he became presl-
dent of the Japan Mail Steamship Com
pary. the cable address of which IS stlil
''Morioka."
There was one particularly interesting
feature in the career of Baron Morioka.
1t seems that hie was one of the retinue
of the prince of Satsuma when the So
called Namamugi incident occurred in
1862. The famous Prince Shimazu was
proceeding southward with his usual ret
inue after n visit to Yedo, and just before
reaching Kanagawa met a party of for
elsners who, failing to yield the right OF
war, were attacked by the Japanese. one
man-Richardson-Ta killed; two others
Marshall and Ciark-were wounded, and
a lady-Mrs Borrowdale-had a narrow
escape from death. This incident led to
the bombardment of Kagoshina, the chief
city Of the Satsuma, by a British feet,
and the payment of a large indemnity.
Baron Morioka, in speaking of the af-
fair, has always maintained that it was
a question of attacking foreigners as for
eigners, but merely of asserting the
rights claimed by all the feudal chiefs
at that time-the right of uninterrupted
passage along the highway that
If party of Japanese on horseback had
attempted the same thing they would
have been cut down sooner than were the
foreigners. When ne was asked why the
SatSuma retainerS committed the cow
ardly act of attempting a woman's life,
Morioka replied that they did not know
until afterward that woman was among
the party of foreigners They had new
er previously seen a lady wearing rid
ing habit and a hat and seated on Il
horse, he said. and it did not occur to
them for moment that they were rails
ing their swords against woman.
In strong contrast with the above-men-
toned hostile encounter between Japanese
and foreigners was a grand entertainment
given March q by the premier Marquis
Ito, at his official residence in honor of
the marriage of his eldest son, Mr.. Yuki-
chi, with Miss Z. Takashima. The we'd
ding took place last June. but on account
of the period of mourning for the empress
dowager, the nuptial reception was unu-
sually delayed. This entertainment is
known in Japan as ''o-hrome'' (honora-
bic introductory. About GOO invitations
were issued and fully two-thirds of those
invited We're present. The guests in
cluded almost all the rank and fashion
OF official and private Japan" many of
the foreign ministers. with their stafss,
and the principal foreign residents OF To-
kio and Yokohama. The special guests
of the occasion were Prince and Princess
Arisugawa. 1t was decidedly cosmopol-
itan affair, in which all parts of the world
were represented.
The entrance hali-of the house was
converted into a grove of bamboos. pines
and plum trees, known to the fantastic
japanese as 'the triplet of felicitation'
The reception was held in two large par
lors both of which opened into the ball
room. The marquis and the marchioness
and their son were dressed in European
style but the bride wore japanese cos
tune. as did most of jhe Japanese ladies
present. while the foreign ladies' with the
exception of a very few. wore dresses
with low necks and short sleeves | am
perfectly sure that this occidental bali
costume in contrast with the 3eautiful
but plain and modest kimono of Japan
looked unattractiye And the conduct or
some of the ladies' of the highly ct,,ilizad
countries of the occident was in decidedly
marked contrast. ] am told. TO the uuie,
and dignified demeanor of the Japanese
ladies.
The dancing hao,a,, ,,,i,h q .t,,t