Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1899-10-17

tue more we become impressed Oy
their elegant and expensive simplicity
In some Of them the hand painted
paper partitions and the skillfully ex
ecuted wood carvings are such works
Of art as only the few millionaires of
western countries can afford Even
the weli-to-do classes OF the West
must content themselves with the
ready made machine-fashioned fix
lures which are both cheap and COM
mon. 1t is with this, however, as
with dress: he who has the taste and
the means does not hesitate between
the elegant, unobtrusive, made to or
der. and the cheap, gaudy, ready
made.
Again it is popularity of this peo-
ple-in whom nature seems to have
created our mental, as well as geo
graphical, antipodes-to have their
houses front on what would be our
backyard. Only the more common
part is exposed to the public view.
The inner part Of the residences of
many wealthy japanese front on pri
vate gardens which might well create
envy in the hearts of our wealthiest
millionaires. The art OF landscape
gardening is there seen in a degree of
perfection that is in no other country
nearly Appropriated 1t is in fact "a
real art, representing centuries and
centuries Of continuous development.
In most cases, neither labor nor pains
are spared to produce desired result.
Fine specimens Of the very largest
trees are transplanted as readily as
the smallest shrubs. Sometimes they
are brought long distances, out OF the
very heart of mountains. Only re-
Gently, in a remote provincial city,
most Of whose inhabitants never saw
a railroad, / visited several pri-
yate gardens which represent the
most exacting and artistic care Of a
century. On the space of about half
an acre, you have a miniature lake
view, rustic bridges, rural scenes,
mountain paths, in addition to in
eonceiyably beautiful forms and com
binations of shrubbery in artistic ar
rangement. Two great uncut rocks,
which represent but an intinitesimally
small part of the total, in one Of those
gardens were brought down from the
great mountain Chokaisan and care
fully placed in position. They alone
required four years labor of many
men, The most singular fact of all
is the entire absence of flowers.
These form absolutely no part of Jap
anese landscape gardening. Flowers
are for only n season. The beauty Of
japanese garden is perpetual. In it, ev-
cry stone, every plant, every tree, nay
almost every twig of every tree has its
place-a place and form given it by
the hand Of man. When the great
and wealthy kings of France attempt
ed, at Versailles and Fontanebleau,
works of similar scope, they required
whole domains. Yet the results OBJ
tanned were far less perfect.
Neither the taste for these things
nor the satisfaction Of it is confined
to the very rich japanese. Many OF
those who have but moderate means
have beautiful gardens. Very many
of the houses of the very poor have
behind them Gas we should say a
miniature garden, perhaps only few
feet square, that is little gem.
Many a ''globe trotter'' passes through
the 'fiowery kingdom" without even
suspecting the existence of these
things. Many others, on getting
chance glimpse of them through open
doorways, involuntarily stop in mute
admiration.
So it is with the costly pottery, pic
lures, bronzes, and lacquers. In the
West, these would be regarded as fine
specimens for house decoration and
would be ostentatiously as possible
displayed. In japanese household,
they are invisible Being kept in
''go-downs" (ire-proof store rooms,
they are brought out only on rare fes-
rivals, or to be shown singly as spe-
cial favor TO a guest. Similarly,
have been told that the richest and
most expensive parts Of a japanese
lady's dress are never intended TO be
seen in public-and everyone knows
that they are never displayed by
studied accident. 1t seems to me
that here is one manifestation of a
fundamental and beautiful principle
in japanese culture. Intentional dis
play OF pereooral possessions or quail
ties Is despicably vulgar. 1t is evi-
dence of genuine refinement modestly
to conceal them, japanese students
eau scarcely be induced to avow the
merit of having performed a task as
signed them or OF having possessed
the intellectual capacity to compre-
bend a subject. Their polite greeting
is II was very rude the last time |
saw you; please excuse me- Instan-