The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-17
NEW BOOKS.
Brief Reviews of Important and interest,"
ing Now Pnblicationa.


Boston, describes the Mountain OF Full. and
the authors ascent OF 1t. The distant appa-
rition OF this mountain is pronounced by Mr.
Hearn to be the most beautiful sight in Japan.
and one the most beautiful in the world. This
is especially the case in the sprnR and AUTUMN.
whom the greater part OF the peak Is covered
with late or with early SHOWS. The snowess
base is seldom distinguishable. for II remains
the same color as the sky. One perceives only
the white cone. which seems to hang In heaven.
and tho Japanese omparison OF its shape to an
inverted half open fan is made wonderfully OK
act by the fine streaks that spread downward
from the top. like shadows OF fan ribs Fora
thousand years Full has been scaled by null
ttudes OF pilgrims, Tor it is a holy mountain.
called the Supreme Altar of the Sun. and to
ascend 1t at least once In n lifetime
is the duty Of all who reverence the ancient
gods. Mr.. Hearn is too good Japanese. and
has too much reverence for things ancient. In
Guiding. of course, the gods not to have
climbed Full His account Is in tho form OF q
journal. aud rehearses his experience day by
day. He made his start from the village OF
Gotcmba on an August day. He had stayed over
night In Gotemba. in one Of the pilgrim inns.
1t was cool enough the village being more
than 1000 feet above the sea. but he could not
sleep. Parties returning from the mountain
or arriving for the pilgrimage made a tumult
all through the night. They clapped their
hands for the servants, banqueted. sang and
laughed. After breakfast OF soup. fish and
rice. his guides make him undress and put on
heavy underolothing. He describes the way up
through and to a point above tho rain. At
length he saw Full naked to the summit. q
warm blue cone. with slope reminding him OF
the exquisite sloping of feminine shoulders
toward the neck. The green OF the vegetation
vanished and all was black. Broad wastes OF
black sand slepcd and narrowed up to the grim
ming patches of snow. Through the sand a
yellow rack. made by thousands OF sandals
flung aside by pilgrims. The black grit quickly
wears out sandals, and every pilgrim carries
several pairs for the Journey. One could make
the ascent alone. finding the path by following
the wake Of broken sandals. There ten
stations on the route. and Mr.. Hearn
thankful for each of them At 5000 feet he
had to stop for rest every half dozen steps At
10000 feet they stopped for the night One Of
the guides brought him SNOWFALL. which was
a mass Of transparent globules resembling
beads. 1t was bitter cold, and the charcoal fro
had to be coddied. The way next day was
through Wilderness Of lava blocks. The climb
ing for Mr.. Hearn at least was sometimes
on all tours At the top were stone huts an icy
well called the Spring OF Gold. tablet with q
Chinese poem and the design OF a tiger and
the great dead crater. Who doubts that dis
lance lends eIchantment? Some hdeous
overhanging cusps OF black lava, like tho
broken edges OF a monstrous cicatrix project
on two sides several hundred feet above the
opening. Yet these. seen through the haze OF
a hundred miles through the soft illusion OF
blue spring weather. appear as the opening
snowy petals Of the bud Of the Sacred Lotosl
No spot in the world can be more horrible. ore
atrociously dismal than the cindered top OF
the Lotos as you stand upon it," But as one
looks in rapture at the mountain. being re-
moved from 1t. so one must look from the
mountain, being uponi It. Mr.. Hearn celebrates
the view. 1.-The view for hundred leagues and
tho light OF the far. faint dreamy world. and the
fairy vapors Of morning and the marvellous
wreathings OF cloud. All this" he says. CON
soles me for tho labor and tho pain. Other
pilgrims. earlier climbers. poised upon the
highest crag. with faces turned to the tire.
mendous East. are olapping their hands in
Shinto prayer. sauting the mighty Day. The
immense poetry OF the moment enters into me
with thrill. know that the colossal vision
before me has already become . memory inef.
faceable. memory OF which no luminous do.
tail can fade till the hour when thought itself
must fade. and tho dust Of these eyes be
mingled with the dust OF the million myriad
eyes that also have looked. in ages forgotten
before my BIRTH from the summit supreme Of
Full to the Rising Of the Sum-"
In the paper called " Insect Musicians" Mr..
fearn telb uS OF tne insects tnat the Japanese
capture and cage for the sake Of their music.
Maybe they make their music. as some OF our
insects are understood to do. by rubbing their
legs together. 1t is nothing against them IL
that 10 really their method. II one OF our
human violinists could make his legs do for q
Stradivarius. we dare say that he would be
grateful. The Japanese trade in musical in
sects is only about 100 years old, but 1t is now
well founded We OF the West have bestowed
some appreciation upon\ the noise OF tho
cricket. but Mr.. Hearn ovcrlooks that He
says. quite ignoring our own achieve
ments in this respect: Surely we have
something to learn from tho people
in whose mind the simple chant OF
cricket can awaken whole fairy swarms
OF tender and delicate fancies We may
boast OF being their masters in the mechanical
their teachers OF the artificial in all its varie-
ties OF ugliness. but in the knowledge OF the
natural. in the feeling OF the Joy and beauty OF
earth. they exceed us like the Greeks Of old
Yet perhaps it will be only when our blind
aggressive industrialism has wasted and
sterilized their paradise. substituting every
where Tor beauty the unitarian. the convcn-
tional. the vulgar. the utterly hideous that We
shall begin with romorseful amazement to
comprehend the charm Of that which we do.
stroyed."
"A Question in the Zen Texts" Is delight
full story enlivened by humor THE Iitera.
ture OF the Dead presents to us sentiments
taken from the gravestoncs in Buddhist
graveyard. and it cannot be said OF them that
they overpower either the Imagination or the
reason. Frogs Is an essay setting forth tho
respect that is felt for frogs in Japan and Mr.
Hearn finds here that we Of the West dislike
frogs because they are cold and clammy to tho
touch whereas the Japanese have not edu.
Gated themselves to tactual sensations. In
their poetry sensations OF colors. sounds and
odors are rendered with exquisite and surpris.
ing decacy: but sensations Of taste are sci.
dom mentioned and sensations OF touch are
absolutely ignored, Mr.. Hearn asks himself
whether the reason for this reticence or indif.
ference should be sought in the particular tenn.
permanent or mental habit OF tho race. He has
not been able to decide the question. Remem.
herring that the race has been living for ages