Evening star., 1901-01-19

because the price of bonds and stocks Is
affected than for the inherent justice OF
injustice of the cause On .he w,,o,e' .hot liz .e
count gave me the impression that per-
sonal,y he believed in Enslands iberai
colonizing policy, and would not be sotIs
If victory rested upon the cross OF ot'
George
Counts villa and Grounds.
But there is quite as much OF interest
outside of Count Okumas house as with-
in. In fact, his orchids, his dwarf pines
and his ancient plum trees are FAMOUS
throughout Japan. AS we expressed
desire to see them. the count summoned
his head gardener and two or three at
tapdants to escort us to his greenhouses
which opened out of the library in which
we had been sitting. With evident prlue
he showed us his orchids from all couil-
tries. Orchids are evidently ms pet "eah-
ness, as with another statesman nan ,.' ~nuse
nanoa inst now is very often in the papers:
An amiable weakness ii is, and well would
il be for the world IL some statesmen
would turn their attention TO orculus
rather than to the carving out ol empires
and making war upon inoffenSive peoples
In these magnificent houses were price
less plants from Madagascar and Brazil
from Africa and Samoa, ana Ahstralia
and New Zealand, ana every cou,''is 'n
which has added to the worlds wealth IN
these fragile and beautiful children Oh 'he
air. -, ,..
But more interesting was the japanese
garden beyond the orchid mouse. WIN the
miniature walks and dminutive rills ana
minute Fujyama to climb, crowned ON top
with an old shrine. wn,ch, / understand
the count keeps for its beauty ana as
relic of past times, rather than as an OBJECT
of worship.
Following the gardeners lead we came
to the chrysanthemum garden. which Is
said to be the finest In all Japan: .out In
February of course. 1t was without q bios-
U0
Interesting department of foricultuTe-
or arboricufture, to speak more eXactiy-
In the house devoted to dwarf pines. III
which the count also revels Here was n
nine tree growing in an ordinary hover
not which we were assured was two hun
dred wears old, and there was companion
piece that had seen three hundred sum
mers and winters. 1t took some faith, not
TO saw credulity, to believe these state
ments. but they were backed by such in
disputable authority. and are, moreover.
such common objects in Japan, that our
unbelief soon gave way to amazement that
a tree could be so small for Its years:
for there were some that had fully attained
their majority and were quite twenty-one
wears old In little vases scarcely larger
than thimbleS.
A Paradise of Beauty.
Next to his dwarf pine house was the
counts plumery, as 1t might be called. an
open shed devoted to dwarf plum trees,
trained In every possible fantastic shape
and just putting forth their first sweet and
fragrant blossoms. These, too. were among
the ancients and honorabies Several OF
them, though still living In compare lively
small pots were contemporaries of the Pill
grim Fathers. being born in Japan about
the time that william Brewster and Miles
Standish were born in England.
A perfect paradise of beauty is this lovely
garden of Count Okuma's. In which the
visitor nigh: linger for hours and not ex,
haust is diminutive beau.ies- No vast and
towering trees, no stately hedges and long
yistas Of evergreen beauty. but everything
minute. even microscopic. but elegant and
dainty to the last degree. Old one IAN
terms, placed here and there. reminded US of
the feudal days of Japan. while the modern
mansion encased in this ancient Japanese
setting so combined the ancient and modern
that it seemed not incongruous to find
European villa set down in garden of
Japanese greenery.
The whole place was characteristic Of Its
noble master. He combines the ancient
and the modern in his own person. Re
tanning the best of old Japan. he has
united 1t with the newest ideas OF young
America Not despising the beauties of the
past, he recognizes the value at the present