The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-07-12
THE MIKADO' sCOURT.
Characteristics of the Japanese Ruler
 and the Empress.

I CHol oNltli Ol llle Jdpd1tSt
 and the Empress.
 The Western World hears very little
 of the distant and somewhat secret | Court of the Mikado. Yet it is interest
 ing in more than one respect, for the poetica charm of its traditions is giv-
 ing place gradually before the advent
 of the spirit of the times The Mikado
 Mutsuhito is regarded as one of the | cleverest and at the same time most
 modest rulers recorded in Japanese his tory When he overthrow the "Sho- gum in 1868 and restored his own | dynasty, he won at once the admira- tion and sympathy of his people by abolishing a despotic form of govern
 ment In favor of milder form. In his
 own country he is known as "Kotei,"
 but he Is generally referred to abroad as the "Mikado," or 'The Honorable
 Gate" The Mikado is of comparative
 ly large stature, and his very majestic
 bearing is increased by the generals
 uniform which he usually wears In
 his daily walks he never passes beyond
 the limits of the imperial garden. ex-
 cept on the occasion of the opening of
 parliament and at rare intervals for
 the purpose of attending military and
 civic festivals. Unlike his predeces- sors that Mikado is very frequently to
 be seen driving in his carriage, and
 when he passes through the streets the Japanese are no longer compelled as was the case in former days, either to disappear from the line of route or to t11rr, thafr o1S tpt oyJ fbai is curious to learn that this attitude betokened a form of the highest re- spect. Nowadays the people learn that the Mikado is approaching only from the shouts of the police: "The Mikado beware!"
 But, as the Japanese are not yet en- tirely accustomed to the new order of things striking contrasts between the old sacred traditions and modern ideas are often to be seen. One day the Mi kado nearly lost his life through this conflict between the old and the newer aspect of life in Japan. The Imperial carriage had arrived at a railway crossing Just as a train happened to be coming up. The man in charge of the | crossing did not dare to lower the bar rier before the Mikado, and the engine | driver could not bring his train to a standstill. However the Mikado | escaped by a miracle.
 At home the Mikado is necessarily at | work He makes point of being in formed of everything that happens both in Japan and in foreign countries. He is very easy of access for all his subjects, especially for those of his ,hay, In hoe iy,tr fo1 missions abroad On the other hand 1 he can grant only very short audiences to European diplomats. He speaks only Japanese, and in consequence all inter- views have to be interpreted to him by iragomans: thus the conversation is aborious and has to be made as short IS possible The Empress, who belongs to one of the leading Japanese families, s honored and reverted for her good ness and inexhaustible charity AL .hough her majesty speaks no foreign anguage, yet every foreigner who en- CTS her presence Is charmed by the expressive play of her 'eatures
 The Empress is nearly 51 years of ige, but she shows to this day that he is rightly entitled to her family name, "Haruko," the Spring" Her majesty belongs to the few women vho seem never to grow old and who | n the autumn of life possess the charm . if knowing how to preserve the smil- ng loveliness of their youth. She is a | devoted friend of literature, and she is ever so happy as when she can cee- { rate the three great festivals of the ear surrounded by the poets attached { c the court. These festivals are those 1 ' f the New Year, the Church and the , The Empress is erself poetess, and has established I
 competition for Japanese poets, and I or the competition she fixes the sub- ect. But, it is for her works of char y that the Empress is the most re- | I owned, and she is at the head of all ational efforts in this direction. The led Cross society claims a great deal f her time, and during the war with II hina she was very often to be seen at ( ,nding to the wounded Japanese.- ondon Globe.
 s"@--