Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-20

have exquisite old wooden terraces over
hanging a lake with the sacred mountains
Fujiyama staring at them like house to
let: or they may be themselves oyernuns
with fragrant lavender wistaria blossoms
four feet long, which sweep the waters OF
river in the midst Of a gay capital; they
may be dear little dolls houses, built of
odorous implanted pine wood, and planted
In a retired corner of paradise like the point
of Toni Okla.
The dolls are always there. pretty little
mousmees, who take off your boots to pre-
vent your spelling the deep. soft primrose
colored mating or kicking the house down
when you grow impatient. Time is snail
in Japan. There is a tea house in every
temple, run by the priests. If Europeans go
there, they sell other things stronger than
tea. 'Rikshaboys' tea houses you always
have with you on the great high roads Al
most any house may turn tea house or shop
among the lower class japanese
Delightful as those matched belvedefes
look at the view, there is nothing for
eigner enjoys so much as the city tea house
with Chinese gardens
The Restaurant Tea House.
About inns 1 shall say nothing. They are
respectable places enough for land which
has no arbitrary rules about decency. IL
is the restaurant tea house at which the
Japanese defies our conventions. Even q
banker asking his family lawyer to dinner
does not include wires: he asks him to din
ner at a restaurant, and engages geishas-
famous for their beauty and their wit, put
not necessarily for their morals, to make
themselves agreeable to him. Both wives
regard this as a natural feature OF nos
pitality. AS you drive through Shiba at
night you will know where the Japanese
gentleman is enjoying himself in his prim-
alive way by large wooden lanterns with
paper glasses and projecting caves, and by
the 'rikshaboys smoking. and doubtless
scandalmongers. at the gates.
You will hear the tinkle of the sam1sen
and the poor little geishas' voices. Some
times, if the night is hot, and the banquet
ers have reached the drunken stage, the
shutters will be taken down and you Will
see the party enjoying itself. The japanese
take their pleasures badly; the host and his
guests sit in semi-crcle more or less
drugged with gorging and sake. and the
geishas are ranged in semi-circle opposite
if they still have soul for music, or come
closer and enchant them with prettineSs
and witness. The japanese do not laugh
for pleasure or kiss for love; they have
derisive laugh to show anger. and they
gigge at wit, but the hearty English laugh
of enjoyment Is unknown to them
A Spree in Kobe.
We went to such a tea house at Kobe
1 wanted to stay in the garden, the size OF
a back yard which contained river AND
a waterfall and a lake, and ever so many
little islands connected with hog-ba OK
bridges, garnished with pagodas and the
mushroom-topped lanterns which are never
lit, and shrines and lighthouses all of messy
old masonry. The lake didn't seem to con-
tain any water, though l was assured that
this was the case. Its top was paved with
broad lotus leaves, from which sprang, like
crowns standing on scepters, huge rose
colored blossoms, and all round the lake
were freaks in naples.
The tour de force, a fir tree taught to
grow in the shape of junk, looked as like
ship as any other junk The whole scene
looked like a willow-pattern plate. convert
ed by the moon into garden for a toy
nation. 1t made me feel quite like poet
but our host had not taken US there fol
poetry, but for spree. We were sad dogs
Our little summer houses was only lit by
two rush lights on tall candlesticks OF
wrought iron. Then some little mousmees
came and brought in Gesha, who could not
sing, and Japanese dishes, which we could
not eat, and sake. which we could not
drink, or We might have warmed to oul
work. 1t was a cold night, as well as cold
cheer; there are moments when pictur.
esqueness falls, even If there had not beer
ladies with us. But We went through 1t as
one goes through a Masonic installation
realizing the adage that blessed are they
who expect nothing.
DOUGLAS SLADEN.