The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-14

is the ordinary custom Of the country,
but my nerves at the last moment
failed me, and she, seeing my con-
fusion, with much laughter gracefully
retired. The bath was sitz-bath, or
dug-out, about four rfeet in depth.
in q corner of the room, and was the
shape Of q deep copper, and full Of
near it was a shallow tub containing
cold water. Three sides Of the room
were composed Of the ordinary Jap.
paper walls, which are generally full
OF holes. AS disrobed looked round
with an uneasy feeling. Several pune
panels, and I felt that there were
numerous eyes peering thru them to
catch q glimpse of the pink skin Of
the foreign devil. Still, I thought,
this may all be supposition on my part,
SO I jumped into the bath, but was as
quickly out again, for the water was
,asa at boiling-point: felt as
swimming with the heat. looked
around for some relief. There was the
shallow tub of cold water. rushed
at it and nearly stood on my head in
the cool, refreshing liquid, when, sud-
denly. a merry peal Of laughter broke
nut all round me, and pop, pop went
yellow fingers thru the paper panels,
and glistening slit eyes peered thru
at the usual sight. I found out after
wards that all went we'll till I put my
head into the cold water. But this
performance was too much for the
rest Of the household waiting for their
bath and surreptitiously seeing me
was meant for the feet. To use it for
any other purpose was thing un-
paralleled In Japan, and this mistake
Of the stupid foreigner was too much
for my audiences equanim1ty. And,
again, their inquisitive nature was
bound to lead them to find out If really
I was pink all over, for foreigners were
almost unknown In Hiroshima.
There had certainly been a Euro
pean seen in the seaport for eighteen
months prior to my advent a red
haired Scotsman, an engineer of a
tramp steamer, who never took a bath
as far as they knew, had created "a
great sensation by painting the little
town the color of his hair with his
eccentric manners and customs, and
further impressed the townfolk with
his inordinate thirst, in comparison to
the then moistness Of the climate, and
his preference for saki Of the most
potent quality to the weak but re-
freshing straw-colored tea which was
politely offered him. This gentleman
was the first of his sex who introduced
|
with which astonishing salute he ap-
preached any little giggling tea-gir
that took his wild fancy, much o.their
amusement, surprise and wonderment
Their brothers and sweethearts have
now taken It up, and the gentle art
Of OSCILLATION has, like many other
western customs in Japan, Caught
on"
What delightfully."- novel life it wa:
| a ~ Iva, no 3x,f L,
telry, the old-world- politeness of the
landlord and servants, the paper.
panelled partitions opening on to the
/ quiet little courtyard with ithefl
clumps of stumbling baboo, or stone
/ idol rooted by a trellis of gorgeou!
wistaria, and the soft .patter Of thu
! pattens of the merry little housematd
in blue kimonos drawing water at thu
well! When I was tired of this I would
4 request my boy to open up the outel
WALL and in moment the panel
were sliding apart, the weather shut
ter was raised, and I. would gaze OF
4 the busy river that swirled to the sea
Il crowded - with rcuriously- Fashioned
fishing craft, with their amazing sail
i ing gear, and brown-faced, blue
bloused, chattering fisherfolk. "A
] night a hundred moons seemed t,
be. floating in the haze that enshroudet
the water as the big yellow lanterns
4 carried by the WayfarerS Illghted the1
paths by river and bank.
H. When at last I was ( campaigning
j with the Japanese army, and rough
j ing 1t in a, way unknown to most jour
i nalistic attaches to armies in the field
and thought I was the only specia
| artist at the front, to my, disgust
4 discovered that a Frenchman had beer
commissioned by an English illus
trated weekly to go to the war. H.
had arrived at the treaty port o
lChemulpo in Korea, and there III
remained, where he was nicely housed
and fed by a compatriot, q clerk il