The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-10-11

ton of that soup makes my mouth wa
ter as | write. 1 don't know what sub
tie combination of meats and delicate
fiavoring it was composed of-there was
a vegetable in it not unlike asparagus:
the crab was in its way equally good,
and the rice looked like warm snow
flakes. With this we had hot sake, and
then other bowls were brought in con-
tanning fish-souchet, or fish soup with
sole in it, not the fish of which the
soup had been made, but just the white
curling strips of small fish, from which
the bones had been removed. Another
helping of the original soup was serv-
ed, and l believe some gourmets of the
party asked for a third. After this
came mushrooms and slices of tender
young bamboo shoots, plucked before
they had yet appeared above the
ground. Lastly came sweets, the I'M
finished portion of which the guests
wrapped in some of the paper, with a
sheaf of which every japanese is con-
stantly provided, to take away with
them The whole meal was punctuated
with little cups of sake. In the cere-
mony of drinking wine with a man, you
fill your cup, empty it. and then after
Niping it offer it to him and he fills it,
drinks, and returns it to you, when you
refill and drink again.
The red-lacquered service, ornament
ed with the seasonable cherry-blossom,
was much admired, and the sake cups
were passed round for appreciative in
spection. 1t seemed hard that the host
was not eating with US, and, in fact,
spent most of his time away from his
guests. This is in keeping with the
rules of Cha-no-yu as they were SIM
plified and reformed by Hideyoshi. The
whole repast is supposed to be cooked
by the host as well as served by him.
The reformation referred to took place
after a luxurious period when the great
mobiles of Japan had been vying with
each other in the elaborateness and
cost of these entertainments. The ar
tistic motif had been lost, and it was
a competition of show and costliness
until it had degenerated to the level
of the entertainments given today by
American millianaireS. He recalled
them to the original ideal-the plain,
small, simple room the single decora-
ton, the small number of courses. AL
most the lowest in the land might en-
tentain the highest without the differ
ence of their wealth becoming apDar-
ent; in fact, there is a story of great
Shotgun being so entertained by a beg
gar. Within these rules there is scope
for using ornaments and utensils of
such rare and artistic workmanship as
still to give opportunity for great eX-
penditure of money as well as taste.
4 ha no went
to the summer-house and smoked while
the host made preparation for the tea
ceremony proper. The day had become
brighter: the garden from our feet
stretched away in miniature hills val
leys, and mountains, clothed with small
pine trees that gradually merged into
the fulf-sized ones of the temple gar
den in the adjoining ground. Close by
was a moss-grown stone lantern, and
a pagoda crowned a little hill farther
off. The smoke of our cigarettes rose
in sinuous streams in the still, Sabbath
like air. Suddenly our talk stopped
short and everyone stood in statue
stiffness at the stroke of the gong. A
wonderful sound it was-as if the air
itself had heaved a sigh of music. 1t
smote the sense more as perfume
imam a SOuIu, anu ldueu away do IL %
bouquet of flowers had been carried by;
then a fainter stroke, followed by a
fainter one still, and the last of the
five of fuller volume. Then the chief
guest led the way past the fountain,
at which we rinsed our mouths and
washed our fingers, and re-entered the
tea-room. The kakemono had been
changed There was now bamboo
vase on the wall in place of the pic
ture, with a pink camellia and a long
spray of young wistaria arranged in
it, The guests in turn went to inspect
and admire it, and then took their
places The water was by this time
boiling in the pot. The host entered
with a bowl of Corean pottery and
bag of richly embroidered silk, from
which he drew a bowl containing the
powdered green tea. After wiping this
and the bowl carefully with silken
cloth he put the tea in the latter with
a tiny bamboo spoon, pouring water
on it with a wooden ladle, stirred it
with a little whisk, and added more
water The mixture when ready re-
sembled thick pea-souD Bowling. he
handed it to the principal guest, who,
after drinking some with great DELHI
Grafton, handed it to his neighbor and
so on to the last, who finished the con-
tents.
The bowl and the other articles were
then handed round for inspection and
gave rise to much appreciative COM
Continued on page 3D.