The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-04-22
NEWS OF TIE BOOK WORLD
Japanese Ghost Stories by Lafcadlo Hearn
Studies in Oriental Superstitons and
In the Toxic Mosquito Problem - An
Anti-ImperaIistc Drama.

From the supernatural to mosquito kill
ing would seem to be a long flight, but it
is not too long for Lafcadio Hearn in his
kWadan. The book, according to it's au
thor, is made up of ''stories and studies
Of strange things" and these strange
things include Japanese ghost stories,
some Of a sort quite conventional and mod
ern, others Of an atmosphere of the far
away past; they also include among other
studies, one the application of the kero-
sene cure for mosquitoes to the situation
in Toxic. After ALL however, the separa
ton between ghosts and mosquitoes is
not SO great to the, Japanese mind for
according to Buddhist doctrine mos
uuitoes may be reincarnations Of the
souls of the dead. condemned by the error
of former lives to the condition of Jil1i-
getsu-gakf, or blood drinking pretas.
One species of mosquito common in
| Toxic and skilled in the fine art of tor
| ture, Mr.; Hearn discovers, comes from an
old Buddhist cemetery near his home.
Could 1t be exterminated with kerosene?
! is a question that occurs to Mr.. Hearn.
The answer is negative If for no other
reason the kerosene treatment would be
| Impossible because Of the cost and the
labor OF the weekly application Of oil to
the tens of millions of flower cups and
water receptacles the breeding places of
the pests in the ancient cemetery. The
only solution would be the destruction of
the cemetery. and that Mr.. Hearn OBJ
jects to because he wishes to be buried
| there. One Of his reasons for this wish
is the big bell Of the cemetery of which
he quite Enthusiastically says:
Never do hear that oilloWy peal but
/ become aware Of a striving and fut-
tering in the abyssal part of my ghost
a sensation as Of memories struggling tc
reach the light beyond the dissertations OF
a million million deaths and births.
RI 1o hoo ri, 81 hot
bell. And, considering the pos.
sibilty of being doomed to the state of q
Jlki-getsu-gaki want to have my chance
of being reborn in some bamboo flower
cup, or mizutame, whence might issue
softly, singing my thin and pungent song
to bite some people that know.
But the above emphasizes too greatly
the minor portion of the book, which is
hardly fair, for the wonder tales of the
, major portion give valuable light upon tn.
japanese character; a nations so-calle(
superstititions always illuminate the char
, acter OF it's people. And Mr.. Hearn a.
an interpreter Of the Japanese belief il
the supernatural, which enters so largely
into the oriental life, leaves little alonf
that line to be desired. So does he as
story teller.
! THE MYSTIC POLE
All! shall we find at Deaths dark Polt
A halcyon Passage Of the Soul?
From Arctic awe and mystery free
Shall we behold Life's Open Sea,
Where sunlit pillows laugh and leap,
!, And not one heart is numbed with sleep
William Fl. Hayne in the May Century
Imperialism shown up on the stage
That is the possibility Arthur w. San
, born intended to put into Young Amerlc;
In the Hands of His Friends, a politica
drama. Upon the stage appear Young
America, John Bull, Mr.. Monopoly, Col
onel Gorgon, Senator lingo, secretaries
senators, a war correspondent, soldiers
servants, shade Of old America, Miss En-
. pire daughter Of Mr.. Monopoly; after
ward, wife of Young America), Filipena
waiting maid, a page. These personae ar
made to voice the authors sentiments OF
Imperialism and to do things that shov
imperialism evils as he sees them, an,
5 he has worked the whole thing out witt
: considerable cleverness. Instructions a
to costumes are not given, but it is no
! difficult to see a cowboy hat pair o
glasses and prominent teeth in this:
oh. with what ignorance do contend.
, But courage. fellows! Let us face the task
8 And solve the problem: back up eds with words
And Gissipate the night Of barbarism
The words are those Of Col. Gorgon.
After making Old Americas shad