The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-05-28

Tho snn,irh, Is never very strong, but
the cherry blossoms last only a rev
DAYS, and that is doubtless why the tine
seems like n great holiday in the land;l
why everybody Mglects all other Things
to 20 and sit beneath the trees anu
dream. IT is an understandable thing, TINS
cherry sea son. Even to paint word pic
lures Of the extravaganza, of the beauty
of 1t. is n. thing impossible; but, could
that be done, there would he still much
left 10 do in finding ones way through
tho mystic nazes of national sentiment.
which is like nothing ever comprehended
by Occidental mind.
j am in Tokyo. the strangcst civ =
the world--a marvellous medley Of slghrs
and sounds. try TO think what 1t must
have been once upon time before tho
energetic hand OF progress applied to us
old useless, picturesquGness such an
unskllf,l motley Of modern patches In
wintcrtlme. when so many nf the trees
arc lcafless, this gaunt, new outWardness
OF Tokyo ia decidedly irritating. Ono
longs to get Elimpses behind the high,
unbcaut!ful fences which screen so Sue
cessfnlly all that is Of Tokyo beautiful
or Japanese: but one seldom does, anu
az the winter days go by a firm convic-
ton that no uglicr city exists upon earth
settles itself IN ones mind, to the abso-
luto destruction of certain fantastic
pocscs which are always sure to illumt-
nate one s first impression Of Japan. But
gradually tho nusterity of winter begins
to melt under the warm smiling OF the
February sun, and then suddenly upon
many hare branches that roach out over
the high walls little pink blossoms begin
to appear, and wee. soft bird with a
sad note in its beautiful song, begins
to mi all the bright mornings with
trillngs
Tho plum blossoms and tho ugulsu
under gray-pink February skies form n
combination which Nature fashioned in
her gcntlest mood. and the burst of JOY
which follows 1t at the blossomng Of the
myriad cherry trees seems fitting
climax to SO sweet herald Of approach
ing summer. Over almost every wall
over every wall. ndecd--cherry trees lift
their bare branches through the February
DAYS and slowly. as tho sun brightens,
their provinces turns to purple, which
slowly fades TO an cxpectant pinkening
flush. TO mo this rromise-time is more
beautiful in n way than tho time of full
blooming, when Tokyo becomes blush
ing, intoxicantly fragrant garden, and
yet nothing was ever so beautiful in the
world as this. All that has been said,
all that has been written, the sentiment
which has named Japan the Land of
First Sunbcams. the Flowcry Kingdom.
all the enthusiasm, the hyperbole, is just
and ,unexaggcrated, for never did IT,.
sun riso upon Il more bewitching sigh
than the ten million cherry trees Of thu
littlo Island Empire in the full glorr
of their mid-Aprl Towering.
Even Children Are Silent.
"The shine! Of day. tho sheen OF night
Arc drowned IN cherry blossom light"
~ H.. 49,
beneath this rose-pink glow there are no
1oying tlirongs; no bursts Of exubcrant
youthful song; no shouting of rolicking,
noisy children; no lovers lost in dreams
in such n dreamland!
TO be sure there arc throngs. great,
bright throngs moving restlessy about or
sitting motionless among the trees, but