Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-09-19
THE JAPANESE
SEEN AT HOME
GLIMPSE At THE empire DUR.
ING CHERRY BLOSSOM
SEASON..

should you ask me what is the
true spirit Of Japan I would answer
It's the scent of the mountain cherry
tree in the morning air." says the
poet Motoori, beloved of the Japan
ese.
The scent of the mountain cherry
tree IN the morning air! IT'S a peace
odor that, which wins the hearts oil
aliens even, and when I think how ii
must permeate the happy memories
OF each of the little brown sons and
daughters of this tinkling, small,
sweet land of elfin faiths, writes Ele.
amor Franklin. l believe 1 understand
the true spirit of Japan" that Yama.
to damashi which is at once the re.
l1gion and the pride earth earthly Of the
country Of mysteries screened by fan.
tasy.
The cherry blossom is the emblem
Of Bushido; Bushido is Japanese chiv-
airy; the soul of Japan so enthusias.
tically dwelt upon by that best inter.
prefer for his own, Inazo Nitobe, A.
M, Phi. D. The cherry blossom. be.
loved for itself and not, as by us,
for what it promises, is native to Ja-
pan, as native as the firmly fixed be-
lief in Ama-terasu, the Heaven-Shin-
1ng-Great-August Deity, Goddess of
the Sun, whose descendant, now aug.
Justly deigning to sit upon the throne
OF the empire, is the first of this great
line who has ever been fearlessly look
ed upon by his adoring subjects.
In the Days Of Richieu.
Away back in century engulfed
In centuries, when the gray dawn of
England's history was beginning to
pale upon Times horizon, there lived
an emperor of Japan called Richieu.
Now neither Richieu nor his predeces-
sors had ever felt potency of the scent
of the mountain cherry tree in the
morning air nor were the palace gar
dens luxuriantly adorned as they are
today with this most luxuriant of all
Towering trees. But one day Richieu
and some of his courtiers were pleas
uring upon small lake near the pal
ace when, as the emperor lifted his
lacquered wine cup to his lips, a
cherry blossom from the hills above
f1oated down and settled with a gen.
tie suggestion of companionship into
the amber liquid. His majesty, keen
ly alive to the poetry that is of ia
pan, paused to wonder while all his
courtiers Frustrated themselves before
the unseen divinity who had thus SO
graciously and highly deigned to an
nounce her presence among them. The
cherry flower of the hills! Until that
moment it had been neglected, un.
observed in it's pink cloud of lowell
ness, but having thrust itself with
such charming insistence upon the no
tice of the heaven born, the Tenshi,
it was destined thenceforth to occupy
first place in the hearts of the people
OF the land wherein alone it blossoms
to perfection.
True Spirit Of Japan.
The ladies of the court of Richieu
had never, in their holy seclusion,
looked upon cherry blossom, and
when they were told the sweet story
of the single dying flower dropping
so sadly into the emperor's wine cup
their curiosity was so great that his
majesty caused to be brought from
the hills some of the most perfect
trees, which were planted in the pal
ace gardens and coaxed to luxuriant
blooming for his august pleasure and
the Joy of his thousand human butter
flies. Then the poets of the empire
began to farme sweet thoughts about
the hitherto unsung sakura in words
OF fantastic melody. They wrote OF
morning dew lingering longingly up
on pink velvet clouds, unresponsive
to the passionate wooing of the sun.
beams. They spoke of mellow moon
light suffused with the intoxicany
breath of Sakura, queen of spring.
They wrote of Springs soft shower of
tears" when the withered blooms flut-
tered down to earth, and as they wrote
the whole world, that is Japan, grew
In love with this pink cloud flower.
and the sentiment gradually develop
ed which found it's highest express
sion when Motoori wrote. "Should
you ask me what is the true spirit
of Japan I would answer-'tis the
scent of the mountain cherry tree in
the morning air."
have wondered how the Japan
csc came to be such economists in
pleasures. l do not know. We of the
great western world take our joys so
madly and so sadly. We live lives of
such riotOusness tempered by regrets.
For sensation that consumes us we
barter our peace. For luxury that
smothers we exchange the serenity
that is Gods divinest blessing. and
so completely are we enwrapped in the
confusion of achievements which our
untrammeled desires nave wrought
that we pause embarrassed before sim
plicity and wonder how it came to be.
At least that is my experience here in
Japan in these cherry blossom days
when I mingle with the throngs of
people who walk so silently, so almost
sadly, beneath the fragrant clouds OF
pink, unmatched beneath the sun, that
express to me such magnificent riot
of joy.
Sit in Silence.
If the cherry groves of Uyeno grow
in Central park the Mayday crowds
would dance under their flower
weighted boughs; there would be blat-
ant music of bands; fountains would
splash and play over white marble
goddesses of love, children would
shrek exuberantly in the dappling
shadows and only lovers would go
silently because thus lovers express
greatest love- Such Is our intemper
ance in pleasures. But here in Uye-
r:AA