The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1909-01-24

L
pepper bush making me her three little bows
q From the top coil of her satiny hair to ths
~ thong of her two-inchhigh lacqucrcd sandals
she might have stepped off the Tokyo fan IN
my drawing room cabinet
There arc Japanese women galore in Hawaii;
bt the blight of Western civilization is upon most of
them They wear dirty blue cotton Mother Hub
bards" and shapcless hats they uncassfcd
and hideous.
But Tia. in her slycr-gray kimono with her gold
and blue obi folded about her tiny waist and looped
over an absurd little horscair pillow behind; with
her twotocd stockings ending at the ankle and hook
inc up the sides with her skin like old IVORY her
poued rcd lips and long ringcd eyes; Tia was Japan
the Orient The Ruttcr OF cherry blossoms the
breath of almond boughs. with her
What shall I do" l demanded OF the household
"Shc has just arrived in the Islands. She doesn't
know word of English She has seen cook
ing stove, or I knife and fork, spring bed
Keep her." choruscd the household, with deep bass
emphasis from the masculine portion
"Maso" l called. opening the dning-room door
with rcpidation. Maso was Japanese chef and
factotum, force always to be rcckoncd with and
uadcr no circumstances TO be disturbed lean,
grabbed bachelor of forty Maso, with superior
views of his importance. and a lofty diSdan OF
pcttcoats Western and presumably, japanese lie
~OH'S
and brown Fedora and was one OF the pillars OF the
local church l held my breath he sauntcrcd in,
blue checked dish towel flung MS shoulder and
gazed beneath his hafcloscd lids at the vision under
the Chili-peppcr bush
Human nature is the same from the days of Helen!
Ono cye-hash-and Maso, conquered, was leading her
kitchcnwards his Japanese amenities minglng with her
gurglng laugh
II was worth Tias wages just TO hear that Taught
-,,,,t, bor, O[o.,oG
in the morning TO the last "SoyonarG" flung her
shoulders at night life and work long jest
20 her She pervaded the place like butterfly 1t
was Tia in the drawng-room with feather duscr
half big herself Tia in the kitchen swinging her
heels from tall wooden chair and eating radshcs and
shoyH; Tia among the ginger blossoms reaching hign
above her head to pluck the creamy stalk and Tia at
The gate making three bows 10 O7Snti-Sdn, the white
moon in the sky 1t cannot be said that training her
into high-cass waitress and chambernaid did not
have its drawbacks. There times when the
Japanese dictionary. Dumb Crambo and Dcsartc com
Ilncd failed TO convey the slightest impression, |
rot truthfully say understood each other i'll
those first days. but often OWNED each other; and
when dvination failed, down and laughed which
is sometimes better for the soul than much comprc
Iension.
And TO sec her arranging flowers with her glossy
head dc-tilted like birds her rcd under lip sucked
they caught that ineTablc blend of Art and Nature
which is the mystery OF Japan; to sec her toddng
about the dining table with her funny short steps, her
long sleeves thrown her shoulder and ginger
bloom in her hair, compcnsations
As TO the masculine portion OF the household, it
succumbed to her to man, and il she triumphcd in
the paror she tyrannizcd IL the kitchcnl Maso the
naughty. Maso the tacitrn. who smiled piyingly over
suggestions of desserts and scorncd preferences III
potatoes, became Maso the suppliant,
He hung out Tias washing for her, he empticd her
ubs for her. he washed the dinner dishes (Which
obviously her duty) Her mpudcnt little sandals
elucrcd up his neat Kitchen her combs and hair
pms Uttered his bachelor bcdroom-for where else could
oJo-5dn Tia smooth her satiny locks ?-and for re-
trrn she laughed at him and tcascd him all day long
called him "od man" ard good -for-nothing." and
treated him generally the dust beneath her feet.
There also others: Yamashito, the painter, who
took three days to do one days work. flirting with Tia
at my expense; and carpenters and butcher boys and
iilncran turnp sellers O-jo-san Tia laughed then
all
Then came Ishiwara, tho barber. 1t might be sale
that lshiwara in the air from the beginning, bu
ii was some time before he materiaized
If Tia Japan feminine Ishiwara was Japan mas
oulinca strappng lad with square shoulders and lear
flanks that would have done credit to West Pointer
His blackingbrush hair, cropped close behind, grew
longer on Top ana te peturcsquey almost TO MS eye
brows, and he wore always blue c-and-white kimono
girt with white silk obi He had been soldier (s
he told us) and his swagger was worth crossing hal
the Pacific 10 Maso, with his ill-httng America
clothes and STOPPING shoulders was undistnguishabl
from the common herd, but lshwara might have bee
Mkado incognito. One always expected him
stride into the garden with two swords thrust throug
his girdlc. and a rctnuc of princes,
Twilight by twilight he came to sit on his heels undo
the banana trees and tell Tia tales of his prowcss-
magnificent tales, interspcrscd with many cigarette
CHS fingers mahogany colorcd with nicotine) an
acted with all the superb aplomb of the Oricnta
Now he ground leh nuts beneath his heel like Ch
ncse skulls now he rcconnotrcd among tho papai trees
now he crouchcd in ambush behind royal palm; ar
now he charged upon platoons Of t-plants and swc
them from the face Of the earth!