The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-24

old Japanese gentleman with another
young one do little bookkeeping over
your permit before proceeding to escort
you to the palace.
You are, of course asked to take off
your shoes before entering, and you sit
down on the steps and allow your escorts
to bring you some knitted magenta socks
and help you off with your shoes. AS
wore a pair of low shoes and over them
a pair Of fur-lined party boots, the pre-
parations were complicated by the intense
interest which these excited.
l was left to my own devices while the
young man and the old one gave my fur
lined boots the most strict and thorough
examination; they turned them around
looked them inside out, felt of the fur,
rubbed the velvet and showed an intense
curiosity in hole which was beginning
to make its appearance in the toe. They
talked a great deal about 1t all, and
sa- and wondered, with my toes freezing
all the time, how long 1t would last and
whether there were any regulations for
bidding presons who wore fur-lined boots
to enter the Misado's palace. Finally
they quieted down and gave me to under
stand by their pleased grimaces that
was forgiven and the incident was closed.
concluded later that no motive deeper
than that of the Unsuitable Japanese Gu
riosity was responsible for the delay.
Upon entering the palace you are led
through long corridors from one apart
ment to the other and the young little
Japanese man tells you you are In the
Throne Room" 1.-THE Study" 1.-THE Hall
of Purple Mystery" 1.-THE Drawing
Room and so on. You are led from one
apartment to another, each outdoing the
other in its absolute simplicity, In the
dining hall there is a polished table and
in the pure and Cool Hail.. which gets
its name from a small brook which runs
meath it's steps, there is the Mikado's
throne, a sort of catafalque hung with
silk curtains of black and white and red
the only other furnishings you see. ex-
cept another throne In the Hall of Purple
Mystery, are the wonderful decorative
and artistic screens or walls which framed
in each apartment. The walls are very
beautiful, but to the IMMERSED mind and
perverted modern taste, this simplicity
seems a little overdone. little too much
elaborated to be really engaging.
The names of all the rooms seem to
make up in their wealth of suggestion
and their appeal to the Imagination for
the lack of material objects.
The Cool and Pure Hall is all too
true to its name. I am perfectly certain
tudt ilO WdIlHlu-dnd PCiHdpS lHlPuii-
|ty either-has ever penetrated into 1t
since it was first built My own feet
could gather no comfort from the fiery
color of the knitted socks in which they
were incased, and thoughts of my fur
lined boots awaiting me without were
alluring in the extreme.
Historically and archaeologically. this.
hall is of especial interest as In it are
found SO many indications Of Chinese in
n IT, ,rAs..
features, which are found nowhere else
the hinged shutters suspended on iron
rods from the roof
The throne chair, inlaid with mother
of-pearl is a luxury which dates back
also to this early period since which time
the sturdy Japs have apparently shaken
Off the trammels of comfort.
'The Hall of Purple Mystery" Is not
true to its name-how could it be? 1t Is
not purple and it is not mysterious, but
It is interesting. 1t has throne in it
and 1t is inhabited by a company OF
Chinese sases. who stand on the war pan
els in vivid colors and gaze eternally into
the room The original paintings were
made A. D. 8S8, but these were destroyed
long ago and the present sages are only
the copies Of copies. The throne is mod
ern, but 1t appears that the MiSado sat
upon chair In this hall of mystery and
allowed all those admitted to his pres
ence to take the same exalted position
though there are no signs of the other
chairs. flight OF Is steps leads down
into an open court and corresponds in
number to the original grades into which
the officers of the government We're d.
vided.
On the left of the court is cherry
tree, and on the right wild orange tree.
These venerable objects each have their
august name and you are formally in
troduced to them when you visit the
palace. I forget what their names are.
Just now, but they represent some an
cicnt rank and the guide book attempts
to explain what 1t all means by compar-
ing it to the knighting of the Sirloin of
Beef by Charles the Second.
The cherry tree is a representative of
the original one planted by the Emperor
Nimmyo, whose reign was in the ninth
century.
All, we'll enough of palaces! My visit
to Milo castle would read so much the
same that / dare not tax you with 1t
and will spare you the details. The effect
of Milo was to me far more rich and
impressive than the palace. One of the
things to see there is the wall screen
of wet heron perched on the gunwale of
a boat. This picture is famous among
artists the world over, and, of course, is
of high merit, but compared with the
art of the rest of the world could but
decide in my own mind that Japanese
art even at its best. reaches but slightly
beyond the purely decorative.
was back on the Chiyo in time for din
ner that night at Kobe and off again with
Madge and the others for Nagasaki.