The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-05-22
Tokyo, Japan, March 81.

Tokyo, Japan, March 81.
Dear Mother write you some
now, and 1t may be more before |
mail this 1t Is just while after din
ner. Victor and Thelma are asleep
and Blanche has gone down town. II
Is pouring down rain, very unfortun-
ate for me, for washed our under.
wear and handkerchiefs out this
morning and am afraid they will not
dry very well at this rate. Launder
ing is very cheap here. II costs three
sen or one and one-half cents a gar,
ment for washing and ironing. Just
think of shirts being washed and iron.
ed for one and a half cents. When
we arrived at Yokohama Bros. Xii
bourne and Makada with Mrs. Maka
da were down to meet us. Ii was
hard for us to distinguish them but
they picked us out and waved at us
before we were able TO tell who they
were. Then we had to have our bag
gage taken into the custom house and
have our trunks opened and looked
into. They looked into all OF them
hut two. | guess the customs official
decided that we had no tobacco OF
anything of that sort, and was salts
fed without looking further; however
he looked through all our suit cases
hat boxes and small articles. After
we had passed through this ordeal We
took a ride in the jinriksha up+to the
station where there was also a kind
of restaurant. We enjoyed our ride
much more than we had anticipated
Ii was much easier riding than in any
kind of carriage | had ever ridden in
Thelma rode with Brother Makada.
We then had a lunch and took the 8
o'clock train for Tokyo. Here they
have first, second and third class rates.
They say most missionaries travel
second class. We came part way by
locomotive and the rest of the way by
street car. 1t seemed much different
than travelling in America. We saw
the rice and wheat fields along the
way, also the plum trees were in bios.
som. The blossoms are very red and
some white. Very pretty for plum
blossoms. When We reached one OF
the stations very near the o. M. s.
Compound, We were met by Sister
Kilbourne and Esther and Misses
Pierce and Hertzler, the two girls who
are missionaries here. When we
reached the station at Nome, the Jap.
anese students were all to meet us.
They were a bright, intelligent lot OF
! Japanese. twas about a five minute
walk from there to Kilbournes house
where we are now staying. When
we are at home we would hardly
know but we were in America, but it
is much different when we even get
block or so away. Victor and |
took a little voyage as far as we
thought We dared to go without a
guide, for fear of becoming lost. We
Icounted the corners as we passed SC
we would be able to find our way
back. The streets are very narrow
and people go right through the cen.
ter of them. The Odors are not al.
ways the best either, from these con.
ditions. We got back to the house
safely. The next morning Esther
took us for a walk; on our way we
passed "a cemetery. AT each grave is
little bowl where the doves come
and drink the water We didn't I'M
derstard fully in what connection this
was with their religion but Esther
said they thought their souls went in
to the doves when they died. We
also passed a temple and the walk
was very interesting.
Yesterday afternoon Bro. Kilbourne
took us to the Asukusa Park where
one of the largest temples is located
Our hearts were made sad as we
watched the poor souls come up and
worship the gods of wood and stone,
Poor old men and women almost ready
for the grave praying so loud and SO