The New York herald., 1922-12-10


lens its glorious contour. To dream of
Full (and who could help but dream. hav-
ing seen it?) is to The japanese mind, "a
certain promise of luck TO come" Our
favorite of the many photographs Mr..
Pointing shows of Fuji is the one facing
page l00-a view framed by level tree
branches. with lake and sailboat in the
foreground. The shore and wooded foothills
make a dusky base. And then, with utter
symmetry, the slopes of Fuji-san rise at
a wide and beauteous angle to the blunt
cone where like an ermine shoulder cape
lies the late summer snow. Under the
ermine mantle slu!nbers volcano which
in centuries gone has Redeemed the country
side. The japanese regard this loftiest
eminence of their iand u2.Ss5 feet) with
a mixture of alteration and terror; in their
minds it is wreathed with superstition.
legend and history. Occasionally zealots
climb its sides in fulfillment of some VOW,
religious or sentimental, but few go to the
crest. Mr.. Pointing made the ascent twice.
burdened with Photographic equipment.
The author explains the status Of the
geisha-a class of womanhood usually mis-
understood by visiting foreigners. Purely
japanese creation, she is trained from
childhood to dance and sing. she tells
stories and makes an art of repartee. just
as attractive women attaches of Russian
hotels are paid for conversation" so
gesha are hired 10 enliven what might
otherwise be dull moments. They are
employed to add color and gayety TO tea.
dinner, boating and picnic parties. Only
those who misinterpret the attitude OF
the Japanese toward their geisha confuse
them with courtesans. (Entre nous ladies.
japanese 0eHtleicCmen do not wear en-
broidered kimonos.)
There is little one needs to know about
the physical attractions of Japan. about
its home life, festivals and crafts that
cannot be found in Lotus Land" 1t is
library of Nippon information, and we
should think its existence would. for all
time discourage other English-speaking
travellers from ever trying to say with
books what they think of the F1owery
Kingdom.
The cameo style of the Scotch writer,
Norman Douglas. is one of our current ad-
mirations. We read his "old Calabria"
and his novel "They Went" and commend
them TO all authors bent on Improvement,
as we presume all authors are.
The latest of his books is no more book
of travel than of character analysis and
critical comment, smartened by amiable
digressions into the fields of archaeology
and science. Ostensibly it is a narrative
Italian cities and towns in wartime. The
author has a preference for towns. vii
lagos hamlets. And wherever two or three
houses put their roofs together this keen
eyed wanderer discovers telling scenes and
situations.
He carried. on the tour rare old book
of travel written by a fellow countryman.
Il mean to press il to the last DROP he
says. Zone seldom presses books out now
adays We browse dispersedly. in goatish
fashion. instead Of nibbling down TO the
root" Douglas, we should say. gets out of
people and places the last drop of interest
and enjoyment
The book starts at Mentone on the Medi-
terranean shore, circles around by Siena,
Pisa, Viarregio. Rome. Sorrento and back
to Rome and exists at Alatri-Alatri of the
five gates and the prodigious walls
The viarregio shore was Shelley's fu-
neral pyre. In public square is memo
rial erected by Shelley lovers. In one of
the monotonous streets of this populous
seaside resort. the brilliant 0uida passed
her final hours-poor. desolate and nearly
blind. Douglas admired her greatly. and
defends her talent in half dozen ardent
pageS