Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-09

A charming red-headed lady turned
| over to us the other day q delightful
i volume, called 1.-The Book of Tea" by
Okakura Kakuzo, published by Dufneld
q Co., New York.
1t is a small book, easily read through
| in an hour just as a cup of tea may
be drunk in five minutes. There is
something to be said for 3 short novel.
short story, a short poem, a cup OF
tea.
In certain moods a shorter work Is
more priced than a long one. However
much one may prefer stable book OF
! 500 pages as q. general thing, there
come times when the short book is
preferably the best.
The subject of tea is a peculiarly
! intriguing one for an American. In
some subtle way, based upon the his
toric party at Boston, we have come to
| look upon the word tea" as almost
synonymous with independence"
1t is pleasing to know, therefore, as
result o. reading THE Book of Tea, "
that tea drinking with the Japanese is
more than just tea drinking.
With them it is q philosophy, a very
gentle fun At the way most Americans
| live.
"Teaism," says our author. els a cult
| founded on the alteration Of the beau
tiful among the facts of everyday
existence. It Is essentially q
worship of the Imperfect. as It is a
tender attempt to accomplish some
thing possible in this impossible thing
We know as life"
* ***
Most Americans interested in art have
heard or read something about the
| classic tea ceremony of the Japanese.
Those who come to this book hoping
to find it explained in detail will be
writes all around his subject, but studi-
| ously refrains from giving his readers
any account of the central ceremony
| itself. At first blush this will strike
the reader as begging a delightful uues-
| ton, but when he finish the book he
will admit that Mr.. Kakuzo is right.
Why should he reveal the Utmost
secrets Of a national ceremon one
| which has almost religious aspects, for
the curious benefit of foreigners who
may wish only to rush into a tea cere-
mony of their own, to try it out" as
1t were?
Shame upon any of us If we should
| dare to attempt such a ceremony with
| out first becoming saturated with the
| ideals of Japan, without being initiated,
| as 1t were, by genuine, bona flde
4 Tea maSJeT!
It seems that tea master" is one
| who knows all the ms and outs of the
ceremony, as well as the finer points of
| its philosophy.
The writer here admits disappoint-
| ment. No doubt If the details of the
ceremony had been given, he would
have rushed to the teapot and the tea
| caddy at once in order to put on" q
tea ceremony Of his own.
Now this evidently was exactly what
the. writer feared, so he carefully re-
Trained from giving the Layout" Of
the tea room, the exact motions made
in the brewing and handling of the
tea, and many other details, all done
| according to the tradition of the CEN
| turtles.
He does give, however, much to put
curious tea drinkc- in sympathy with
the mystic ceremony, and to give him
desire to know more. II one must 70
to Japan, one thinks, to find out-weil,
the trip would be worth IL.
y
The reader sees that the word tea
with these interesting people means
more than just something to drink.
They speak Of the an with no tea"
In him when he Is insusceptible to the