Year: 1879

nothing does the genius tho people asseFt
itself with sincerity than in devisng pleasures
Tor the little people. There Is something tangible
in Japanese toys. The monkeys have real hair, and
you can wool the dogs about and worry the cats with
out seeing them unravel the nursery foor. And
the dolis You take assortment of babies at hoIne
and they seem to have been cast in the same mould
They look alike, they have no expresson-the faces
are dead, dull. habby; 1t will be mercy II they
have noses and the only way the boys can be
told from the girls is by the the hair parted
But what you expect from mighty people
thinking of canals and raiaays. The genius OF
America does not to dolls, but to manifest des
tiny and bonanza mines. The Japanese artist makes
doll though he loved It, and when he is through
may be q poem something to come home to the
baby heart. to have joys and sorrows, to be loved
with the passionate love Of innocence and child
hood. Those were, indeed, our hours OF tempta-
ton, those after breakfast hours in the billiard
room at Euriokwan. Espeeially in the matter Of
swords There is place in the world where you
buy such beautiful swords as in Japan. Until
within the last few years gentleman retainer
carried two swords-a long and . short one. These
weapons were the mark Of his rank-his badge of
gentle life He took pride jp his swords. and aimed
to have them of the kesnest temper and most exqu-
site adornment. But in the hour of change came
decree torbidding the wearing OF the swords. sup
pressing the two-sworded men. the sumauri. as they
are called. as class. so all that was left for the
abolished sumauri to carry their swords to the
baZaars and turn them into rice and hsh. Conse-
and spears of the finest work knanshp. with scab-
bards OF lacquer and bronze iDeeniously worked in
silver and gold. have looked at innumerable
specimens and never found two alike. Each separate
weapon seemed to be the expression OF idea. and
you ceased marvel the endless variety and
sweep OF the decorative art


MEMORIES ANCIENT DAYS.


You felt also II you bought one OF the swords
that you investing in the antiquity and chivalry
OF japan. The twosworded other
people. ana wear plain clothes and work for their
living and use civil language which not always
their custom when Sir rutherford Acock four
ished. Aud yet. that nothing Is left the poor
sanauri but their swords. which litter the bazaars
cheapen the wespsn that FOR aenerssions. psrhsps
was the heirloom and the pride OF gentleman's
family-now that the samauri longer infest the
streets to worry British Ministers and foreign
chants-I am disposed to think kindly OF them. and
not feel as harshly as Sir Rutherford's narrative
pity" said Sir Harry Parkes the British Minister
one day to the writer, ''that the samauri abo
ished. They included in their ranks men Of cul-
ture and valor They were the middle class-or one
might say the martial class-and were kind OF
backbone to the social system. Some of the old
did any harm, aud the country would have been
stronger with them.' quote this indulgent opn-
ion of the British Minister in justice to the memory
of the samauri. and rather an Offset to the unfa
vorable impression given OF their character by Sir
narry's predecessor. MI senaul was in Japan
and at the crisis Of the revolution which
was to destroy their power. and he noted
turbulent body Of men. he did not one act of
rudeness nor hear one word OF ill-temper take it
more disposed to do them Justice and see the res
virtues in their character, than when he is attend
ing bankruptcy or executors sale of their effects
kSoSCoohAAS
for about one-tourth their value. 1t awakens the
hidden springs Of benevoence in your nature, and
as marvel at the finish Of these samauri swords
think of all the kind things possible about the poor
shorn gentlemen who once bore them. One advan-
tage about the sword market in Japan that swords
cheaper than they will be again, and
they make capital presents. That is Of the
problems of travel-to find something unique and
valuable that you can buy cheap What pity 1t is
that you cannot make presents the principle that
England governs 1ndia-by prestige When some
mo aio 10 his w Prince ha
cannot give diamonds in return. So the Mahara-


ah is declared to be loyal and deserving prince and
has two guns added to his salute The Prince has
the diamonds and the Maharajah the guns, and both
satisfied the Indian more especially. Now,
his good Intentions and have them aeesp.od as
their par value what relief it would
be. and what trouble it would save you in wondering
how and would be pleased with this that and
what heart burnings would be avoided when the
various idols of your existence in after days
compare your offerings and sit in judgment upon
your affection.


woRKERs IN CLAY.


But while we had our hours Of temptation In the
tent OF which, am afraid, SO far some OF are
concerned, will never be known until tho time
cometh when all things must appear-we had hours
of instruction. Our hosts were thinking Of
some new employment for each day. We
grow tired in time Of the public institutions.
over. aud aftor VIC had recovered from our
wonder ut seeing in Japan schools and workshops


IKE those we left behind us they had no more in
heat OF the weather made going about oppressive.
and even tho sea lost its freshness. and
from the land the effect OF the was to increase
the heat Our interest in earthquakes was always
tain conditions our Japanese friends would tell us
that We might expect q shock. In japan the earth
quake is as common pbenomena as thunder
proach. have told you Of one experienced
when We were all at dinner, and when
We owed it to Governor Hennessy that we discov-
cred there had boen earthquake. On that day It
had rained. and all that remember specially
that in walking about tho grounds before dinner the
air seemed to be heavy aud the sluggish
few mornings before we left Euriokwan there was
workers in pottery to show the skill Of the
Japanese in department of art in which they have
mo Rsa One ss.ra of the posrs
eral his work. After breakfast we found
tho artisans arranged in the large drawing
room. There the chief worker. . solemn
middle aged person. who spectacles. He was
dressed in his gala apparel. and when came into
the room went down his face in Japanese style.
There were three assistants. One worked the Wheel
Another baked the clay. A third made himself gen.
orally useful. Tho chief OF the party painter.
We saw all the processes Of the manufacture the
inert lump of clay going around and around, and
shaping itself under the true. nimbe fingers of the
something fascinating in the labors Of the wheel,
the work is SO thoroughly the artisans own, for
when he begins he has only lump OF mud
envy OF throne room. 1t seems almost like Prov
idence this taking the dust OF the valley and creating
1t, for the work IL creation, and reminded OF
Providence in remembering that whep the Creator of
all fashioned His supreme work ii made of clay.
Tho decoration of the clay interesting. requiring
quick. firm stroke. We requested write
something the clay before .t went into the fur
General Grant gave his and the rest
OF us inscriptions written well could wrlto
with yielding brush. After the inscriptions had
been written tho cups were washed In white SUBJ
stance and hurried into the furnace. When they
out the fire had evaporated the coating turned
into gloss the tins OF our writing anu the painters
colors had changed and inscriptions were fas-
tened in deep and lasting brown.


AN EARTIiQUAKE.


It while Watching the pottcrs over
their clay, and in conversation with a Japanese
citizen. who spoke English and interpreter
about the progress of the special industry in Toxic
that heard n noise though the joists and
wooden work OF the house were being twisted. as
II some walking tho floor above with q
heavy step. But there was second floor in Eurio-
kwan, and suppose the incident would have passed
In,~