86 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1898. 



the little charcoal stove under the blanket with him, and the gas 

 from the burning coal has caused his death. 



Of course it is necessary to eat in Japan ; and in order that you 

 may know something of what you have to eat, we will go into 

 the kitchen of the hotel. Here we tind three girls working pre- 

 paring the dinner you have ordered. One is cutting up some 

 roots, another is stirring up some sort of combination that you 

 have to guess at when it comes to your room, and the one stand- 

 ing up at the right is washing rice, so you get some idea of the 

 interior of a Japanese kitchen. Here three servants do as much 

 as one servant in America. The dress of the people in this 

 picture and the cast of the countenance is all very typical of the 

 true Japanese. Here is the servant who will bring in the food 

 that you have ordered. You notice, he has your dinner on his 

 shoulder, rice soup, fish, and very rarely meat, unless you order 

 it especially, for the Japanese do not eat meat or anything else 

 that has blood in it. In his hand he carries a lantern made of 

 bamboo framework, covered over with rice paper, which is oiled, 

 and very nearly transparent, and then ornamented with figures. 

 It is used in the hotels and also on the street when it is necessary 

 for extra lio:ht. 



After your long journey, it is necessary to have your soiled 

 linen washed. If you would like to have it laundried in the 

 Japanese fashion, you have only to hand it to this girl and she 

 will take it to the brook near by. She will take a tub with her 

 and thinks she is working very hard, but she manages to see 

 everything that is going on. Anything especially interesting 

 will cause her hands to stop their work, and she will get all the 

 enjoyment possible in looking about her. 



Here you see the characteristic traits of the poorest class of 

 the Japanese. You have also in the background some of the 

 vines that you will always find even in the poorest Japanese 

 garden. They take care of the little patch of ground, and they 

 always have something planted there. The Japanese backyard 

 is a piece of art. It is always kept in perfect order and has 

 something beautiful growing in it. 



Of course while you are in Japan you wish to learn as much 



