THE MORNING-GLORY. 33 



with religion as well as the fact that it fades so quickly that makes 

 the asagao unsuitable for use on felicitous occasions. 



Miss Scidmore states that "the late Empress-Dowager, a conser- 

 vator of many old customs and aristocratic traditions, and a gentle' 

 soul with a deep love of flowers, poetry, and art, kept up the culture 

 of the asagao, and had always a fine display of flowers at her city 

 and summer palaces during the lotus-time of the year." But in 

 Tokyo the finest morning-glory gardens are at a place called Iriya, 

 beyond Uyeno Park ; there wonderful varieties, too numerous to 

 mention, are exhibited. Of the different colors, dark blue takes the 

 first rank. 



Two well-known poems about the morning-glory run as fol- 

 lows : 



"Every morn, when the dawn brightens into joy, 

 The morning-glory renews its beautiful flowers, 

 And continues blooming long in this way, 

 To give us hope and peace that wither not."* 



"Oh, for the heart 

 Of the morning-glory ! 



Which, though its bloom is lor a single hour, 

 Is the same as that of the fir-tree, 

 Which lives a thousand years." 



The Japanese also have what they call hirugao, or "noon-face," 

 and yugao, or "evening-face." The latter, which Occidentals would 

 presumably name "evening-glory," seems to be especially famous 

 for the beauty of its white blossoms. In the Genji Monogatari, a 

 lady-love of the hero sings as follows : 



"The crystal dew at evening's hour 

 Sleeps on the Yugao' s beautiful flower ; 

 Will this please him, whose glances bright, 

 Gave to the flower a dearer light ?" 



The most famous verse about the morning-glory is, of course. 

 that of the maiden, O Chiyo San, who having found a vine with 

 its blossoms twining around her well-bucket, would not disturb it, 

 but went elsewhere to beg some water. The poem, which is in the 

 form of the hoku, runs as follows : 



"Asagao ni 

 Tsurube tor arete 

 Morai-midzu." 



See the Century Magazine for December, 1897. 



