Old Japanese Songs 



THIS New Year's morning I find upon my 

 table two most welcome gifts from a 

 young poet of my literary class. One 

 is a roll of cloth for a new kimono, cloth such 

 as my Western reader never saw. The brown 

 warp is cotton thread ; but the woof is soft white 

 paper string, irregularly speckled with black. 

 When closely examined, the black specklings 

 prove to be Chinese and Japanese characters ; 

 for the paper woof is made out of manuscript, 

 manuscript of poems, which has been deftly 

 twisted into fine cord, with the written surface 

 outwards. The general effect of the white, black, 

 and brown in the texture is a warm mouse-grey. 

 In many Izumo homes a similar kind of cloth is 

 manufactured for family use ; but this piece was 

 woven especially for me by the mother of my 

 pupil. It will make a most comfortable winter- 

 is? 



