seems to have delighted him most was 

 the lotus, which in the form of wreaths 

 decorated the brows of the guests. A 

 favourite fashion was to have a single 

 bud hang down upon the centre of 

 forehead. It was also the custom to 

 present one to each guest, and the 

 host had a bowl of them placed in 

 front of him. 



In the Flowery Kingdom itself, 

 where every bird and flower is loved 

 and tended, what wonder that this 

 beautiful bloom holds a place? Here, 

 too, is the lily, the flower of faith, the 

 sacred flower of Buddha, seen always 

 in the temples dedicated to that god. 

 Seldom are they living flowers, but are 

 reproductions in bronze, brass, gold, 

 or coloured papers. By the fingers of 

 the artistic Japanese are made flowers 

 of exquisite beauty, which seem to 

 partake of the joyous nature of the 

 worshippers of Buddha, — something 

 92 



