December, 1916 
15 
The photograph of the 
tea room below is de¬ 
ceptive. The ceiling is 
less than 6 ' high. The 
great chair is tiny. 
Gauge the room's di¬ 
mensions by the kimono 
on the wall. To the left 
is the midsuya, where 
the utensils are pre¬ 
pared. True to custom, 
the room accommodates 
no more than five per¬ 
sons. The portrait and 
superabundance of flow¬ 
ers, however, are not 
strictly Nipponese 
Through the garden 
trickles a little stream 
with pebbled banks, but¬ 
tressed by cedar posts. 
Stone slabs bridge it 
where the path crosses. 
Here and there stand 
stone lanterns. On the 
borders and in the back¬ 
ground the East and the 
West mingle, but 
enough of old Japan is 
here to give the spirit 
of the beautiful foolish¬ 
ness of things in rvhich 
one would linger 
