210 
THE LADIES FLORAL GABINET. 
Diy friend M-, who had married a missionary, 
living in Yokohama. When the steamer hove to, I w®® 
one of the first to descend. After a rather rough toss¬ 
ing about in the small boat, we were finally landed and 
I sought my friend. 
Two or three days afterwards, Matayemon presented 
himself, and the above convei'sation took place: 
“Nothing could please me better,” I said. “AAHien 
do we start ? ” 
“ To-morrow morning, if j-ou please.” 
“ You are fortimate,” said my American friends. “It 
is a, difficult matter to gain enriance to the homes of the 
daivitos. but you will, no doubt, meet witli great coiu'- 
tesy. Even the commonest Japanese is embodied polite¬ 
ness ; I think we might often take pattern by them.” 
‘When I return, I will relate all my adventiues,” I 
rejoined laughingly. 
Tlie next day was bright and beautiful, as we took oiu‘ 
■'vay through the crowded streets to the railway station. 
As we were whirled along we had glimiises of the Bay 
and shipping; the flat roofs of Yokohama spread them¬ 
selves beliind us, and Fuji, like a coy maiden, at one 
moment revealed her beauty, at another, hid her smil- 
mg face. 
At length, with a shriek, our train nished into the 
depot, Md we knew we had reached Tokio. 
Jm-ri-ki-shas (man-power carriages), were hired, and 
ag^ we set out. This novel style of locomotion did 
not OMctly please me, but my companion laughed and 
^d I would soon become accustomed to it. My atten¬ 
tion was soon entirely taken up with the strange sights 
and sounds; at every turn of the road something new met 
my eye; this continuous panorama lasted for five miles. 
Ihen our runners began to ascend a long hill; puflffig 
summit, and, at a signd 
^ ^®et, for this 
IS toe most elevated ground within the city limits We 
sat and gazed our fill, then Matayemon gave the sign to 
march agam. A little way down toe elevation, andthe 
r.^ers stopped before a massive wooden gaTewlv 
^ch, with a cui-iously-constructed waU of tUes about 
^elve feet in height, entirely concealed toedwe£g 
or ya-shi-ki, as it is called. 
itsltf^itn^f f ^ presented 
Itself. A long, low house, suiTounded by smaller dwell 
A little group were in the open veranda: whUe S 
background, the dusky faces of the retainers smied toe 
broadest po^ble welcome. “ 
‘ Let me mtroduce to you mv resneeterl anne j 
Wo CO^S,” said Matayemon, afteT havtig preTt^Sd 
imirelf and performed a salutation (i.e., drawL^S^^If 
breath and bowing nine times). “ O Moto ^ ^ 
able to co^ei'se in English, so when I aS not at hand 
you must be the interpreter.” * 
I had seen several Japanese young ladies in vm, 
llama, but OMoto combined charmiLt ^ 
toe high-bred air of one accustomed to toe b^^” 
I am 80 happy that you will . 
Honorable mother is also rfaH k f 
herself in your language” * ’ express 
lady in her native tongue, and her claughter-K^T'^ 
had hitherto been quite silent, repeated her w ’ 
I found out afterwards that it is the height of 
politeness to depreciate all that belongs to 
tainer, and in equal terms to laud and mj, . 
possessions of the visitor. ‘ SUify t],j 
“Shall we enter the house?” said Matayenio 
Slipping oft' my walking-boots, a.s previously?' 
1, I left them in the “ mouth of the house 
eel 
C'-lj A l“Ll( vlXvfALl Xll lllL/Cluil Oi tllQ iiOllSG 
entered a largo hall running the entire length 
building. Thence we were conducted into a sinall°^ 
;, and invited to seat oui-selves upon beautifi 
. I doubled myself up as gracefully as possfi f 
‘Truly,” said my kind hostess, “I would n 
ri ‘“y 
nieut 
mats. 
herself in your language. 
“ WeWme to my miserable abode: if you wil) d • 
to accept our poor entertainment, you will^oL^ 
house were more suited to the comfort of a fore 
But if you wiU bear with our accommodations 
give the greatest pleasure to myself and my um„„ 
family.” '' 
I remarked that I was perfectly happy, and more 11 , 
contented, to which the old lady and her two daughte 
uttered so many protestations of grief and dismal! 
the meagreness of their fare and the poorness of toe¬ 
dwelling, that I began to fear I should be overwhelmed 
Luckily, a diversion was created by the entrance of a little 
mrid-servant with tea, and candy, pipes and tobacco 
Tlie tea was sei-ved, fi-agrant and clear, in tiny onus of 
egg-sheU porcelain, the candy was a jelly-like substance 
veiy palatable, but almost too sweet. The pipes were 
cunously caiwen, and the tiny silver bowls held but a 
pmch at a time. Out of courtesy, I accepted one, and 
pretended to enjoy it. The ladies of the house then set¬ 
tled themselves for a long chat. In the intervals of con¬ 
versation I looked about me. At the head of the room 
was a to-ko-no-ma or raised platform. Midway between 
perched the shrine of the household 
god. The tmy doors stood half open, cUsclosing what I 
afteiwards learned were the ancestral tablets of the 
TW ^ (stand), 
ni! property of the deceased dainiw. 
eahto!? I to a press or 
cabmet bufit mto the wall, whose doors and drawere, 
in? to? Pif 011-boles, were mai-vels of artistib cai-v- 
tn%X!r^ logoi’® tubrly itched 
feerolf ^ recesses. A few ka-ke-mo-no 
and there, and the sliding 
• n celebrated artistl 
in the TOom^^'" (fire-bowl), was the only small article 
My hostess wishing to entertain me, asked : 
ou you hke to see some of our toeasures ?” 
to in^she called a servant and directed her 
which RtnoJi f’^^i^oles from the mud safe, or go-down, 
heavv with oourt-yai’d. In a few minutes, robes, 
ci-vstals silver embroidery, magnificent 
of Dotterv a ^Pooimoms of lacquer and pearls, treasures 
‘i-'t-PaW on silk, 
fortunate possesso?! 
7 Japanese friends that in America we 
'‘Pftnioiits with our choicest art treas¬ 
on.?? h "P “ amazement and cried: 
atima • ®®'ii Jou cnjoy them? One ornament at 
thlt oo.ir tliink the beauties of 
“ woidd ho ™ t P°i*i*iiig *0 one on the to-ko-no-ma, 
would.be appreciated if it were surrounded by a num¬ 
ber of other objects ? ” o. 
