the soul of the far east-第15部分

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ness　as　a　matter　of　course；　and　yielded　him　a　wifely　submission　in　return。　　His　garden　is　more　human；　even；　than　his　house。　　Not　only　is　everything　exquisitely　in　keeping　with　man；　but　natural　features　are　actually　changed；　plastic　to　the　imprint　of　their　lord　and　master's　mind。　Bushes；　shrubs；　trees；　forget　to　follow　their　original　intent；　and　grow　as　he　wills　them　to；　now　expanding　in　wanton　luxuriance；　now　contracting　into　dwarf　designs　of　their　former　selves；　all　to　obey　his　caprice　and　please　his　eye。　　Even　stubborn　rocks　lose　their　wildness；　and　come　to　seem　a　part　of　the　almost　sentient　life　around　them。　　If　the　description　of　such　dutifulness　seems　fanciful；　the　thing　itself　surpasses　all　supposition。　　Hedges　and　shrubbery；　clipped　into　the　most　fantastic　shapes；　accept　the　suggestion　of　the　pruning…knife　as　if　man's　wishes　were　their　own　whims。　　Manikin　maples；　Tom　Thumb　trees；　a　foot　high　and　thirty　years　old；　with　all　the　gnarls　and　knots　and　knuckles　of　their　fellows　of　the　forest；　grow　in　his　parterres；　their　native　vitality　not　a　whit　diminished。　And　they　are　not　regarded　as　monstrosities　but　only　as　the　most　natural　of　artificialities；　for　they　are　a　part　of　a　horticultural　whole。　　To　walk　into　a　Japanese　garden　is　like　wandering　of　a　sudden　into　one　of　those　strange　worlds　we　see　reflected　in　the　polished　surface　of　a　concave　mirror；　where　all　but　the　observer　himself　is　transformed　into　a　fantastic　miniature　of　the　reality。　　In　that　quaint　fairyland　diminutive　rivers　flow　gracefully　under　tiny　trees；　past　mole…hill　mountains；　till　they　fall　at　last　into　lilliputian　lakes；　almost　smothered　for　the　flowers　that　grow　upon　their　banks；　while　in　the　extreme　distance　of　a　couple　of　rods　the　cone　of　a　Fuji　ten　feet　high　looks　approvingly　down　upon　a　scene　which　would　be　nationally　incomplete　without　it。

But　besides　the　delights　of　domesticity　which　the　Japanese　enjoys　daily　in　Nature's　company；　he　has　his　acces　de　tendresse；　too。　When　he　feels　thus　specially　stirred；　he　invites　a　chosen　few　of　his　friends；　equally　infatuated；　and　together　they　repair　to　some　spot　noted　for　its　scenery。　　It　may　be　a　waterfall；　or　some　dreamy　pond　overhung　by　trees；　or　the　distant　glimpse　of　a　mountain　peak　framed　in　picture…wise　between　the　nearer　hills；　or；　at　their　appropriate　seasons；　the　blossoming　of　the　many　tree　flowers；　which　in　eastern　Asia　are　beautiful　beyond　description。　　For　he　appreciates　not　only　places；　but　times。　　One　spot　is　to　be　seen　at　sunrise；　another　by　moonlight；　one　to　be　visited　in　the　spring…time；　another　in　the　fall。　But　wherever　or　whenever　it　be；　a　tea…house；　placed　to　command　the　best　view　of　the　sight；　stands　ready　to　receive　him。　　For　nature's　beauties　are　too　well　recognized　to　remain　the　exclusive　property　of　the　first　chance　lover。　　People　flock　to　view　nature　as　we　do　to　see　a　play；　and　privacy　is　as　impossible　as　it　is　unsought。　　Indeed；　the　aversion　to　publicity　is　simply　a　result　of　the　sense　of　self；　and　therefore　necessarily　not　a　feature　of　so　impersonal　a　civilization。　Aesthetic　guidebooks　are　written　for　the　nature…enamoured；　descriptive　of　these　views　which　the　Japanese　translator　quaintly　calls　〃Sceneries；〃　and　which　visitors　come　not　only　from　near　but　from　far　to　gaze　upon。　　In　front　of　the　tea…house　proper　are　rows　of　summer　pavilions；　in　one　of　which　the　party　make　themselves　at　home；　while　gentle　little　tea…house　girls　toddle　forth　to　serve　them　the　invariable　preliminary　tea　and　confections。　　Each　man　then　produces　from　up　his　sleeve；　or　from　out　his　girdle；　paper；　ink；　and　brush；　and　proceeds　to　compose　a　poem　on　the　beauty　of　the　spot　and　the　feelings　it　calls　up；　which　he　subsequently　reads　to　his　admiring　companions。　　Hot　sake　is　next　served；　which　is　to　them　what　beer　is　to　a　German　or　absinthe　to　a　blouse；　and　there　they　sit；　sip；　and　poetize；　passing　their　couplets；　as　they　do　their　cups；　in　honor　to　one　another。　　At　last；　after　drinking　in　an　hour　or　two　of　scenery　and　sake　combined；　the　symposium　of　poets　breaks　up。

Sometimes；　instead　of　a　company　of　friends；　a　man　will　take　his　family；　wife；　babies；　and　all；　on　such　an　outing；　but　the　details　of　his　holiday　are　much　the　same　as　before。　　For　the　scenery　is　still　the　centre　of　attraction；　and　in　the　attendant　creature　comforts　Far　Eastern　etiquette　permits　an　equal　enjoyment　to　man；　woman；　and　child。

This　love　of　nature　is　quite　irrespective　of　social　condition。　All　classes　feel　its　force；　and　freely　indulge　the　feeling。　　Poor　as　well　as　rich；　low　as　well　as　high；　contrive　to　gratify　their　poetic　instincts　for　natural　scenery。　　As　for　flowers；　especially　tree　flowers；　or　those　of　the　larger　plants；　like　the　lotus　or　the　iris；　the　Japanese　appreciation　of　their　beauty　is　as　phenomenal　as　is　that　beauty　itself。　　Those　who　can　afford　the　luxury　possess　the　shrubs　in　private；　those　who　cannot；　feast　their　eyes　on　the　public　specimens。　　From　a　sprig　in　a　vase　to　a　park　planted　on　purpose；　there　is　no　part　of　them　too　small　or　too　great　to　be　excluded　from　Far　Oriental　affection。　　And　of　the　two　〃drawing…rooms〃　of　the　Mikado　held　every　year；　in　April　and　November；　both　are　garden…parties：　the　one　given　at　the　time　and　with　the　title　of　〃the　cherry　blossoms；〃　and　the　other　of　〃the　chrysanthemum。〃

These　same　tree　flowers　deserve　more　than　a　passing　notice；　not　simply　because　of　their　amazing　beauty；　which　would　arrest　attention　anywhere；　but　for　the　national　attitude　toward　them。　　For　no　better　example　of　the　Japanese　passion　for　nature　could　well　be　cited。　If　the　anniversaries　of　people　are　slightingly　treated　in　the　land　of　the　sunrise；　the　same　cannot　be　said　of　plants。　　The　yearly　birthdays　of　the　vegetable　world　are　observed　with　more　than　botanic　enthusiasm。　　The　regard　in　which　they　are　held　is　truly　emotional；　and　it　not　actually　individual　in　its　object；　at　least　personal　to　the　species。　　Each　kind　of　tree　as　its　season　brings　it　into　flower　is　made　the　occasion　of　a　festival。　　For　the　beauty　of　the　blossoming　receives　the　tribute　of　a　national　admiration。　From　peers　to　populace　mankind　turns　out　to　witness　it。　　Nor　are　these　occasions　few。　　Spring　in　the　Far　East　is　one　long　chain　of　flower　fetes；　and　as　spring　begins　by　the　end　of　January　and　lasts　till　the　middle　of　June；　opportunities　for　appreciating　each　in　turn　are　not　half　spoiled　by　a　common　contemporaneousness。　　People　have　not　only　occasion　but　time　to　admire。　　Indeed；　spring　itself　is　suitably　respected　by　being　dated　conformably　to　fact。　　Far　Orientals　begin　their　year　when　Nature　begins　hers；　instead　of　starting　anachronously　as　we　do　in　the　very　middle　of　the　dead　season；　much　as　our　colleges　hold　their　commencements；　on　the　last　in　place　at　on　the　first　day　of　the　academic　term。　　So　previous　has　the　haste　of　Western　civilization　become。　　The　result　is　that　our　rejoicing　partakes　of　the　incongruity　of　humor。　　The　new　year　exists　only　in　name。　　In　the　Far　East；　on　the　other　band；　the　calendar　is　made　to　fit　the　time。　　Men　begin　to　reckon　their　year　some　three　weeks　later　than　the　Western　world；　just　as　the　plum…tree　opens　its　pink　white　petals；　as　it　were；　in　rosy　reflection　of　the　snow　that　lies　yet　upon　the　ground。　　But　the　coldness　of　the　weather　does　not　in　the　least　deter　people　from　thronging　the　spot　in　which　the　trees　grow；　where　they　spend　hours　in　admiration；　and　end　by　pinning　appropriate　poems　on　the　twigs　for　later　comers　to　peruse。　　Fleeting　as　the　flowers　are　in　fact；　they　live　forever　in　fancy。　　For　they　constitute　one　of　the　commonest　motifs　of　both　painting　and　poetry。　　A　branch　just　breaking　into　bloom　seen　against　the　sunrise　sky；　or　a　bough　bending　its　blossoms　to　the　bosom　of　a　stream；　is　subject　enough　for　their　greatest　masters；　who　thus　wed；　as　it　were；　two　arts　in　one；the　spirit　of　poesy　with　pictorial　form。　This　plum…tree　is　but　a　blossom。　　Precocious　harbinger　of　a　host　of　flowers；　its　gay　heralding　over；　it　vanishes　not　to　be　recalled；　for　it　bears　no　edible　fruit。

The　next　event　in　the　series　might　fairly　be　called　phenomenal。　Early　in　April　takes　place　what　is　perhaps　as　superb　a　sight　as　anything　in　this　world；　the　blossoming　of　the　cherry…trees。　　Indeed；　it　is　not　easy　to　do　the　thing　justice　in　description。　　If　the　plum　invited　admiration；　the　cherry　commands　it；　for　to　see　the　sakura　in　flower　for　the　first　time　is　to　experience　a　new　sensation。　　Familiar　as　a　man　may　be　with　cherry　blossoms　at　home；　the　sight　there　bursts　upon　him　with　the　dazzling　effect　of　a　revelation。　　Such　is　the　profusion　of　flowers　that　the　tree　seems　to　have　turned　into　a　living　mass　of　rosy　light。　　No　leaves　break　the　brilliance。　　The　snowy…pink　petals　drape　the　branches　entirely；　yet　so　delicately；　one　deems　it　all　a　veil　donned　for　the　tree's　nuptials　with　the　spring。　　For　nothing　could　more　completely　personify　the　spirit　of　the　spring…time。　　You　can　almost　fancy　it　some　dryad　decked　for　her　bridal；　in　maidenly　day…dreaming　too　lovely　to　last。　　For　like　the　plum　the　cherry　fails　in　its　fruit　to　fulfil　the　promise　of　its　flower。

It　would　be　strange　indeed　if　so　much　beauty　received　no　recognition；　but　it　is　even　more　strange　that　recognition　should　be　so　complete　and　so　universal　as　it　is。　　Appreciation　is　not　confined　to　the　cultivated　few；　it　is　shown　quite　as　enthusiastically　by　the　masses。　　The　popularity　of　the　plants　is　all…embracing。　　The　common　people　are　as　sensitive　to　their　beauty　as　are　the　upper　classes。　　Private　gratification；　roseate　as　it　is；　pales　beside　the　public　delight。　　Indeed；　not　content　with　what　revelation　Nature　makes　of　herself　of　her　own　accord；　man　has　multiplied　her　manifestations。　　Spots　suitable　to　their　growth　have　been　peopled　by　him　with　trees。　Sometimes　they　stand　in　groups　like　star…clusters；　as　in　Oji；　crowning　a　hill；　sometimes；　as　at　Mukojima；　they　line　an　avenue　for　miles；　dividing　the　blue　river　on　the　one　hand　from　the　blue…green　rice…fields　on　the　other；a　floral　milky　way　of　light。　　But　wherever　the　trees　may　be；　there　at　their　flowering　season　are　to　be　found　throngs　of　admirers。　　For　in　crowds　people　go　out　to　see　the　sight；　multitudes　streaming　incessantly　to　and　fro　beneath　their　blossoms　as　the　time　of　day　determines　the　turn　of　the　human　tide。　To　the　Occidental　stranger　such　a　gathering　suggests