The Four Corners in Japan Read online

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  THE FOUR CORNERS IN JAPAN

  THE CORNER SERIES

  THE FOUR CORNERS THE FOUR CORNERS IN CALIFORNIA THE FOUR CORNERS AT SCHOOL THE FOUR CORNERS ABROAD THE FOUR CORNERS IN CAMP THE FOUR CORNERS AT COLLEGE THE FOUR CORNERS IN JAPAN THE FOUR CORNERS IN EGYPT (_in preparation_)

  ALL SORTS OF STRANGE FANCIES POSSESSED HER]

  The Corner Series

  THE FOUR CORNERS in JAPAN

  By AMY E. BLANCHARD

  George W. Jacobs & Company Philadelphia.

  Copyright, 1912, by GEORGE W. JACOBS & COMPANY _Published September, 1912_

  _All rights reserved_ Printed in U. S. A.

  CONTENTS

  I. STARTING OFF 9

  II. A GLIMPSE OF HONOLULU 27

  III. FIRST IMPRESSIONS 45

  IV. TEMPLES AND TEA 61

  V. AN EVENING SHOW 81

  VI. AT KAMAKURA 101

  VII. A FEAST OF BLOSSOMS 119

  VIII. FLYING FISH 137

  IX. A RAINY DAY 157

  X. A SACRED ISLE 173

  XI. AT MYANOSHITA 191

  XII. NIKKO, THE MAGNIFICENT 209

  XIII. CRICKETS AND FIREFLIES 227

  XIV. JEAN VISITS 247

  XV. A MOCK JAPANESE 269

  XVI. A PROSPECTIVE SERVANT 287

  XVII. IN A TYPHOON 307

  XVIII. JACK'S EYES ARE OPENED 325

  XIX. VOTIVE OFFERINGS 343

  XX. IF IT MUST BE 361

  ILLUSTRATIONS

  All sorts of strange fancies possessed her _Frontispiece_

  They looked up to see the great cone of Fujiyama _Facing page_ 52

  Curious to see who the other shopper might be " " 194

  Glad she had experimented with chop-sticks " " 262

  "Is it true?" " " 354

  CHAPTER ISTARTING OFF]

  CHAPTER I

  STARTING OFF

  "I feel a migratory fever stirring within my veins," remarked MissHelen Corner one morning as she sat with the elder two of her nieces intheir Virginia home.

  Nan put down the book she was reading; Mary Lee looked up from herembroidery. "You are not going to desert us, Aunt Helen?" said Nan.

  "Not unless you girls will join me in my flight."

  "But where would you fly?" asked Mary Lee.

  "What do you say to Japan?"

  "Japan? Oh, Aunt Helen, not really."

  "Why not? Every one goes there these days. We could make the trip byway of California, stop off for a few days at Honolulu, and see some ofthe strange things I have been reading about this winter. I am stronglyinclined to make the trip if you two will go with me."

  "And would we start soon?" asked Nan. "In time for the cherryblossoms, the lovely flowery Japanese spring and all that?"

  "It was what I was planning to do."

  "What about mother and the twinnies?"

  "We should have to make up our minds to leave them behind. I believeyour mother has declared against going with us. She thinks the twinsshould not be taken out of college and that she should be within callwhile they are there. That should not prevent your going, however. Nan,what do you think about it?"

  "You know me, Aunt Helen," responded Nan.

  "What about you, Mary Lee?"

  "Oh, 'Barkis is willin';' that is if mother approves."

  "I consulted her before I mentioned it to you, for I did not want anyone disappointed. Therefore, young ladies, consider yourselves bookedfor a personally conducted trip. I think we might start next month, andwe need not burden ourselves with too much of an outfit."

  "I should think not," returned Nan, "when such lovely and cheap thingscan be had in Japan. Hurrah! Mary Lee, let's go tell Jo."

  The two girls started off together. The month was February, but alreadythe first hints of spring could be found in the warmer sunshine, thelonger days, the swelling of buds on trees and bushes. A few yellowstars were already spotting the forsythia which clambered up one endof the front porch of Dr. Woods's house which they soon reached. Theyentered without knocking, for their friend Josephine Woods was like asister, and would have resented any formality. They knew where to findher, for it was after her husband's office hours; he was off making hisprofessional visits, and Jo would be up-stairs attending to certainhousewifely duties.

  They discovered her in the little sewing-room surrounded by piles ofhouse linen.

  "Hallo," cried Nan, "what in the world are you doing, Jo?"

  "Marking these towels for Paul's office," she returned soberly.

  Nan laughed. "It is so funny to see you doing such things, Jo. I cannever quite get over your sudden swerving toward domesticity. We havecome over to tell you something that will make you turn green withenvy."

  "Humph!" returned Jo. "As if anybody or anything could make me turngreen or any other color from envy. I am the one to be envied."

  "She still has it badly," said Nan shaking her head. "What is there inmarking towels to make it such an enviable employment, Mrs. Woods?"

  "Because it is being done for the dearest man in the world," replied Jopromptly.

  "I wonder if you will still continue to be in this blissful state ofidiocy when we get back from Japan," put in Mary Lee.

  "Japan!" Jo dropped the towel she was holding, barely saving it from asplotch of indelible ink.

  "Aha! I knew we could surprise you," jeered Nan. "She is green, MaryLee, bright, vivid, grass green."

  "Nothing of the sort," retorted Jo. "Of course I always did long to goto Japan, but I wouldn't exchange this little town with Paul in it forall the Japans in the world."

  "You are perfectly hopeless," said Nan. "I wonder if I shall ever reachsuch a state of imbecility as to prefer marking towels to going toJapan."

  "I wouldn't put it past you," returned Jo. "Just you wait, Nan Corner.I expect to see the day when you are in a state that is seventy timesseven worse that mine ever was."

  "If ever I do reach such a state, I hope the family will incarcerateme," rejoined Nan.

  Jo laughed. "This does sound like the good old college days," sheremarked. "But do tell me what is up, girls. Are you really going toJapan?"

  "So Aunt Helen says," Mary Lee told her.

  "And when do you go?"

  "Next month."

  "The whole family?"

  "No, the kiddies will have to continue to grind away at college.I think it probable that mother will go back with them after theEaster holidays and stay there till summer, when they can all go awaytogether."

  "And how long shall you be gone?"

  "Don't know. All we know is that we are going. We didn't wait to hearany more till we came over to tell you. What shall we bring you, Jo?"

  "I think I should like a good, well-trained Japanese servant," returnedJo with a little sigh.

  "Poor Jo; there are serpents even in Paradise, it seems. Does the lastkitchen queen prove as unworthy to be crowned as her predecessors were?"

  "Oh, dear, yes, but never
mind, I am still hoping that the one perfectgem will at last come my way. Meantime I am learning such heaps ofthings that I shall become absolutely independent after a while. Youwill see me using fireless cookers, and paper bags, and all that by thetime you get back."

  "Well, good luck to you," said Nan. "We must be off. You shall have thenext bulletin as soon as there is anything more to report."

  They hurried back to find their mother, being entirely too excited tostop long in one place. After talking the plan over with her, theyhunted up their Aunt Helen to join her in consulting maps, time-tablesand guide-books. Before night the date was set, the route was laid out,the vessel upon which they should sail decided upon.

  At last one windy morning in March the Virginia mountains were leftbehind and the little party of three set their faces toward the westerncoast. California was no unknown land to them and here they decided totarry long enough to see some of their old friends, making Los Angelestheir first stop.

  "Doesn't it seem familiar?" said Mary Lee as they approached the citywhere they had lived for a while.

  "The very most familiar thing I see is out there on the platform,"returned Nan as she observed Carter Barnwell eagerly scanning each caras the train came into the station. Nan hailed him from the car windowand he was beside them before the train came fairly to a standstill.

  "Glory be to Peter! But isn't this a jolly stunt you are doing?" hecried fairly hugging Miss Helen. "Why didn't the whole family come, aslong as you were about it?"

  "By the whole family you mean Jack, of course," remarked Mary Lee.

  Carter laughed a little confusedly. "That's all right," he returned;"I'm not denying it. Where are your checks and things? Give me thatbag, Miss Helen. You are going straight to the house; Mrs. Roberts iscounting the minutes till you get there."

  The three were nothing loth to be settled in Carter's automobile andto be whirled off through summerlike scenes to Pasadena where Mrs.Roberts's home was.

  "Do let us go past the little house where we used to live," said Nanwho was sitting on the front seat with Carter. "I suppose it is stillthere."

  "Oh, yes," was the reply, "and I hope it always will be. It was thereI first saw Jack, you know; the little rapscallion, how she was givingit to that youngster." He laughed at the recollection. Then in a lowervoice and more seriously he asked, "Did she send me any message, Nan?"

  "We didn't see the twinnies before we left, you know," returned she."There wasn't any special excuse for a holiday and it didn't seemworth while to bring them away from college just now. Doesn't shewrite to you, Carter?"

  "Sometimes," he answered soberly.

  "Oh, well, you know what Jack is," said Nan with an effort to beconsoling. "Just hang on, Carter, and it will be all right, I am sure."

  "Yes, perhaps it will," he responded, "but sometimes it does lookmighty discouraging. I haven't had a line from her since Christmas,Nan."

  "Isn't that just like her? I suppose she had the politeness to thankyou for that lovely set of books you gave her."

  "Oh, yes; she wrote a perfectly correct little note. I was afraid maybeshe didn't like the books."

  "She was crazy about them, but she just wouldn't give you thesatisfaction of knowing it," said Nan comfortingly.

  "That is something to know," returned Carter in a more cheerful tone."There's the house, Nan." He halted the car for a moment that theyall might have a glimpse of the vine-embowered cottage where they hadlived, and then on they sped again to draw up, after a while, beforethe door of the Roberts's pleasant home in Pasadena.

  They were tired enough from their long journey to be glad of the restand quiet which Mrs. Roberts insisted they should have. "You are to goto your rooms and have a good restful time before we begin to chatter,"she told them. "Since you assure me that you left every one well athome, I can wait to hear the rest of the news."

  So to their rooms they went to descend after a reasonable time toluncheon when they were welcomed by Mr. Roberts and were waited upon bythe same Chinese servant who had been with the Robertses for years.

  Another day or two here and then off again they started to SanFrancisco where they would take their steamer. Carter insisted uponseeing them thus far on their way, and they were glad enough to havehis assistance in getting started.

  "Wish I could go along," he told them, "but I reckon I have enough oftraveling on this continent. It is something of a jaunt to Richmond andthey think I must show up there every two years anyhow."

  "Then I suppose this is not your year for going since you came to seeus graduated last summer."

  "No, but I am banking on getting there next year."

  "And of course when the twins are graduated you will be on hand."

  "You'd better believe I shall. No power on earth shall keep me fromgoing then."

  It was Nan to whom he was speaking, and she well knew why he was so inearnest.

  "Well, remember what I told you," she said. "Don't give up the ship,Cart, no matter how discouraging it looks. Jack is a little wretch attimes, but she is loyal to the core, in spite of her provoking ways."

  "Nan, you are a perfect old darling," said Carter wringing her hand."You have put new life into me. I'll remember, and I shall not give uptill I see her married to another man."

  "That's the way to talk," Nan assured him. "Dear me, is it time to go?Well, good-bye, Cart, and good luck to you."

  Carter turned from her to make his adieux to Miss Helen and Mary Lee,then back he turned to Nan. "You are a brick, Nan," he said. "Good-byeand write a fellow a word of cheer once in a while, won't you?"

  Nan promised and in another moment Carter had left them. The steamer'swhistle blew a farewell blast and they were moving out of the harbor,Carter watching them from shore, his waving handkerchief on the end ofhis umbrella being visible as long as they could see.

  They remained on deck that they might watch for every point of interestwhich the beautiful harbor displayed, and at last through the GoldenGate they steamed out into the broad Pacific.

  "Doesn't it seem queer to be going the other way around?" said Nan toher aunt. "Do you realize that this is the Pacific and not our oldfriend, the Atlantic?"

  "Old friend," scoffed Mary Lee; "old enemy I should say. I hope to bespared the seasickness which I always associate with our last voyage."

  "Of course you won't have any such experience," Nan assured her. "Thisis placid water and in four or five days we shall be in Honolulu. Itwouldn't be worth while to get seasick for such a little trip as that."

  But Mary Lee was not altogether satisfied with her prospects andwas glad to seek her steamer chair before very long, and the othertwo decided to follow her example, Nan going to their stateroom toget wraps, and other paraphernalia, together with the guide-bookswith which they had provided themselves. After seeing that her auntand sister were comfortably tucked in, Nan proposed that she shoulddispense information, while the other two became acquainted with thePacific. "Of course you know," she began, "that Honolulu is on theIsland of Oahu. I used to think it was on the Island of Hawaii, didn'tyou, Mary Lee? It is quite like an American town except that it hastropical trees and plants and things like that. I don't suppose it ishalf as picturesque as it was before we took possession of it. It wasceded to the United States, I mean the Hawaiian Islands were, in 1898."

  "How big is Oahu?" asked Mary Lee.

  "It has an area of six hundred square miles, and it is the loveliest ofall the islands."

  "Dear me, I hadn't an idea it was so big. I thought we should be ableto walk all over it during the time we expected to be there."

  "Not this trip, my honey, but we can drive about or go on thestreet-cars around Honolulu."

  "Oh, are there street-cars?"

  "Certainly there are. Honolulu is quite a big city."

  "I always think of it as a wild sort of place with queer little grasshuts for the people to live in when they are not disporting themselvesin the water and making wreaths of flowers. I expected to see coralreef
s and palms and people with feather cloaks on, when they woreanything at all."

  Nan laughed. "You might have seen all that if you had lived some eightyor ninety years ago in the days of King Kamehameha."

  "Oh, dear, and I suppose there is no more _tabu_, and we shall not seea single calabash. I don't understand _tabu_ exactly, but I thought Ishould have an excellent chance to find out."

  "No doubt the book tells," said Nan turning over the pages. "It waslike this," she said presently after a little reading. "If a chiefwanted a field that appealed to his tender sensibilities he set up apole with a white flag on it and that made the field _tabu_ to anyone else. Sometimes if he wanted a lot of fire-wood he would _tabu_fire and the people had to eat their food raw. All the nicest articlesof food were _tabu_ to women who were obliged to eat their meals in adifferent room and at a different time from the men."

  "Dear me," cried Mary Lee, "then I am sure I don't want to go backeighty or ninety years even for the sake of grass huts and feathercloaks. We shall probably receive much greater consideration in thistwentieth century. Tell us some more, Nan."

  "You know the islands are of volcanic origin and they have the mostdelightful climate imaginable. On the Island of Molokai is the lepersettlement where Father Damien lived and died. It is a larger islandthan Oahu, but only a part of it is given over to the lepers, and theyare cut off from the remaining land by a high precipice, so they couldnot get away if they wanted to, as the ocean is on the other side. Youwill see plenty of coral at Honolulu, Mary Lee, for there are buildingsmade of blocks of it, and there is a museum where we can be shown thefeather cloaks. They were made for royalty only, of the yellow featherstaken from a bird called the Oo. He was black but had two yellowfeathers of which he was robbed for the sake of the king. They let himgo after they took away the yellow feathers so he could grow some more.But just imagine how many feathers it must have taken to make a cloakthat would reach to the knees, sometimes to the feet. No wonder thereare none of these birds left."

  "It is all very interesting," declared Mary Lee. "Is there anythingabout calabashes?"

  "Not very much," returned Nan after another examination of her book."Perhaps we can find out more when we get there."

  "I think I may be able to tell you something about calabashes," said agentle voice at Nan's side.

  Nan turned to see an elderly lady with a bright face, who had herchair next to the Corners'. "We are trying to get our informationcrystallized," said Nan. "It would be very good of you to tell ussomething about calabashes."

  "I live in Honolulu," returned the lady, "and I have been entertainedby your remarks. You have been quite correct in all you have said. Thecalabashes are quite rare now and rather expensive, though once in awhile there is an auction sale when one can get them more reasonably."

  "Do you hear that, Mary Lee?" cried Nan. "Oh, wouldn't it be fine ifthere should happen to be one while we are in Honolulu?" She turnedagain to the lady by her side. "Our name is Corner," she said. "This ismy sister, Mary Lee, and my aunt, Miss Corner, is next."

  "And I am Mrs. Beaumont, the wife of an army man who is stationed atHonolulu. We are in the way of knowing some of the out-of-the-waythings that all travelers do not know about, for we have been theresome time. I am just returning from a visit to my sister who is inCalifornia."

  Nan felt herself in luck and continued her talk with this newacquaintance, getting more and more enthusiastic as various thingswere told her about the place to which they were going. "I have beennoticing you," said Mrs. Beaumont when they had become on quitefriendly terms. "You are always so eager and interested."

  "Oh, yes, I know I am," Nan said a little ruefully. "I am so veryeager to know and see everything that I don't think of consequences, atleast my sister tells me so."

  "And are the consequences liable to be disastrous?" asked Mrs. Beaumont.

  "Sometimes," Nan smiled reminiscently, "though, take it all in all,I would rather have a few disasters than miss what lucky experiencesbring me. Nothing very terrible has happened to me yet for I have ayounger sister who is so much more impulsive that I am able to curbmyself on account of her didos. I daren't do things that I must warnher from doing, you see."

  Mrs. Beaumont laughed. "I think many of us could understand theposition, though, like yourself, there are some of us who delight inexperimenting with the unconventionalities."

  Nan's heart warmed to the speaker at this speech and the two sattalking till the call for dinner sent them below.

  CHAPTER IIA GLIMPSE OF HONOLULU]