noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第6章

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one　had　no　right　to　expect；　and　nothing　that　one　had。　　My　European

belongings　looked　very　gross　littering　the　mats；　and　I　seemed　to

myself　a　boor　beside　the　unconscious　breeding　of　those　about　me。

Yet　it　was　only　a　poor　village　inn；　and　its　people　were　but　peasants；

after　all。　



I　pondered　over　this　as　I　dined　in　solitary　state；　and　when　I　had

mounted　my　funeral　pyre　for　the　night；　I　remember　romancing　about　it

as　I　fell　asleep。　



I　was　still　a　knight…errant；　and　the　princess　was　saying　all　manner

of　charming　things　to　me　in　her　still　more　charming　manner；　when　I

became　aware　that　it　was　the　voice　of　the　evening　before　wishing　me

good…morning。　　I　opened　my　eyes　to　see　a　golden　gleam　flooding　the

still…shut　shoji；　and　a　diamond　glitter　stealing　through　the　cracks

that　set　the　blood　dancing　in　my　veins。　　Then；　with　a　startling

clatter；　my　princess　rolled　the　panels　aside。　



Windows　are　but　half…way　shifts　at　best。　　The　true　good…morning　comes

afield；　and　next　to　that　is　the　thrill　that　greets　the　throwing　your

whole　room　wide　to　it。　　To　let　it　trickle　in　at　a　casement　is　to　wash

in　a　dish。　　The　true　way　is　to　take　the　sunshine　with　the　shock　of　a

plunge　into　the　sea；　and　feel　it　glow　and　tingle　all　over　you。　



The　rain　had　taken　itself　off　in　the　night；　and　the　air　sparkled　with

freshness。　　The　tiny　garden　court　lay　in　cool；　rich　shadow；　flecked

here　and　there　with　spots　of　dazzle　where　a　ray　reflected　found　a

pathway　in；　while　the　roofs　above　glistened　with　countless

starpoints。　




Nor　was　mine　host　less　smiling　than　the　day；　though　he　had　not

overcharged　me　for　my　room。　　I　was　nothing　to　him；　yet　he　made　me

feel　half　sorry　to　go。　　A　small　pittance；　too；　the　tea　money　seemed；

for　all　that　had　gone　with　it。　　We　pay　in　this　world　with　copper　for

things　gold　cannot　buy。　　Humanities　are　so　cheapand　so　dear。　



The　whole　household　gathered　in　force　on　its　outer　sill　to　wish　us

good　luck　as　we　took　the　street；　and　threw　sayonaras　（〃if　it　must　be

so〃）　after　us　as　we　rolled　away。　



There　is　a　touch　of　pathos　in　this　parting　acquiescence　in　fate。

If　it　must　be　so；　indeed！　　I　wonder　did　mine　host　suspect　that　I　did

not　all　leave；that　a　part　of　me；　a　sort　of　ghostly　lodger；　remained

with　him　who　had　asked　me　so　little　for　my　stay？　　Probably　in　body　I

shall　never　stir　him　again　from　beside　his　fire；　nor　follow　as　he

leads　the　way　through　the　labyrinth　of　his　house；　but　in　spirit；　at

times；　I　still　steal　back；　and　I　always　find　the　same　kind　welcome

awaiting　me　in　the　guest　room　in　the　ell；　and　the　same　bright　smile

of　morning　to　gild　the　tiny　garden　court。　　The　only　things　beyond　the

grasp　of　change　are　our　own　memories　of　what　once　was。







VI。



On　a　New　Cornice　Road。



The　sunshine　quickened　us　all；　and　our　kuruma　took　the　road　like　a

flock　of　birds；　for　jinrikisha　men　in　company　run　as　wild　geese　fly；

crisscross。　　It　is　an　artistic　habit；　inculcated　to　court　ladies　in

books　on　etiquette。　　To　make　the　men　travel　either　abreast　or　in

Indian　file；　is　simply　impossible。　　After　a　moment's　conformity；　they

invariably　relapse　into　their　own　orderly　disorder。　



This　morning　they　were　in　fine　figure　and　bowled　us　along　to　some

merry　tune　within；　while　the　baby…carriages　themselves　jangled　the

bangles　on　their　axles；　making　a　pleasing　sort　of　cry。　　The　village

folk　turned　in　their　steps　to　stare　and　smile　as　we　sped　past。　



It　was　a　strange…appearing　street。　　On　both　sides　of　it　in　front　of

the　houses　ran　an　arcade；　continuous　but　irregular；　a　contribution　of

building。　　Each　house　gave　its　mite　in　the　shape　of　a　covered　portico；

which　fitted　as　well　as　could　be　expected　to　that　of　its　next　door

neighbor。　　But　as　the　houses　were　not　of　the　same　size；　and　the

ground　sloped；　the　roofs　of　the　porticos　varied　in　level。　　A　similar

terracing　held　good　of　the　floors。　　The　result　was　rather　a

federation　than　a　strict　union　of　interests。　　Indeed；　the　object　in

view　was　communal。　　For　the　arcades　were　snow　galleries；　I　was　told；

to　enable　the　inhabitants　in　winter　to　pass　from　one　end　of　the

village　to　the　other；　no　inconsiderable　distance。　　They　visored　both

sides　of　the　way；　showing　that　then　in　these　parts　even　a　crossing　of

the　street　is　a　thing　to　be　avoided。　　Indeed；　by　all　report　the

drifts　here　in　the　depth　of　winter　must　be　worth　seeing。　　Even　at

this　moment；　May　the　6th；　there　was　still　neve　on　some　of　the　lowest

foothills；　and　we　passed　more　than　one　patch　of　dirt…grimed　snow

buttressing　the　highway　bank。　　The　bangles　on　the　axles　now　began　to

have　a　meaning；　a　thing　they　had　hitherto　seemed　to　lack。　　With　the

snow　arcades　by　way　of　introduction　they　spoke　for　themselves。　

Evidently　they　were　first　cousins　of　our　sleighbells。　　Here；　then；

as　cordially　as　with　us　man　abhors　an　acoustic　vacuum；　and　when　Nature

has　put　her　icy　bell…glass　over　the　noises　of　the　field；　he　must

needs　invent　some　jingle　to　wile　his　ears　withal。　



Once　past　the　houses　we　came　upon　a　strip　of　paddyfields　that　bordered

the　mountain　slope　to　the　very　verge　of　the　tide。　　Some　of　these

stood　in　spots　where　the　tilt　of　the　land　would　have　seemed　to　have

precluded　even　the　thought　of　such　cultivation。　　For　a　paddyfield

must　be　perfectly　level；　that　it　may　be　kept　under　water　at　certain

seasons　of　the　year。　　On　a　slope；　therefore；　a　thing　a　paddyfield

never　hesitates　to　scale；　they　rise　in　terraces；　skyward。　　Here　the

drop　was　so　great　that　the　terraces　made　bastions　that　towered

proudly　on　the　very　knife…edge　of　decision　between　the　seaweed　and

the　cliffs。　　A　runnel　tamed　to　a　bamboo　duct　did　them　Ganymede　service。

For　a　paddyfield　is　perpetually　thirsty。　



It　was　the　season　of　repairing　of　dykes　and　ditches　in　rice　chronology；

a　much　more　complicated　annal　than　might　be　thought。　　This　initial

stage　of　it　has　a　certain　architectural　interest。　　Every　year　before

planting　begins　the　dykes　have　all　to　be　re…made　strictly　in　place；

for　they　serve　for　both　dams　and　bounds　to　the　elaborately

partitioned　fields。　　Adjacent　mud　is　therefore　carefully　plastered

over　the　remains　of　the　old　dyke；　which；　to　the　credit　of　the　former

builders；　is　no　small　fraction　of　it；　and　the　work　then　finished　off

with　a　sculptor's　care。　　An　easier…going　peasantry　might　often　forego

renewal。　　Indeed；　I　cannot　but　think　the　farmers　take　a　natural

delight　in　this　exalted　form　of　mud　pies；　they　work　away　on　already

passable　specimens　with　such　a　will。　　But　who　does　quite　outgrow　his

childish　delights？　　And　to　make　of　the　play　of　childhood　the　work　of

middle　life；　must　be　to　foil　the　primal　curse　to　the　very　letter。　

What　more　enchanting　pastime　than　to　wade　all　day　in　viscous　mud；

hearing　your　feet　plash　when　you　put　them　in；　and　suck　as　you　draw

them　out；　while　the　higher　part　of　you　is　busied　building　a　parapet

of　gluey　soil；　smoothing　it　down　on　the　sides　and　top；　and　crowning

your　masterpiece　with　a　row　of　sprigs　along　the　crest？　　And　then　in

the　gloaming　to　trudge　homeward；　feeling　that　you　have　done　a

meritorious　deed　after　all！　　When　I　come　to　my　second　childhood；

I　mean　to　turn　paddyfield　farmer　myself。　



Though　the　fields　took　to　the　slopes　so　kindly；　they　had　a　preference

for　plains。　　In　the　deltas；　formed　by　the　bigger　streams；　they

expanded　till　they　made　chesswork　of　the　whole。　　Laborers　knee　deep

in　the　various　squares　did　very　well　for　pawns。　　The　fields　being

still　in　their　pre…natal　stage；　were　not　exactly　handsome。　　There　was

too　much　of　one　universal　brown。　　This　was　relieved　only　by　the

nurseries　of　young　plants；　small　fields　here　and　there　just　showing　a

delicate　downy　growth　of　green；　delightful　to　the　eye。　　They　were　not

long　sown。　　For　each　still　lay　cradled　under　its　scarecrow；　a　pole

planted　in　the　centre　of　the　rectangle　with　strings　stretched　to　the

four　corners；　and　a　bit　of　rag　fluttering　from　the　peak。　　The

scarecrows　are；　no　doubt；　useful；　since　they　are　in　general　use；　but

I　counted　seven　sparrows　feeding　in　reckless　disregard　of　danger

under　the　very　wings　of　one　of　the　contrivances。　



The　customs　of　the　country　seemed　doomed　that　day　to　misunderstanding；

whether　by　sparrows　or　by　bigger　birds　of　passage。　　Those　which

should　have　startled　failed　of　effect；　and　those　which　should　not

have　startled；　did。　　For；　on　turning　the　face　of　the　next　bluff；

we　came　upon　a　hamlet　apparently　in　the　high　tide　of　conflagration。　

From　every　roof　volumes　of　smoke　were　rolling　up　into　the　sky；　while

men　rushed　to　and　fro　excitedly　outside。　　I　was　stirred；　myself；　for

there　seemed　scant　hope　of　saving　the　place；　such　headway　had　the

fire；　as　evidenced　by　the　smoke；　already　acquired。　　The　houses　were

closed；　a　wise　move　certainly　on　the　score　of　draft；　but　one　that

precluded　a　fighting　of　the　fire。　　I　was　for　jumping　from　the

jinrikisha　to　see；　if　not　to　do　something　myself；　when　I　was　stopped

by　the　jinrikisha　men；　who　coolly　informed　me　that　the　houses　were

lime…kilns。　



It　appeared　that　lime…making　was　a　specialty　of　these　parts；　being；

in　fact；　the　alternative　industry　to　fishing；　with　the　littoral

population；　the　farming　of　its　strip　of　ricefields　hardly　counting　as

a　profession；　since　such　culture　is　second　nature　with　the　Far　Oriental。

Lime…making　may　labor　under　objections；　considered　generically；　but

this　method　of　conducting　the　business　is　susceptible　of　advantageous

imitation。　　It　should　commend　itself　at　once　to　theatrical　managers

for　a　bit　of　stage　effect。　　Evidently　it　is　harmless。　　No　less

evidently　it　is　cheap；　and　in　some　cases　it　might　work　a　double

benefit。　　Impresarios　might　thus　consume　all　the　public　statuary

about　the　town　to　the　artistic　education　of　the　community；　besides

producing　most　realistic　results　in　the　theatre。　



Through　the　courtesy　of　some　of　the　laborers　I　was　permitted　to　enter

a　small　kiln　in　which　they　were　then　at　work。　　I　went　in　cautiously；

and　came　out　with　some　haste；　for　the　fumes　of　the　burning；　which

quite　filled　the　place；　made　me　feel　my　intrusion　too　poignantly。

I　am　willing　to　believe　the　work　thoroughly　enjoyable　when　once　you

become　used　to　it。　　In　the　meantime；　I　should　choose　its　alternative；

the　pleasures　of　a　dirty　fishing　boat　in　a　nasty　seaway；if　I　were

unfortunate　enough　to　make　one　of　the　population。　　I　like　to　breathe

without　thinking　of　it。　



The　charcoal　used　in　the　process　came；　they　told　me；　from　Noto。

I　felt　a　thrill　of　pride　in　hearing　the　land　of　my　courting　thus

distinctively　spoken　of；　although　the　mention　were　not　by　way　of　any

remarkable　merit。　　At　least　the　place　was　honorably　known　beyond　its

own　borders；　had　in　fact　a　certain　prestige。　　For　they　admitted　there

was　charcoal　in　their　own　province；　but　the　best；　they　all　agreed；

came　from　their　neighbor　over　the　sea。　　They　spoke　to　appreciative

ears。　　I　was　only　too　ready　to　believe　that　the　best　of　anything　came

from　Noto。　　Did　they