the soul of the far east-第18章

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sonal　for　any　personification；　for　she　is　Nature。

That　poet　whose　name　carries　with　it　a　certain　presumption　of　infallibility　has　told　us　that　〃the　proper　study　of　mankind　is　man；〃　and　if　material　advancement　in　consequence　be　any　criterion　of　the　fitness　of　a　particular　mental　pursuit；　events　have　assuredly　justified　the　saying。　　Indeed；　the　Levant　has　helped　antithetically　to　preach　the　same　lesson；　in　showing　us　by　its　own　fatal　example　that　the　improper　study　of　mankind　is　woman；　and　that　they　who　but　follow　the　fair　will　inevitably　degenerate。

The　Far　Oriental　knows　nothing　of　either　study；　and　cares　less。　The　delight　of　self…exploration；　or　the　possibly　even　greater　delight　of　losing　one's　self　in　trying　to　fathom　femininity；　is　a　sensation　equally　foreign　to　his　temperament。　　Neither　the　remarkable　persistence　of　one's　own　characteristics；　not　infrequently　matter　of　deep　regret　to　their　possessor；　nor　the　charmingly　unaccountable　variability　of　the　fairer　sex；　at　times　quite　as　annoying；　is　a　phenomenon　sufficient　to　stir　his　curiosity。　　Accepting；　as　he　does；　the　existing　state　of　things　more　as　a　material　fact　than　as　a　phase　in　a　gradual　process　of　development；　he　regards　humanity　as　but　a　small　part　of　the　great　natural　world；　instead　of　considering　it　the　crowning　glory　of　the　whole。　　He　recognizes　man　merely　as　a　fraction　of　the　universe；one　might　almost　say　as　a　vulgar　fraction　of　it；　considering　the　low　regard　in　which　he　is　held；and　accords　him　his　proportionate　share　of　attention；　and　no　more。

In　his　thought；　nature　is　not　accessory　to　man。　　Worthy　M。　Perichon；　of　prosaic；　not　to　say　philistinic　fame；　had；　as　we　remember；　his　travels　immortalized　in　a　painting　where　a　colossal　Perichon　in　front　almost　completely　eclipsed　a　tiny　Mont　Blanc　behind。　　A　Far　Oriental　thinks　poetry；　which　may　possibly　account　for　the　fact　that　in　his　mind…pictures　the　relative　importance　of　man　and　mountain　stands　reversed。　　〃The　matchless　Fuji；〃　first　of　motifs　in　his　art；　admits　no　pilgrim　as　its　peer。

Nor　is　it　to　woman　that　turn　his　thoughts。　　Mother　Earth　is　fairer；　in　his　eyes；　than　are　any　of　her　daughters。　　To　her　is　given　the　heart　that　should　be　theirs。　　The　Far　Eastern　love　of　Nature　amounts　almost　to　a　passion。　　To　the　study　of　her　ever　varying　moods　her　Japanese　admirer　brings　an　impersonal　adoration　that　combines　oddly　the　aestheticism　of　a　poet　with　the　asceticism　of　a　recluse。　　Not　that　he　worships　in　secret；　however。　　His　passion　is　too　genuine　either　to　find　disguise　or　seek　display。　　With　us；　unfortunately；　the　love　of　Nature　is　apt　to　be　considered　a　mental　extravagance　peculiar　to　poets；　excusable　in　exact　ratio　to　the　ability　to　give　it　expression。　　For　an　ordinary　mortal　to　feel　a　fondness　for　Mother　Earth　is　a　kind　of　folly；　to　be　carefully　concealed　from　his　fellows。　　A　sort　of　shamefacedness　prevents　him　from　avowing　it；　as　a　boy　at　boarding…school　hides　his　homesickness；　or　a　lad　his　love。　　He　shrinks　from　appearing　less　pachydermatous　than　the　rest。　Or　else　he　flies　to　the　other　extreme；　and　affects　the　odd；　pretends；　poses；　parades；　and　at　last　succeeds　half　in　duping　himself；　half　in　deceiving　other　people。　　But　with　Far　Orientals　the　case　is　different。　　Their　love　has　all　the　unostentatious　assurance　of　what　has　received　the　sanction　of　public　opinion。　　Nor　is　it　still　at　that　doubtful；　hesitating　stage　when；　by　the　instrumentality　of　a　third；　its　soul…harmony　can　suddenly　be　changed　from　the　jubilant　major　key　into　the　despairing　minor。　　No　trace　of　sadness　tinges　his　delight。　He　has　long　since　passed　this　melancholy　phase　of　erotic　misery；　if　so　be　that　the　course　of　his　true　love　did　not　always　run　smooth；　and　is　now　well　on　in　matrimonial　bliss。　　The　very　look　of　the　land　is　enough　to　betray　the　fact。　　In　Japan　the　landscape　has　an　air　of　domesticity　about　it；　patent　even　to　the　most　casual　observer。　Wherever　the　Japanese　has　come　in　contact　with　the　country　he　has　made　her　unmistakably　his　own。　　He　has　touched　her　to　caress；　not　injure；　and　it　seems　as　if　Nature　accepted　his　fondness　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　a