CHAPTER VII
A FEAST OF BLOSSOMS
"The cherry blossoms are here, so says the paper this morning,"announced Mr. Harding as the girls came down to breakfast one day inApril.
"The paper says so? What do you mean?" said Eleanor.
"It is so important an event, my dear, that the papers always spreadthe news abroad," her brother told her. "There will be great doings andwe must not miss them."
"Well, I am sure I am pleased to see something more than temples andshrines and such old stuff," returned his sister. "What special form ofenticement can you offer us?"
"I was going to suggest a picnic. To be sure Uyeno Park will be crowdedwith thousands of people who will take a lunch and go there to enjoythe blossoms, but as we shall want to see the crowd as well as thecherry trees we can be satisfied to become parvenu for once."
Eleanor laughed. "As if we never did anything but ride in coaches ofstate and sit on a raised dais when we are at home. What do you say,girls?" She turned to Mary Lee and Nan.
"It will be great," cried Nan enthusiastically, and Mary Lee agreed, ifless heartily.
"We might take a boat and go out on the river," Mr. Harding suggested."Ever so many persons do that; in fact, I don't know that the riverwill be any less crowded than the shore; still we can keep a littlemore to ourselves in a boat. You know the river Sumida's east bankshows ranks of cherry trees which will exhibit finely from the river.We can go ashore any time we like to see the people and can pick outsome good place to take a lunch. Would you rather we took a hamperalong or shall we depend upon a tea-house or inn or something likethat?" He turned to Nan.
The girls consulted together for a while and then gave it as theirdecision that it would be best to take a hamper. "You see," said Nan,"when there are such crowds it will be difficult to be properly servedand one may be starved before getting anything to eat."
"Most wisely concluded," approved Mr. Harding. "Well, we will talk itover with the others and if they all want to do something else therewill be at least some of us to vote for the picnic."
But the others were quite satisfied with the arrangement although Mrs.Craig at first proposed that they should return to the hotel for lunch.This plan was so distinctly opposed that she laughingly gave in. "Oh,dear, dear," she cried, "I wouldn't come back for the world. I am sorryI spoke. I never met such a unanimity of opinion."
"We want to forget that there are such things as hotels, if we areto appreciate the spirit of the Feast of Cherry Blossoms," declaredher nephew. "It is an outdoor festival entirely and doesn't meanconventionality of any kind."
"Oh, very well, very well, I give in," replied his aunt, "but if MissCorner and I get tired of crowds and sharp sunlight and noise, you mustallow us the privilege of coming back when we feel like it."
"We shall not put the least restraint upon you," spoke up Eleanor."Neal and I are perfectly capable of chaperoning these two girls andMr. Montell, who, of course, will come, too; he has been talking aboutthe cherry blossoms ever since we came."
"I will go and call him up," said her brother, "and then, Nell, supposeyou and I have a secret session to talk over what is to be packed inthe hamper."
"You'd better let me have a word to say about that," spoke up Mrs.Craig. "Eleanor doesn't know anything about what Tokyo can provide, andI have had experience, plenty of it."
She was allowed to take part in the conference while the Corners wentoff to write letters knowing there would be no further opportunity forsuch things that day. However, the start was not made till nearly noon,Mr. Montell appearing at the last moment, breathless and fearing lestthey had gone without him.
"Couldn't help it," he replied in answer to Mr. Harding's reproach."Had to get off some stuff in time for the mail steamer and sat upnearly all night in order to get it done; it was a long story, andsimply had to be done. Awfully sorry."
"You haven't kept us waiting so very long, Mr. Montell," Eleanor toldhim. "Neal, himself, wasn't on time."
"But I was detained at the office," explained Neal.
"Well, that is no better excuse than mine," retorted Mr. Montell.
"Here, here, stop your quarreling, you children," cried Mrs. Craig."You are wasting time. Is everything ready, Neal? Then come along." Sooff they started to where the _jinrikishas_ were in waiting and it wasnot long before they were afloat on the river Sumida, upon the top ofa flower-adorned pleasure boat from which they could see many other asodd looking crafts, some of them bearing companies of singing girls.
"Isn't it a gay sight?" cried Nan. "It reminds me a little of a fete onthe Grand Canal at Venice, only there one sees no such flowers as theseand there is no such bright color among the costumes."
"It is stretching one's imagination rather far," said Mary Lee, "for Idon't see any resemblance except that there are boats and singing."
"You are so very literal," declared her sister. "I didn't mean thatit was exactly like, only that the spirit is the same and one getssomething the same feelings."
For a mile along the bank of the river the flowering trees extendedpresenting an array of double blossoms under which the limbs werebending. Unlike our own cherry blossoms these were of pale pink, andagainst the blue sky looked like huge bouquets.
"I think the trees at Uyeno Park are really more beautiful," said Mrs.Craig critically. "I think we shall have to see those to-morrow. Theblossoms do not last long and that is one reason of their attraction.The Japanese admire very much the dropping petals and refer to itoften in their poetry. You see it, too, in their decorations. Thedouble blossoms which you see here do not mean fruit after a while, foreven the cherries of the single blossoms are not of much account, farinferior to ours."
"Isn't it so with most of the fruit here?" asked Mary Lee.
"With most, yes, although there is a small orange that is pretty good,and one can get quite nice figs. They raise small fruits, too, whichare not half bad, but our American markets supply much better thingsthan one can get here."
Nevertheless when the lunch hamper was opened, there was such a displayof food as might be seen on a similar occasion at home.
"Hard-boiled eggs," cried Nan, peering into the basket. "Now I do feelas if I were really on a picnic. Chicken salad, is that? Good. I feelmore and more at home. What else is there? Candied ginger, sardines andcrackers, cheese, imported of course. I think this is doing pretty wellfor a foreign land. I observe you have some of those nice little ricecakes as a native production and--a bottle of wine, as I live."
"It is considered a flagrant omission if one doesn't taste wine at thisspecial festival," explained Mr. Montell. "The natives indulge intheir _sake_ or rice-wine almost too freely, but I observe that Hardinghas been careful to observe moderation and has furnished only a verylight variety which will hurt no one."
"Well," said Miss Helen, "I don't see that we have anything to complainof and are to be congratulated upon having so wise and efficient acaterer as Mr. Harding."
"Oh, don't lay it to my door," protested the young man. "Nell suggestedthe eggs and Aunt Nora a lot of the other things."
It was a merry little party which enjoyed their luncheon in sight ofthe flowering trees and within sound of many merrymakers strumming on_samisens_, singing in queer strident voices perfectly unintelligiblesongs and, once in a while, getting a little too uproarious over theirgourds of _sake_.
"They have flower festivals right along through the year, don't they?"said Eleanor. "What will be the next to come?"
"The wistaria," Mr. Montell told her. "A good place to see thoseflowers is at the temple of Kameido, here at Tokyo, I am told. It isbelieved that the vines of wistaria flourish better if wine is pouredupon their roots and so many a drop is allowed to trickle from thewine-cups used there."
"After the wistaria, what?" inquired Mary Lee.
"The iris. Where's a good place to find those, Neal?" Mr. Montellturned to his friend.
"Just right here close to this river, at a place called Horikiri. It isa great si
ght to see the crowds on the river then. The flower bloomsin June in what is the rainy season, but there are opportunities ofgetting out between drops. After the iris come the midsummer flowers,the peony and the lotus. The lotus has a religious significance and isspecially dedicated to the water goddess Benten whose temple we aregoing to see at Enoshima. Of course we know the chrysanthemum comes inthe fall; it is made much of because it is about the last flower ofthe year. Many think it the national flower, but the cherry blossomis really that, although the chrysanthemum is honored at court and amagnificent show is given every year in the palace gardens. The royalbird of Japan is the crane as you may have guessed for you so often seeit in decorations."
"Isn't it interesting?" whispered Nan to her aunt, "and don't you wishwe had sentiment enough to do such things at home? Is the chrysanthemumthe very last flower festival of the year?" She turned to ask Mr.Harding.
"Oh, no; at least I should say that with slight modification. The MapleFestival is the last, but that is not exactly a flower festival; itis given at the time when the maple leaves show their most brilliantcolors. Other trees turn at the same time and it is the time forpicnics and for gathering mushrooms which is made a jollification. Youmake up a party to gather mushrooms in the country and you enjoy theautumn foliage at the same time."
"What fun! I am going to organize just such a sport when I go home,"declared Nan.
Luncheon over, they all decided to join the crowd on the banks of theriver. Nan found herself by Mr. Harding's side as they joined thethrong of revelers. "I want to tell you about a princess of the olddays," he said. "She was not a reasonable young person and declaredthat she was going to give a cherry-blossom party although the monthwas December. As a princess must have anything she desired, the courtwas in despair till some one hit upon a happy plan. The result was thatan army of workers was set about making paper blossoms, pink and white,which were fastened on the bare trees and gave so realistic a look tothem that the garden party was a great success."
"Where could that happen but in Japan?" said Nan, pleased with thetale. "They make paper flowers so wonderfully that I can imagine theeffect was all that could be desired. I have but one thing againstthese really fascinating people, and that is their music. Did you everhear anything so dreadful as that singing, for instance?"
"Yet I have heard some little songs which were quite lovely. There is alullaby which I recall, and which I am sure you will agree is as tenderand plaintive as anything we could produce. If I had my violin here Icould show you how it goes."
"Oh, do you play the violin?" Nan asked eagerly.
"Yes, a little, and you play the piano very well."
"Nell told you that, of course. I don't play anywhere near as well as Iwant to, but I do enjoy it. Is your violin here, and can't you play forus some time?"
"I have it at my rooms, but please don't think I am anything of amusician although my violin is a great solace to me. When my aunt getsback to her own house we must have some music. She has a piano there,you know."
Nan gave a sigh of pleasure. "I didn't realize how I missed my musictill you began to talk about it," she said. "Even Japan has somedisadvantages."
"But doesn't one enjoy a thing all the more after he has been deprivedof it a while? We can make but one prayer to Kwannon, you remember, andI suppose that means that we should not ask too much of heaven."
Nan's eyes looked starry and bright as they always did when she wasdeeply interested. "I liked Kwannon," she said, "but I believe I likedthe great bronze Buddha better."
"I thought you did, and so I brought you a little souvenir to-day tocommemorate that visit to Kamakura." He drew from his pocket a verysmall but exquisitely carved figure of the Buddha. It was of jade, andwas really a most beautiful piece of work.
"For me?" exclaimed Nan, as he gave it into her hand.
"If you will honor me by taking it. I thought you would like it as asouvenir."
"I should love it, but I don't know if I ought----" She hesitated.
"To take it from your friend's brother? Why not? It is not such amighty gift."
"No," returned Nan doubtfully, "only it is so very beautifully done,and is really a treasure. I am afraid I shall have to take it."
Mr. Harding laughed.
Nan grew confused. "Oh, please don't think I mean that I don'tappreciate it, for I do, very much. It is because I want so dreadfullymuch to keep it that I was afraid I shouldn't."
"Then please don't have any more compunctions."
"I won't, and I thank you so much. I consider it one of my verygreatest and most valuable gifts."
"You will see so many more rare and beautiful things while you are herethat you will soon learn how insignificant this little souvenir is.Isn't this a gay and happy crowd? Like a flock of bright butterflies,isn't it? They all wear their very best on such a day."
"The children particularly. What gorgeous kimonos and _obis_ some ofthem have, and how they do love flowers."
They wandered on, sometimes coming up to the rest of their party,sometimes falling behind, and at last all returned to the boat foranother slow journey on the river, and at last to return to the hotelwell pleased with this first of their picnics in Japan.
The next day gave promise of rainy weather, and so they hurried tothe Uyeno Park to see the trees there, which were already sheddingtheir blossoms. These trees, it must be said, were more impressive insize and showed, against a background of evergreen trees, to betteradvantage than had those on the cherry avenue along the banks of theriver. They contrasted well, too, with the surroundings.
"And here," said Mr. Montell, "is where we hang verses on the trees, Ihope you all have yours ready."
There was a scramble for paper and pencils, and each one set aboutthe task of writing rhymes in order to follow out the pretty custom.Presently Nan jumped up and waved her paper. "My ode is completed," shecried.
"You might know Nan would be the first," remarked Eleanor. "Rhymingalways came as easy to her as rolling off a log. Let's see, Nan."
But Nan shook her head. "No, it might spoil the charm. I am going todispose of it at once." This she did, picking out a particularly lovelytree whose low-hanging branches allowed her to reach up higher thancould most of the young Japanese maidens who had already followed thecustom.
"This is literally hanging one's verses in the wind as Emerson said,"Nan remarked as she came back. "Who is next?"
There was no immediate answer but presently Mr. Harding left his placeand Nan, watching, saw that he had hung his paper by the side of hers."I don't see how he knew exactly which tree and which branch," shesaid to herself, and was convinced that he must have watched her veryclosely.
In due time the little poems were all tied in place and then Mrs. Craigdeclared that it was time to go. It was always a temptation to stopat some of the many curio shops on the way, but this time they werecarried to their destination without any delay for it was beginningto rain, and although they were well sheltered by the curtains of the_jinrikishas_, they did not fancy being caught out in a downpour.
That night Nan took out her little jade figure and showed it to MaryLee, telling of having been given it by Mr. Harding.
"It seems to me you have a case," declared Mary Lee. "Nobody has takenthe trouble to pick me out a souvenir as fine as that."
"Perhaps some one will," returned Nan nonchalantly. "Don't you thinkthis is a particularly good piece of carving? I was always crazy aboutjade and I am pleased beyond words to have this. I felt awkward abouttaking it at first because it is really valuable."
"Or would be at home. No doubt one can pick up such things here forvery little, that is if one knows where to go."
That eased Nan's conscience and she put away the small charm withoutfurther qualms.
They had been in bed some time when from Mary Lee came the question,"Do you ever hear from Rob Powell, Nan?"
"I haven't heard for some time," returned Nan.
"Does he know you are here?"
"I don't think so, unless Rita has told him."
"Who wrote last, you or Rob?"
"He did, I believe."
"Nan Corner, I believe you have turned him down, yet you used to likeRob."
"I liked him very much but I was never in love with him, if that iswhat you mean."
"You used to talk about him a lot."
"Probably because I wasn't in love with him."
Mary Lee turned this speech over in her mind and decided that when Nanbegan to talk about Neal Harding a great deal she might take it forgranted that there was no sentiment on Nan's side in that quarter. ThatNeal was strongly attracted to Nan she required not much perspicuityto see, and Mary Lee determined that she would keep her eyes open and,what was more, she would make a study of the young man, for it would behard for any one to be found quite good enough for this eldest of thefour Corners, the others thought. "If it gets very serious I will talkto Aunt Helen about it," decided Mary Lee, and with this thought in hermind, she glided into the land of dreams.
CHAPTER VIIIFLYING FISH]