The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 2, 1900, Page 5

THE SUNDAY CALL. ¥ BROWNE Tales From Toklo.” Bhe X ptured three e ] e in the com- for riding and driving, where there were twenty entries and e woman; &n e = she the only Woman a a b e she com- u She w he class for 1, she took 1 a horse ap- lusive ry of triumph- New ¥ st closed, Miss applause and dex- ach has and al- horse- quished more no mannish end modis to the boc y dark gray in col- by hat and a stock thrust through the wears a safety skirt, does not favor women's rid- je. At Chicago the insistence of e women on riding in that fash- ed a great commotion. “Women are not bulit like men physi- cally, do not and cannot get their grip on the horse In the same way,” ex- plained Miss Beach. “It is nonsense, therefore, for them to adopt the same manner of riding, As for its making a women grogked to ride on ons side, why, g. If a gir % she shouldn’t le, that 1 ped by rid 1 tendency to curvature In ection. It is all righ wn girls to be to overcome oy for wom astride if they want to, but I main- tain that it 1s no way to exh horse that ord it a is ridden under dif- ferent circumstances, whatever else m be said of adv lieve in it for the = ge by those who e “Yes, I passed through a stage fri experience the first time I went bef« big horse show audience. I know how an actor fe yst when he makes his first appearance. But after a few mo- ments of demoralized helplessness, I pull- ed myself together and said to myself, ‘Now, It doesn’t matter about those peo- 1 e in the b ut the ges to please n as T got that to head I just gav ¥ attention to my horse, a perfect dear he was, and came out all right. T had not known that I was to ride v y e sort of an accide # in advance; it was timt I had under- ken it; but, having made my appear- ance ip public and come through all Tight, I was only too ready to repeat the per- 1 like anything that has to do ses, I love them so dearly. ays ke to ride a orse several n.ed with hfm pri- fore we make our bow .0 a big e, but if there is no opportunity for it 1 do not hesitate to mou him for the first time in the presence of judges and spectators, It does not take me long to make friends with a horse, ordinarily. “Yes. I have been thrown, and have had all sorts of narrow escapes and hal ing adventures in my experience with horges, but I never have had any bones broken or lost any of my courage. “In taking a hurdle my horse has some- times fafled and we both have gone down to defeat. but never beyond recovery. “My most exciting and hazardous ex- perlence occurred a few years ago when the man with whom I was driving was thrown from the trap, carrying the reins with him, and the frightened animal plunged madly forward. I saw a trolley car in the distance approaching, and knew that the only chance for my life lay in checking the horse, so I climbed over the high dashboard to the horse’s back and managed to pull alm in just at the mo- ment of collision with the car. I got a heavy fall and a severe wrench and sprain, but I felt myself mighty lucky to and to get acq als- be allve.” ( ‘When Miss Beach drives in the horss shows she uses & Louls XIV phaeton, & anese woman' splder or a > Is mounted on horse- New York and Chicago, but and Boston, Empress, too, hua yalt her- self In a false position throughout all ‘that time. So there was rellef for both the real and the ofi- clal ~mother when Haru 2 found out whose son he really Probably - he could hardly sa; which of s better- rd with t 1y love them. al pie tude. iva married a at bright youns graeduste of the Peeresses’ School in Tokio, This school the Empress founded. She has watehed over it fondly from the beginning. I have seen her there with her maids of honer during the grad- uation exercises. She is the personifica- tion of dignity. Even as she waixed from the reception hall to her carriage, ham- _ pered as she was with forelgn skirts and high-heeled boots from Paris, she had the air of majesty. This is saying muchH, for the kimono, or Japanese dress, which the Empress has worn during her whole life, except on formal occasions in the last few years, develops a pecullarity in galt that is noticeable particularly in women. Wrapped like a bathrobe around the ltmbs it hinders the natural swing of the stride, Especially it binds and hampers on the left side, throwing the left foot over in front of the right with the too potnting in. The tendency of the right foot is to point in, too, though to a less degree than the left. With this “toeing in” there 1s also a shuise, for Japanese gata or wood- en cloge are not fastened at the heel, only &t the toe, and hang down and drag along the ground as one walks. A pigeon-toed shufle is a serfous impediment to dignity, but the many Europeans and Americans who have seen her Majesty Haruko will testify that she has overcome it. But ‘to return to the. brilliant young graduaté of the school for noble daughters and now wife of tue heir zp- parent. ~She will be the onme and only wife of the next Mikado, If both she and her spouse have to ascend the throns, whereas the present Mikado has four. His father, Komei Tenno, has twelve, besides the Em- press, as had been the cus- tom for ages. Indeed, the title of thege extra wives signifies “one of . the twelve.” Many wives were for the purpose of insuring an helr, for, according to the old Japanese {dea, it waga grie- vous thing to leave no son to keep one's memory green. Taoism and Confuclanism and Shintolsm teach as the supreme virtue reverence of ances: tors. Should a man, the head of a house, dle without a sbn, ‘not only Wouta he lose honor himself; he would also be guflty of fll-treating the whole line of his ancestors: of irreverence and impicty. In the eyes of his fellows he would be as one addicted to sacrilege and blasphemy. It has been tke custom in Japan, then, for those that could afford it, to have an ex- tra - wife and. where it was particularly Important to have an helr. to bring home several. In the instance of suprems ‘mportance—the need of a Crown Prince of imperial blood--custom from time immemorial has allotted twelve. But new Japan says one. Haru-no-miy who is lkely to make a tour of the western coun- ‘ries next year, is an exceedingly Jopular Prince. As eldest son of ‘he Son of Heaven, e has a pres- tige In the eves of the Mikado's subjects that is divine. The divin- ity of the reigning house in Japan is a fact in Japanese lives. No one auestions it .any more than he woubts that firc gives out heat. Not a Prince In Europe these days has such devoutly loyal subjects, for loyalty 10 the person of the Mikado is part of he spiritual life of Japan. Haru-no-miya is he first heir to the Mikado's throne the Japanese bave ever been permitted to see, She lives with her mother in an uptown apartment In New York. the walls of which are hung with pictures of famous horses and of other animals, for she loves 1I; only the horse is first in her aftections. Numerous ribbor.s, badges and the history of the horse’ rity uring the past few years and evidence Miss Beach’s continu- MARY MATTHEWS. them ous victories. and they have seen much of him. With some two of his chamberlains and a military attendant, he has been about the capftal on all occasions of pub- lc interest, and, like other youngsters ot good birth, he went to the nobles’ school six days in the week. Here he be- came the familiar friend of the best Jap- anese youth. I met him at the school through the courtesy of one of the cham- berlains, Viscount Kadeyunokojl, of an old Kuge family, and afterward saw him frequently. Six of his chamberlains, in- cluding his maternal uncle, formed a con- versation class, which met at my home In Kajimachi three times a week. Mr. Cool- idge, a Harvard man, with whom I was living, had great success In teaching them the English language. They enjoved the conversations hugely, and part of their scheme for entertaining the Crown Prince each day came to be telling him what they had done at the house of the two for- elgners. To our delight, one day we made an exchange of photographs. Like his august father, Haru-no-miya is ford of horses, and when the races are on at the beautiful course around the lotus 'pond in Ueno Park, one may surely find him there. BEven as a youngster in short trousers he knew the horses and somie- thing of the riders, too. He seemed to take particular interest in the horses forelgners sometimes entered, and at every opportunity would ask their own- ers about them. He had such a charm- ing manner, and such genuine eagerness to learn, that one would do anything rather than disappoint him. Everything that forelgners used excited his interest. A ‘pocket slate of washable white cards that had come to me as a present caught his fancy. He had never seen a white ‘slate before, and It pleased him to have one he could use over and over again, for he got it, of course—as it is quite proper in Japan to pass along a gift. A present sometimes, especlally at New Year's, may travel a complete circuit and return to you again after faithful service in providing jovs and opportunities It 1s his keen desire to acquire knowledge, more particularly the knowl- edge that has given Western countries their civilization, that has made a trip abroad so desfrable for the Crown Prince. The Mikado's councilors had advised it so soon as Haru-po-miya sho married and established hims May saw the nuptial ceremonie With the announcement that the hetr apparent has a son, plans for a tour of the West will take effect It would be difficult indeed for a Euro- pean to understand the way the Jap mind would contemplate world by the Mikado. customed to roy kado over went the female Mik: Korea in the t E Japanese historians ntly even the native Japanese could not see a Mi- kado. He reigned. but did not sacred palace in 3 gun kept him shut up with court nobles. His lmmediate too holy noble women wou clothed him daily silken robes (he must not wear the s: garments twice), they bathed him, kept him from the heat of the sum, the chill of the wind and the evil influence of the moon. His life was that of an | nt. As soon as he had an heir the Shog put him into yet greater .retirement, whatever that might be, 1 declarea there was a new Mikado. So, as gen tions are of few years in Japan, there were often several Mikados allve at once. Mr. Chamberlain, emeritus profsssor of Japanese in the Imperial University of Toklo, says*that at one period In the hise tory of this strange and anclent line thers were as many as six Mikados lving, shut off from the world entirely. en the Shogun, the Generalissimo and the political head of Japan for centt= rles before 183, was too important to be seen by the public; shutters went up at his approach, and did any one peer dlscov- ery meant death. It was rather bewilder ing, therefore, to the Japanese to have the Shogun suddenly become a private cftt- zen, and the Mikado, the god invisible, come out into the light and show himself real flesh and blood, though the natives be- levethe flesh and blood to be of dtvine ori- gin distinct from that of all other persons, The sun goddess, Amaterassu, mother of Jimmu Tenno, the first of the Mikados, has her sacred picture in many Japanese temples. It will not do to look upem these pictures without proper ceremony, as the following incident fllustrates: Viscount Mor!, Minister of Education, went to Nara to see the famous temple there, which the caretakers tear down and rebuild with new material every twenty years., This razing and rebufliing has gone on regularly for over twenty centu- ries. The imperial relics are there—e minr- ror, a sword and a crystal sphers, and also a picture of Amaterassu, hanging be- hind a curtain. The Viscount had no great reverence for these things. it seems. A% any rate he entered the templs without taking off shoes, a serfous breach om his part, and actually pushed de with his walking stick the curtain that con- cealed the goddess’ News of this came to Te clerk hearing it, and ascertaining trip to Naru that it was true, sought out the Mi r and stabbed him in the abdo~ men with a fish knife. (There is much ignominy associated with a fish knife) It being a jubllee day in honor of the Emperor's gift of a constitution to the people, the court physiclan was away, and so on down the line of his assistants until, when a plain, ordinary doctor came, the Minister was past recovery News of the killing came to me on the west coast, sent without pa rious explanations were about more than gue: One, howeve: gestive, ws light on nese attit vard the Mikado from a member of the Board tlon of the province of Ech se for it,” he sald, 1lling was done because 1 In the presence of k that may be the nstance shows something of . To see the processton om e Viscount's deatl Raus- r bad a platform b level of the wall In front of the ed guests were down on the road along press were to en the crowd saw this it mure nd then laid sfege to t ed the women and wo inmates. All this was becat guests of the Russian Minister would have looke the Mikado. Position signi ng in Japan. The Mikado himself d not share this free from s his subjects to be as are the best of forelgn= e Is an entire absence of haught~ in his demeanor. I have seen himy frequently at parades and at the races, s on foot and sometimes om chatting h officers of the He has dn agreeabls countenance, rvous twitch in it at times, and t smile. His eve is bright and slight slant that indicates high breeding in Japan, and he has nose enough for eyeglasses !f he needed them, which is a thing to be proud of in Japan. His beard and mustache are perfectly biack, as im his abundant hair, and he carries himself with graceful erectness and dignity. Ha wears a military uniform after the French pattern during his working hours, whick take up much the better half of the day, and seldom uses the native dress, exoept when performing the Shinto ceremonies before the tmperial cenotaphs in memory of his ancestors. Such i Mutsuhito (meek man), the one hundred and twenty-first of his line, the ruler of Japan-during the past thirty-two years and the first absolute monarch vol- untarily to offer a constitution to his peo ple giving them the right to govern theme selves and then to ecarry out by his own work the enlighteced spirit of this gift. es somet