Volume I Part 8 (2/2)

He took japanese food with chopsticks

”In his Izumo days, he was pleased to be present on all banquets held by the teachers; he also invited solad to listen to the popular songs

”On the New Year's day of 1891, he went round for a formal call with japanese _haori_ and _hakama_

”But on those days I had to suffer from the inconvenience of conversation between us We could not understand each other very well

Nor was Hearn familiar with complicated japanese custo; also he had a peculiar taste Having been teased by the hard world, and being still in the vigour of his life, he often seenant with the world (This turned in his later years into a h the province of Hoki, we had to rest for a while at a tea-house of so : 'Stop to enter this house! No good to rest here It is an hell Even a moment we should not stay here' He was often offended in such a way I was younger than now I am and unexperienced with the affairs of the world; and it was no easy task for me then to reconcile him with the occasions

”We visited Kukedo, which is a cave on a rocky shore in the sea of japan Hearn went out froreat dexterity in various feats of swi Our boat entered the dark, hollow cave, and it was very fearful to hear the sounds of waves dashi+ng against the wall There arethis cave To keep our boat fro our boat with a stone The deep water beloas horribly blue After hearing an to put off his clothes The sailor said that there would be a great danger if any one swam here, on account of the devil's curse I dissuaded hi Hearn was very displeased and hardly spoke with me till the next day

”In the summer of 1891 he visited Kizuki with Mr Nishi+da The next day he sent for one to sea for swi, was left on the floor He was very indifferent in regard to money until in later years he became anxious for the future of fa on account of his failing health

”He was extremely fond of freedom, and hated mere forms and restraint

As a middle school teacher and as a professor in the University he was always democratic and simple in his life He ordered to make flock-coat when he becaer advice

He at first insisted that he would not appear on public cere to the proer entreaties that at last he consented to have flock-coat made for him But it was only so his life So whenever he puts on that, he felt the task of putting on very troubleso instead of ; daily cloth is sufficient, etc' He disliked silk-hat Some day I said in joke: 'You have written about japan very well His Majesty the E you to praise So please put on the flock-coat and silk-hat' He answered: 'Therefore I will not attend theI dislike'

”Our conversation was through japanese language Hearn would not teach : 'It is far lovelier for the japanese wolad that you do not know English'

”Some time (when at kumanorance of English He said that if I were able to write lish it would be sufficient; and instead he wanted ress in this and were able to write letters in japanese alphabet with a few Chinese characters interress on account of necessity This special japanese of lish of japanese friend Hearn was always delighted with my japanese By and by he was able to teach Kazuo in japanese He also taught japanese stories to other children in japanese

”But on Matsue days we suffered in regard to conversations So fond froan fro japanese old stories, which were not easy for him to understand, but to which he listened with much interest and attention He called our e) So in later years when he met some difficult words he would say in joke to explain them in our familiar 'Hearn san Kotoba'”

Unfortunately this idyllic interval was cut short by ill health The cold Siberian winds that pass across Izus, and the little _hibachi_, or box of burning charcoal, which was the onlyjapanese houses, could not protect sufficiently one who had lived so long in warht injuriously, and very reluctantly, but under the urgent advice of his doctor, he sought eion and was transferred to the Dai Go Koto Gakko, the great Governe, at kumamoto, situated near the southern end of the Inland Sea In ”Sayonara”--the last chapter of the ”Gli:--

”The quaint old city has becoain is one I do not venture to dwell upon These days of farewells have been full of charratitude where you had no right to expect more than plain satisfaction with your perforood will to exist: these are assuredly delicious experiences I cannot but ask myself the question: Could I have lived in the exercise of the sath of time in any other country, and have enjoyed a sioodness? From each and all I have received only kindness and courtesy Not one has addressed to enerous word As a teacher of more than five hundred boys and men I have never even had my patience tried”

There were presents from the teachers, of splendid old porcelains, of an ancient and valuable sword froiven, addresses made, the Governood-bye at the docks, and thus closed the most beautiful episode of his life

Matsue was old japan kue of transition Here Hearn reement abandoned the Govern was far more expensive, the official and social atnant to hi habits of earlier days--finding his friends a only the old teacher of Chinese, whose nanified ”Moon-of-Autumn,” and to whom he makes reference in several of his letters In ”Out of the East”--the book written in kuh rank belonging to the great clan of Aizu He had been a leader of arotiator between princes, a statesht could be in the feudal era But in the intervals of military or political duty he seems always to have been a teacher Yet to see him now you would scarcely believe how h loved--by the turbulent swordsentleness so full of charm as that of the man of war noted for sternness in his youth”

Of his childish friends he relates a pretty story They came upon one occasion to ask for a contribution ofthe festival of Jizo, whose shrine was opposite his house

”I was glad to contribute to the fund, for I love the gentle God of children Early the nextI saw that a new bib had been put about Jizo's neck, a Buddhist repast set before hilory of lantern-fires to see the children dance; and I found, perched beforeIt was a token of the children's gratitude for the help I had given the, but upon close examination I discovered that the body was a pine branch wrapped with coloured paper, the four wings were four fire-shovels, and the gleahted by a candle so placed as to n It was a wonderful instance of art-sense working without a speck of artistic material, yet it was all the labour of a poor little child only eight years old!”

It was in kuan to perceive the fierceness and sternness of the japanese character ”With Kyushu Students” and ”Jiu-jutsu” contain sos of the then unsuspected future Such characteristics, however he ht respect or understand them, were always antipathetic to his nature, and his relations with the members of the school were for the most part formal

He mentions that the students rarely called upon him, and that he saw his fellow teachers only in school hours Between classes he usually walked under the trees, se of the hill behind the college, where an ancient stone Buddha sat upon a lotus--”hisdown between half-closed eyelids”--and where he wrought out the chapter in ”Out of the East” which is called ”The Stone Buddha” It became a favourite resort Mrs Hearn says: ”When at kuht-tiraveyard, for on the previous day he said: 'I have found a pleasant place Let us go there to-h a dark path I was led on, until we came up a hill, where were many tombs Dreary place it was! He said: 'Listen and hear the voices of frogs'”

He was still in kumamoto when japan went to ith China, and his record of the emotion of the people is full of interest The war spirit manifested itself in ways not less painful than extraordinary Many killed the refused the chance of military service

It was here in the previous year, November 17, 1893, that his first child was born, and was nanifies ”the first of the excellent, best of the peerless” The event caused hireat change in all his views of life, as perhaps it does in ainst which theyto me a feeeks after this event he declared with artless conviction that the boy was ”strangely beautiful,” and though three other children came in later years, Kazuo always remained his special interest and concern Up to the tiht by any one but hian to decline ith the future of this child, who appeared to have inherited both his father's looks and disposition

The constant change in the personnel of the teaching force of the college, and many annoyances to which he was subjected, caused his decision at the end of the three years' term to remove to Kobe and enter the service of the Kobe _Chronicle_ Explaining to A to leave the Gov't service, and begin journalism at Kobe I am not sure of success; but Gov't service is uncertain to the degree of terror,--a sword of Damocles; and Gov't doesn't eive then teacher would be pleasant enough He would be a made to feel that he is only the servant of petty political clerks And I have been so isolated, that I lishain--with all their prejudices and conventions”

Kobe was at that time, 1895, an open port, that is to say, one of the places in which foreigners were allowed to reside without special government permission, and under the extra-territorial rule of their own consuls Of Hearn's external life here there seems to be but scant record He worked as one of the staff of the _Chronicle_,--his editorials frequently bringing upon him the wrath of the missionaries,--he contributed some letters to the McClure Syndicate, and there was much talk of a projected expedition, in search of material for such work, to the Philippines or the Loo Choo Islands; a project never realized The journalistic work seriously affected his eyes, and his health seems to have been poor at times He made few acquaintances and had almost no companions outside of his own household, where in 1896 another son was born