Japanese Memories | Page 8

met before. He was very kind and genial,
and spoke English perfectly, having studied at St. Thomas' Hospital. In
his own land he is a great philanthropist, and has founded a hospital, in
which he and his eldest son are constantly working for the sick and
suffering poor of Tokio. He has also done much valuable work for his
country, and for the education of medical students.
This early dinner was to be an ordinary one, such as my young charges
would have every evening. The table was spread with a coarse new
white cloth; the plates and dishes were of ugly white ware; the spoons
and forks were plated, and the glass salt-cellars boasted of no spoons.
There were finger bowls filled with hot water, with paper d'oyleys
under them. It was quite touching to see the attempt that had been made
to conform to English customs. The little boys used big knives and
forks, and managed to help themselves neatly from the dishes as they
were handed round; but I had many a shock and surprise during that

meal, and I saw there was great scope for improvement in their
manners.
It greatly puzzled me why the furniture and table service should be of
such an ordinary kind. I could not understand the seemingly rigid
economy, having heard of the family's great wealth. Later on, I learned
the truth. There was a reason for it, and a noble one. The object in
adopting this Western education was to get all the best that was
possible out of it. What good, they asked, would a luxurious house be
to the sons of a great warrior, such as these Princes? Would it help to
produce courage and valour? Character could only be beautified by
simplicity and denial in daily life. What need to have more than a bare
and empty house? There was just one touch of the beautiful for my eye
to rest on. In the corner of the room stood two little dwarf plum-trees,
in blossom, which made up for any amount of ugly furniture. The
Prince's house was renowned for its collection of these wonderful old
trees, which are exceedingly difficult to rear. Their height was about
two feet, the bark being an exquisite soft grey-green, and the branches
covered with pink blossoms. They seemed to me like a peep into
fairy-land, and I soon found one placed in my bedroom, showing that
my appreciation of them was recognized.
After dinner, sketches of livery were brought from a tailor, and I was
asked to select one for the servant who had waited at table. As he was
short and dumpy I dreaded the result. I chose a butler's suit, but found
they preferred that of a footman, and eventually we decided on a
compromise. Mr. Nagasaki then gave me the list of attendant
gentlemen, which seemed an endlessly long one, headed by a
comptroller of the house, and a treasurer. He told me that Japanese
reporters had been continually worrying him for information as to my
coming, but that he had kept the date of my arrival unknown until the
moment when he had asked the Emperor to excuse him, which had
awakened great interest at the Palace. He said he had brought me some
very kind messages from the gentlemen in the Court, begging me to
believe that I had their sympathy and congratulations on my safe
arrival.

Dinner being over we went into the adjoining room, and there I realized
for the first time how the eldest brother was accustomed to be treated.
An attendant came in, and the Prince was consulted as to my having the
use of a carriage. He was grave and silent, and the attendant standing
behind his chair spoke for him. Later on I found it was necessary to
obtain his permission on any important matter. Strange as it may seem,
I never felt that this young Prince was like an ordinary boy of fourteen
years of age. In some ways he was a grown-up person. His authority
was imperceptibly felt, even by me, a foreigner; and, although he
yielded himself to me to educate, and never failed to do all I asked of
him, even to giving strict obedience, yet, in a sense, I always felt him to
be the Master of the House.
CHAPTER II
I MUST now give a short description of the Prince and his brothers.
On the first day a paper was handed to me with the names and ages of
my charges, as follows:
Prince Tadashige Shimadzu, aged 14 years, 5 months.
Baron Tomijiro Shimadzu .. 9 9 ,,
Baron Junnosuke Shimadzu ,, 8 5 ,,
Akinoshin Shimadzu .. 7 2
Yonosuke Shimadzu .... 6 2
It is to be noted that none of the sons