Lady of the Decoration | Page 6

to see the monkeys come out for breakfast. The mountains are
full of them, but they are only to be seen at that hour.
There are some very pleasant people here, and I have made a number of
friends. I am something of a conundrum, and curiosity is rife as to why
I came. Mrs. Waring dresses me up and shows me off like a new doll,

and the women consult me about making over their clothes.
I don't know why I am not perfectly miserable. The truth is, Mate, I am
having a good time! It's nice to be petted and treated like a child. It is
good to be among plain, honest people, that live out doors, and have
healthy bodies and minds.
I want to forget all that I learned about the world in the past seven years.
I want to begin life again as a girl with a few illusions, even if they are
borrowed ones. I know too much for my years and I'm determined to
forget.
The home letters were heavenly. I've read them limber. I'll answer the
rest to-morrow.

HIROSHIMA. Sept. 2nd, 1901.
At last after my wanderings I am settled for the winter. The school is a
big structure, open and airy, and I have a nice room facing the east
where you dear ones are. On two sides tower the mountains, and
between them lies the magical Inland Sea. This is a great naval and
military station, and while I write I can hear the bugle calls from the
parade grounds.
I have a pretty little maid to wait on me and I wish you could see us
talking to each other. She comes in, bows until her head touches the
floor and hopes that my honorable ears and eyes and teeth are well. I
tell her in plain English that I am feeling bully, then we both laugh. She
is delighted with all my things, and touches them softly saying over and
over: "It's mine to care for!"
There are between four and five hundred girls in the school and, until I
get more familiar with the language, I am to work with the older girls
who understand some English. You would smile to see their curiosity
concerning me. They think my waist is very funny and they measure it
with their hands and laugh aloud. One girl asked me in all seriousness
why I had had pieces cut out of my sides, and another wanted to know
if my hair used to be black. You see in all this big city I am the only
person with golden tresses, and a green carnation would not excite
more comment.
Yesterday we went shopping to get some curtains for my room. Such a
crowd followed us that we could scarcely see what we were doing.
When we went into the stores we sat on the floor and a little boy fanned

us all the time we were making our selection.
Monday, Miss Lessing asked me to begin a physical culture class with
the larger girls who are being trained for teachers, so I decided that the
first lesson would be on skipping. It is an unknown art in Japan and the
lack of it makes the Kindergarten work very awkward.
I took fourteen girls out on the porch and told them by signs and
gestures to follow me. Then I picked up my skirts, and whistling a
coon-song, started off. You never saw anything to equal their look of
absolute astonishment! They even got down on their hands and knees
to watch my feet. But they were game, and in spite of their tight
kimonos and sandalled feet they made a brave effort to follow. The first
attempt was disastrous, some fell on their faces, some went down on
their knees, and all stumbled. I didn't dare laugh for the Japanese can
stand anything better than ridicule. I helped and encouraged and
cheered them on to victory. The next day there was a slight
improvement, and by the third day they were experts. I found that they
had spent the whole afternoon in practice! Now what do you suppose
the result is? An epidemic of skipping has swept over Hiroshima like
the measles! Men women and children are trying to learn, and when we
go out to walk I almost have convulsions at the elderly couples we pass
earnestly trying to catch the step!
I was so encouraged by this success that I taught the girls all sorts of
steps and figures, even going so far as to teach them the quadrille! But
my ambition led me a little too far. One day I came to class with a
brand new step, which I had invented myself. It was rather giddy, but