ke sure the children didn't
miss the show. Several times I have seen people walk slowly and solemnly
all the way around us to make sure they missed nothing. No rudeness
ever, just plain curiosity. As we were going to the museum after
breakfast, a few of those children, girls, appeared and bowed. First I
knew one of them had hold of each of my hands, and went with us as far
as the museum--girls of nine or ten. It was touching to see their
friendliness, especially one evidently rather poor, who would look up at
me and laugh, and then squeeze my hand and press it against herself, and
then laugh with delight again. I haven't been able to discover when it
ceases to be proper for children to be natural. Sunday morning some
soldiers were going off to Manchuria--or Korea--and before eight we
heard the patter of the clogs down the street and some hundred of boys
and girls were marching down to the station with their teachers; the
same thing next morning, for the soldiers.

KYOTO, April 19.

We have just come from another Geisha party, given by the mayor and
about fifteen of the other officers of the city. Papa is quite stuck up
because they say it is the first time the city of Kyoto ever entertained
a scholar in that fashion. But if he is stuck up what should I be when a
woman appears for the first time in history at a men's carouse in Japan?
The Geisha girls are all the way from eleven years old to something like
fifty. One of the older ones is the best dancer in the city, and she
gave us one of the wonderful pantomime dances that so fascinate one
here. She has been in jail for her political activities, said activities
consisting in the active distribution of funds in order to elect someone
she favored. It is against the law for a woman to take any part in
politics here. Like all the older women of that class that I have seen
she has a sad look when her face is at rest. But they all talk and
entertain so busily that the sadness is not seen by the men. They are a
very cultivated lot of women so far as we have seen them; of course we
see only the best. They talk with the composure of a duchess and the
good nature of a child. It is a rare combination. They are very curious
about us and ask all sorts of questions. One girl of seventeen said she
loved babies and how many did I have? When I told her five she was
delighted. She had a rosebud mouth just like the old prints and danced
with the old print postures. The girls pass