believe that their representative is
the Mikado, so of course they lay out to worship him. The Buddhists
preach renunciation, morality, duty, and right living. Bein' such a
case to cling to Duty's apron strings I couldn't feel towards the
Buddhists as Miss Meechim did. Sez she, "Oh, why can't they believe as
we do in America? Why can't they all be Episcopalians?"

But 'tennyrate all religions are tolerated here, and as Arvilly told
Miss Meechim when she wuz bewailin' the fact that they wuzn't all
Episcopals and wuzn't more like our country.

Sez Arvilly, "They don't drownd what they call witches, nor hang
Quakers, nor whip Baptists, nor have twenty wives. It don't do
for us to find too much fault with the religion of other nations,
Miss Meechim, specially them that teaches the highest morality,
self-control and self-sacrifice."

Miss Meechim was huffy, but Arvilly drove the arrer home. "Gamblin' is
prohibted here; you wouldn't be allowed gamble for bed-quilts and
afghans at church socials, Miss Meechim."

Miss Meechim wouldn't say a word. I see she wuz awful huffy. But
howsumever there are lots of people here who believe in the Christian
religion.

We passed such cunning little farms; two acres is called a good farm,
and everything seemed to be growin' on it in little squares, kep' neat
and clean, little squares of rice and wheat and vegetables.

And Josiah sez, "I wonder what Ury would say if I should set him to
transplantin' a hull field of wheat, spear by spear, as they do here,
set 'em out in rows as we do onions. And I guess he'd kick if I should
hitch him onto the plow to plow up a medder, or onto the mower or
reaper. I guess I'd git enough of it. I guess he'd give me my
come-up-ance."

"Not if he wuz so polite as the Japans," sez I.

"And what a excitement it would make in Jonesville," sez Josiah, "if I
should hitch Ury and Philury onto the mowin' machine. I might," he
continered dreamily, "just for a change, drive 'em into Jonesville
once on the lumber wagon."

But he'll forgit it, I guess, and Japan will forgit it too before
long. Their tools are poor and fur behind ourn, and some of their ways
are queer; such as trainin' their fruit trees over arbors as we do
vines. Josiah wuz dretful took with this and vowed he'd train our old
sick no further over a arbor. Sez he, "If I can train that old tree
into a runnin' vine I shall be the rage in Jonesville."

But he can't do it. The branches are as thick