the soul of the far east-第22部分

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e；　in　rosy　reflection　of　the　snow　that　lies　yet　upon　the　ground。　　But　the　coldness　of　the　weather　does　not　in　the　least　deter　people　from　thronging　the　spot　in　which　the　trees　grow；　where　they　spend　hours　in　admiration；　and　end　by　pinning　appropriate　poems　on　the　twigs　for　later　comers　to　peruse。　　Fleeting　as　the　flowers　are　in　fact；　they　live　forever　in　fancy。　　For　they　constitute　one　of　the　commonest　motifs　of　both　painting　and　poetry。　　A　branch　just　breaking　into　bloom　seen　against　the　sunrise　sky；　or　a　bough　bending　its　blossoms　to　the　bosom　of　a　stream；　is　subject　enough　for　their　greatest　masters；　who　thus　wed；　as　it　were；　two　arts　in　one；the　spirit　of　poesy　with　pictorial　form。　This　plum…tree　is　but　a　blossom。　　Precocious　harbinger　of　a　host　of　flowers；　its　gay　heralding　over；　it　vanishes　not　to　be　recalled；　for　it　bears　no　edible　fruit。

The　next　event　in　the　series　might　fairly　be　called　phenomenal。　Early　in　April　takes　place　what　is　perhaps　as　superb　a　sight　as　anything　in　this　world；　the　blossoming　of　the　cherry…trees。　　Indeed；　it　is　not　easy　to　do　the　thing　justice　in　description。　　If　the　plum　invited　admiration；　the　cherry　commands　it；　for　to　see　the　sakura　in　flower　for　the　first　time　is　to　experience　a　new　sensation。　　Familiar　as　a　man　may　be　with　cherry　blossoms　at　home；　the　sight　there　bursts　upon　him　with　the　dazzling　effect　of　a　revelation。　　Such　is　the　profusion　of　flowers　that　the　tree　seems　to　have　turned　into　a　living　mass　of　rosy　light。　　No　leaves　break　the　brilliance。　　The　snowy…pink　petals　drape　the　branches　entirely；　yet　so　delicately；　one　deems　it　all　a　veil　donned　for　the　tree's　nuptials　with　the　spring。　　For　nothing　could　more　completely　personify　the　spirit　of　the　spring…time。　　You　can　almost　fancy　it　some　dryad　decked　for　her　bridal；　in　maidenly　day…dreaming　too　lovely　to　last。　　For　like　the　plum　the　cherry　fails　in　its　fruit　to　fulfil　the　promise　of　its　flower。

It　would　be　strange　indeed　if　so　much　beauty　received　no　recognition；　but　it　is　even　more　strange　that　recognition　should　be　so　complete　and　so　universal　as　it　is。　　Appreciation　is　not　confined　to　the　cultivated　few；　it　is　shown　quite　as　enthusiastically　by　the　masses。　　The　popularity　of　the　plants　is　all…embracing。　　The　common　people　are　as　sensitive　to　their　beauty　as　are　the　upper　classes。　　Private　gratification；　roseate　as　it　is；　pales　beside　the　public　delight。　　Indeed；　not　content　with　what　revelation　Nature　makes　of　herself　of　her　own　accord；　man　has　multiplied　her　manifestations。　　Spots　suitable　to　their　growth　have　been　peopled　by　him　with　trees。　Sometimes　they　stand　in　groups　like　star…clusters；　as　in　Oji；　crowning　a　hill；　sometimes；　as　at　Mukojima；　they　line　an　avenue　for　miles；　dividing　the　blue　river　on　the　one　hand　from　the　blue…green　rice…fields　on　the　other；a　floral　milky　way　of　light。　　But　wherever　the　trees　may　be；　there　at　their　flowering　season　are　to　be　found　throngs　of　admirers。　　For　in　crowds　people　go　out　to　see　the　sight；　multitudes　streaming　incessantly　to　and　fro　beneath　their　blossoms　as　the　time　of　day　determines　the　turn　of　the　human　tide。　To　the　Occidental　stranger　such　a　gathering　suggests　some　social　loadstone；　but　none　exists。　　In　the　cherry…trees　alone　lies　the　attraction。

For　one　week　out　of　the　fifty…two　the　cherry…tree　stands　thus　glorified；　a　vision　of　beauty　prolonged　somewhat　by　the　want　of　synchronousness　of　the　different　kinds。　　Then　the　petals　fall。　What　was　a　nuptial　veil　becomes　a　winding…sheet；　covering　the　sod　as　with　winter's　winding…sheet　of　snow；　destined　itself　to　disappear；　and　the　tree　is　nothing　but　a　common　cherry…tree　once　more。

But　flowers　are　by　no　means　over　because　the　cherry　blossoms　are　past。　　A　brief　space；　and　the　same　crowds　that　flocked　to　the　cherry　turn　to　the　wistaria。　　Gardens　are　devoted　to　the　plants；　and　the　populace　greatly　given　to　the　gardens。　　There　they　go　to　sit　and　gaze　at　the　grape…like　clusters　of　pale　purple　flowers　that　hang　more　than　a　cubit　long　over　the　wooden　trellis；　and　grow　daily　down　toward　their　own　reflections　in　the　pond　beneath；　vying　with　one　another　in　Narcissus…like　endeavor。　　And　the　people；　as　they　sip　their　tea　on　the　veranda　opposite；　behold　a　doubled　delight；　the　flower　itself　and　its　mirrored　image　stretching　to　kiss。

After　the　wistaria　comes　the　tree…peony；　and　then　the　iris；　with　its　trefoil　flowers　broader　than　a　man　may　span；　and　at　all　colors　under　the　sky。　　To　one　who　has　seen　the　great　Japanese　fleur…de…lis；　France　looks　ludicrously　infelicitous　in　her　choice　of　emblem。

But　the　list　grows　too　long；　limited　as　it　is　only　by　its　own　annual　repetition。　　We　have　as　yet　reached　but　the　first　week　in　June；　the　summer　and　autumn　are　still　to　come；　the　first　bringing　the　lotus　for　its　crown；　and　the　second　the　chrysanthemum。　　And　lazily　grand　the　lotus　is；　itself　the　embodiment　of　the　spirit　of　the　drowsy　August　air；　the　very　essence　of　Buddha…like　repose。　　The　castle　moats　are　its　special　domain；　which　in　this　its　flowering　season　it　wrests　wholly　from　their　more　proper　occupantthe　water。　　A　dense　growth　of　leather…like　leaves；　above　which　rise　in　majestic　isolation　the　solitary　flowers；　encircles　the　outer　rampart；　shutting　the　castle　in　as　it　might　be　the　palace　of　the　Sleeping　Beauty。　　In　the　delightful　dreaminess　that　creeps　over　one　as　he　stands　thus　before　some　old　daimyo's　former　abode　in　the　heart　of　Japan；　he　forgets　all　his　metaphysical　difficulties　about　Nirvana；　for　he　fancies　he　has　found　it；　one　long　Lotus　afternoon。

And　then　last；　but　in　some　sort　first；　since　it　has　been　taken　for　the　imperial　insignia；　comes　the　chrysanthemum。　　The　symmetry　of　its　shape　well　fits　it　to　symbolize　the　completeness　of　perfection　which　the　Mikado；　the　son　of　heaven；　mundanely　represents。　　It　typifies；　too；　the　fullness　of　the　year；　for　it　marks；　as　it　were；　the　golden　wedding　of　the　spring；　the　reminiscence　in　November　of　the　nuptials　of　the　May。　　Its　own　color；　however；　is　not　confined　to　gold。　It　may　be　of　almost　any　hue　and　within　the　general　limits　of　a　circle　of　any　form。　　Now　it　is　a　chariot　wheel　with　petals　for　spokes；　now　a　ball　of　fire　with　lambent　tongues　of　flame；　while　another　kind　seems　the　button　of　some　natural　legion　of　honor；　and　still　another　a　pin…wheel　in　Nature's　own　day…fireworks。

Admired　as　a　thing　of　beauty　for　its　own　sake；　it　is　also　used　merely　as　a　material　for　artistic　effects；　for　among　the　quaintest　of　such　conceits　are　the　Japanese　Jarley　chrysanthemum　works。　　Every　November　in　the　florists'　gardens　that　share　the　temple　grounds　at　Asakusa　may　be　seen　groups　of　historical　and　mythological　figures　composed　entirely　of　chrysanthemum　flowers。　These　effigies　are　quite　worthy　of　comparison　with　their　London　cousins；　being　sufficiently　life…like　to　terrify　children　and　startle　anybody。　　To　come　suddenly；　on　turning　a　corner；　upon　a　colossal　warrior；　deterrently　uncouth　and　frightfully　battle…clad；　in　the　act　of　dispatching　a　fallen　foe；　is　a　sensation　not　instantly　dispelled　by　the　fact　that　he　is　made　of　flowers。　　The　practice；　at　least；　bears　witness　to　an　artistic　ingenuity　of　no　mean　merit；　and　to　a　horticulture　ably　carried　on；　if　somewhat　eccentrically　applied。

From　the　passing　of　th