The Life and Letters of Lafcadio Hearn Volume II Part 2

MATSUE, 1890.

DEAR PROFESSOR CHAMBERLAIN,--I returned last Sunday from Ichibata, but was too tired and busy to write at once. I have already sent you some _mamori_ from the famed temple of Yakus.h.i.+ Nyorai.

The little steamer--the very smallest I ever saw--which carries pilgrims and others from Matsue to Kozakai--makes the trip to the latter village in about two hours. Then the task of climbing the mountain is not over-easy. The scenery, however, both on the lake and at Ichibata is grand, and the peaks of the ranges have all their legends. There are nearly 600 steps of stone to climb before the temple,--situated on a windy summit whence the view extends for many luminous miles.

The temple is new,--the ancient one having been destroyed by fire.

There is a large hotel where guests are entertained upon a strictly Buddhist diet--no fish, no eggs; but a little cheap sake is tolerated.

No girls,--only young men as servants and waiters. The priests made some demonstrations at my appearance in their courts; but a few words from the pilgrims with me settled me in their good opinions, and they became kind, and showed me their _kakemonos_ of the Great Physician. All afflicted with eye-troubles journey here and pray,--repeating always the same prayer according to long established usage--"On koro-koro Sendai,"

etc. Little water vessels are sold bearing the _mon_ of the temple, and these are filled from the temple spring, and the sick bathe their eyes therewith. The trip was altogether a very charming one for me, and not the less interesting because I had to get back to Matsue in a sampan.

I am becoming a good pilgrim.

I do not think I am the first European to visit Ichibata, however: there were some German naval officers here, according to tradition, eight or ten years ago.

With best regards, always yours,

LAFCADIO HEARN.

TO SENTARO NIs.h.i.+DA

MATSUE, 1890.

DEAR MR. NIs.h.i.+DA,-- ... Last evening, the servant of Governor Koteda came to the house with a curious-looking box, which contained a present from Miss Koteda,--an uguisu: the bird which sings "_Hokkekyo_," and ought, therefore, for its piety, according to the _sutra_ of the good law, to be endowed with six hundred good qualities of Eye, six hundred good qualities of Hearing, twelve hundred good qualities of Smelling power, and twelve hundred supernatural excellences of the tongue, or of Speech. I am almost ready to believe the last compensation has been given it,--for its voice is superlatively sweet.--But what to say or do in the way of thanking the giver I don't know: this is really too kind.

So yesterday, despite the hideous weather, was a fortunate day: it brought to my house the sacred bird and your delightful postal news;--and for all things my grateful thanks and best wishes.

Most faithfully, LAFCADIO HEARN.

TO YRJo HIRN

TOKYO, December, 1890.

DEAR PROFESSOR,--I have just finished the reading of your "Origins of Art." ... Some years ago I remember that I wanted very much to produce an ideal essay upon the "ghostliness" of fine art,--the element of _thrill_ common to all forms of it: painting, sculpture, music, or architecture. The notion is not original, I suppose,--but it came to me with such an intensity that I imagined a general truth behind it.

This was the possible fact that no existing aesthetic sentiment had a primarily aesthetic origin, and that all such sentiment must simply represent emotional acc.u.mulation,--organic memory or inherited tendency.

But I could not develop my notion judiciously. Your fine book shows me how such things should have been done, and it expresses convictions and ideas which I lacked the scientific training to utter consistently.

I found a particular satisfaction in your critique of the Darwinian hypothesis as to s.e.xual aesthetic sensibility in animals and birds.

Though I am an "extreme" evolutionist, this hypothesis always seemed to me essentially wrong,--essentially opposed to the facts of psychical evolution. You have more than convinced me of what I suspected. Also I think that, even while occasionally diverging from Spencer's views, you have reenforced his main positions, and shed fresh light upon various shadowy regions of the new psychology. I liked very much your treatment of the difficult topic of pleasure-pain: indeed, I like the whole book more than I feel able to tell you.

My own slight knowledge of these matters is based chiefly upon a study of Spencer. Although I have played "aesthetically" with metaphysical ideas in my books, I believe that I have a fair knowledge of the whole system of Synthetic Philosophy, and that I may call myself a disciple of its author. Therefore,--or rather by reason of this private study only,--can I presume even to discuss your work as an admirer. You place the study of aesthetics upon a purely natural and common-sense basis, even while considering its multiple aspects; and I am persuaded that this must be the system of the future. Psychophysics and psycho-dynamics have of late years been applied to aesthetic problems with the naked result of leaving the main question exactly where it was before, or of landing the student in a _cul-de-sac_; and I imagine that much intellectual labour has been wasted in such paths merely through cowardice of conventions. It is a delight to meet with a book like this, in which science quietly ignores cant, and opens a new clearing through the blinding maze of mediaeval cobwebs. Again, I must say that a more lucid, strong, and pleasing style I have not found in any modern work on aesthetics.

I want, however, to make a small protest about the second paragraph on page 233. Perhaps in the second edition you might think it worth your while to modify the statement as to the "gross" character of j.a.panese dancing. I should question the fairness of cla.s.sing together--except as to probable emotional origins--Asiatic and African dances (i.e.

_negro_ dances). But I shall speak of the j.a.panese dances only. To make any general statement about anything j.a.panese is always risky; for customs here (differing in every province and every period) exhibit a most bewildering variety. It is not correct to say that the dancing is performed by "outcast women" mostly; for there are many respectable forms of dancing. The _maiko_ is not perhaps a very respectable person;--but the _miko_, or s.h.i.+nto priestesses (daughters of priests), certainly are worthy of all respect. Well, there are the temple-dances, before the old G.o.ds,--the dances of children at the temples upon holidays,--the dances of the peasants, etc., etc. None of these could be called gross,--however amorous their origin. Men dance as well as women: all children dance; and in some conservative provinces dancing is a part of female education. To come back to the _maiko_ or _geisha_, however, let me a.s.sure you that although some of their dances may be pa.s.sionally mimetic, even the pa.s.sionate acting could not be termed "gross" with justice: on the contrary it is a very delicate bit of refined acting,--acting of eyes and lips and hands,--which requires a sharp eye to follow. There are in j.a.pan, as everywhere else, dances that would not bear severe moral criticism; but the fine forms of Oriental dancing are really dramatic performances,--silent monologues of a most artistic kind.--Perhaps you will be interested in a book which an acquaintance of mine, Mr. Osman Edwards, is bringing out through Mr.

Heinemann of London, "The Theatre in j.a.pan." The fact of the old lyric drama seems to me to call for a modification of the statement on page 233. Of course I am not questioning the suggestion of origins.

Excuse these hasty and insufficient expressions of appreciation. Now to the question of a former letter received from you, on the subject of a selection of papers translated from various books of mine, by Mrs. Hirn.

You have my full consent to publish such a translation.... I should certainly accept no pay either from translator or publisher; and a single copy of such translation, when published, would be favour enough....

On the subject of a photograph and biographical notice, however, will you not excuse me for saying that I do not think the circ.u.mstances justify such an introduction to a strange public?...

With renewed thanks for your most precious book, believe me, dear Professor, very sincerely yours,

LAFCADIO HEARN.

TO BASIL HALL CHAMBERLAIN

MATSUE, January, 1891.

DEAR PROFESSOR CHAMBERLAIN,--I am sorry not to have heard from you,--fearing you may have been ill. The weather here has become something very disagreeable--I was going to say infernal; but I think this word better describes the weather of the North Atlantic Coast. The changes of temperature here are less extreme, the cold is milder, but the temperature may change three times in twenty-four hours,--which seems to me extraordinary. There is almost perpetual rain and gloom, and I would almost dislike Izumo were it not that one lovely day in a month is enough to make me forgive and forget all the bad weather. The "Izumo Fuji"--Dai sen (which is not, however, in Izumo at all)--was beautifully visible the day before yesterday, and the landscape was unspeakably beautiful.

I am now arranging, as best I can, to get the fire-drill model made in Kizuki. My friends have been ill and my best friend, Mr. Nis.h.i.+da, is still so ill that he cannot travel with me. But I think the drill can be made very soon now. I have a pa.s.sport for all Izumo; but the weather is diabolical; and though my chest is very strong, I feel that it is a severe strain to keep well even at home. So I shall not travel much before the summer.

I send you some clean new "fire-insurance mamori." I found out only two weeks ago where they are sold,--at the great Inari temple in the grounds of Matsue Castle, where there are enormous stone foxes, and perhaps two thousand small foxes sitting all round the court with their tails perpendicularly elevated. The most extraordinary thing of the kind I ever saw. They showed me at the temple a _kakemono_ of a ghostly fox, with a phosphoric jewel in its tail,--said to have been painted ages ago. I think I shall buy it from them. It is not beautiful, but quite curious.

I wish you a very, very happy new year and many of them.

Faithfully, LAFCADIO HEARN.

TO BASIL HALL CHAMBERLAIN

MATSUE, January, 1891.

DEAR PROFESSOR CHAMBERLAIN,--Your kindness in sending me a postal card while suffering so much yourself from sickness, is something that touches me very much. I hope to thank you better later on.

I myself am very sick. I boasted too soon about my immunity from cold.

I have been severely touched where I thought myself strongest--in my lungs--and have pa.s.sed some weeks in bed. My first serious discouragement came with this check to my enthusiasm; I fear a few more winters of this kind will put me underground. But this has been a very exceptional winter, they say. The first snowstorm piled five feet of snow about my house, which faces the lake, looking to Kizuki. All the mountains are white, and the country is smothered with snow, and the wind is very severe. I never saw a heavier snowfall in the United States or Canada. The thermometer does not go so low as you might suppose, not more than about 12 above zero; but the houses are cold as cattle barns, and the _hibachi_ and the _kotatsu_ are mere shadows of heat,--ghosts, illusions. But I have the blues now; perhaps to-morrow everything will be cheerful again. The authorities are astonis.h.i.+ngly kind to me. If they were not, I do not know what I should do.

I trust you are now strong again. I send you a few _mamori_ from the famous shrine of Sakusa (county I-yu) where Yaegaki-san are wors.h.i.+pped, the "Deities who couple and set the single in families." It is said that these, so soon as a boy or girl is born, decide the future love and marriage of the child,--betrothing all to all from the moment of birth.

Three s.h.i.+nto deities are the presiding G.o.ds: Susa-no-o-no-Mikoto, his wife Inada-Hime-no-Mikoto, and their son Sakusa-no-Mikoto, from whom, I suppose, the place takes its name. The mother of Inada-Hime and Taka o gami-no-Mikoto, and Ama-terasu-Omi-Kami, are also there enshrined.

Here, amid stone foxes and stone lions, a priest sells love-charms. Some of these consist of the leaves of _Camellia j.a.ponica_.

There is a tree in the temple court (or rather two trees, which have grown into one); this is considered both symbolical and magical. There is also a pond in which newts live. The flesh of these newts, reduced to ashes, is considered an efficacious aphrodisiac. It is also the custom for lovers to throw offerings wrapped in bits of white paper into the pond, and watch. If the newts at once run to it, the omen is good; if they neglect it, it is bad.

In the Middle Ages this temple used to be in the village of Us.h.i.+o, on the boundary of the counties of O hara and Ni ta, but was removed to its present site many hundred years ago. There are curious traditions and poems, mostly of an erotic character, regarding this shrine.

Trusting you will soon be quite well, believe me always sincerely yours,

LAFCADIO HEARN.

TO BASIL HALL CHAMBERLAIN

MATSUE, April, 1891.