the　coiffure　of　the　married　and　unmarried。　　The　two　partings　on　the
  top　of　the　head　and　the　chignon　never　vary。　　The　amount　of
  stiffening　used　is　necessary；　as　the　head　is　never　covered　out　of
  doors。　　This　arrangement　will　last　in　good　order　for　a　week　or
  morethanks　to　the　wooden　pillow。
  The　barber's　work　was　only　partially　done　when　the　hair　was
  dressed；　for　every　vestige　of　recalcitrant　eyebrow　was　removed；　and
  every　downy　hair　which　dared　to　display　itself　on　the　temples　and
  neck　was　pulled　out　with　tweezers。　　This　removal　of　all　short　hair
  has　a　tendency　to　make　even　the　natural　hair　look　like　a　wig。　　Then
  the　lady　herself　took　a　box　of　white　powder；　and　laid　it　on　her
  face；　ears；　and　neck；　till　her　skin　looked　like　a　mask。　　With　a
  camel's…hair　brush　she　then　applied　some　mixture　to　her　eyelids　to
  make　the　bright　eyes　look　brighter；　the　teeth　were　blackened；　or
  rather　reblackened；　with　a　feather　brush　dipped　in　a　solution　of
  gall…nuts　and　iron…filingsa　tiresome　and　disgusting　process；
  several　times　repeated；　and　then　a　patch　of　red　was　placed　upon　the
  lower　lip。　　I　cannot　say　that　the　effect　was　pleasing；　but　the　girl
  thought　so；　for　she　turned　her　head　so　as　to　see　the　general　effect
  in　the　mirror；　smiled；　and　was　satisfied。　　The　remainder　of　her
  toilet；　which　altogether　took　over　three　hours；　was　performed　in
  private；　and　when　she　reappeared　she　looked　as　if　a　very　unmeaning…
  looking　wooden　doll　had　been　dressed　up　with　the　exquisite　good
  taste；　harmony；　and　quietness　which　characterise　the　dress　of
  Japanese　women。
  A　most　rigid　social　etiquette　draws　an　impassable　line　of
  demarcation　between　the　costume　of　the　virtuous　woman　in　every　rank
  and　that　of　her　frail　sister。　　The　humiliating　truth　that　many　of
  our　female　fashions　are　originated　by　those　whose　position　we　the
  most　regret；　and　are　then　carefully　copied　by　all　classes　of　women
  in　our　country；　does　not　obtain　credence　among　Japanese　women；　to
  whom　even　the　slightest　approximation　in　the　style　of　hair…
  dressing；　ornament；　or　fashion　of　garments　would　be　a　shame。
  I　was　surprised　to　hear　that　three　〃Christian　students〃　from
  Hirosaki　wished　to　see　methree　remarkably　intelligent…looking；
  handsomely…dressed　young　men；　who　all　spoke　a　little　English。　　One
  of　them　had　the　brightest　and　most　intellectual　face　which　I　have
  seen　in　Japan。　　They　are　of　the　samurai　class；　as　I　should　have
  known　from　the　superior　type　of　face　and　manner。　　They　said　that
  they　heard　that　an　English　lady　was　in　the　house；　and　asked　me　if　I
  were　a　Christian；　but　apparently　were　not　satisfied　till；　in　answer
  to　the　question　if　I　had　a　Bible；　I　was　able　to　produce　one。
  Hirosaki　is　a　castle　town　of　some　importance；　3。5　ri　from　here；　and
  its　ex…daimiyo　supports　a　high…class　school　or　college　there；　which
  has　had　two　Americans　successively　for　its　headmasters。　　These
  gentlemen　must　have　been　very　consistent　in　Christian　living　as
  well　as　energetic　in　Christian　teaching；　for　under　their　auspices
  thirty　young　men　have　embraced　Christianity。　　As　all　of　these　are
  well　educated；　and　several　are　nearly　ready　to　pass　as　teachers
  into　Government　employment；　their　acceptance　of　the　〃new　way〃　may
  have　an　important　bearing　on　the　future　of　this　region。
  I。　L。　B。
  LETTER　XXXI
  A　Travelling　CuriosityRude　DwellingsPrimitive　SimplicityThe
  Public　Bath…house。
  KUROISHI。
  Yesterday　was　beautiful；　and；　dispensing　for　the　first　time　with
  Ito's　attendance；　I　took　a　kuruma　for　the　day；　and　had　a　very
  pleasant　excursion　into　a　cul　de　sac　in　the　mountains。　　The　one
  drawback　was　the　infamous　road；　which　compelled　me　either　to　walk
  or　be　mercilessly　jolted。　　The　runner　was　a　nice；　kind；　merry
  creature；　quite　delighted；　Ito　said；　to　have　a　chance　of　carrying
  so　great　a　sight　as　a　foreigner　into　a　district　in　which　no
  foreigner　has　even　been　seen。　　In　the　absolute　security　of　Japanese
  travelling；　which　I　have　fully　realised　for　a　long　time；　I　look
  back　upon　my　fears　at　Kasukabe　with　a　feeling　of　self…contempt。
  The　scenery；　which　was　extremely　pretty；　gained　everything　from
  sunlight　and　colourwonderful　shades　of　cobalt　and　indigo；　green
  blues　and　blue　greens；　and　flashes　of　white　foam　in　unsuspected
  rifts。　　It　looked　a　simple；　home…like　region；　a　very　pleasant　land。
  We　passed　through　several　villages　of　farmers　who　live　in　very
  primitive　habitations；　built　of　mud；　looking　as　if　the　mud　had　been
  dabbed　upon　the　framework　with　the　hands。　　The　walls　sloped
  slightly　inwards；　the　thatch　was　rude；　the　eaves　were　deep　and
  covered　all　manner　of　lumber；　there　was　a　smoke…hole　in　a　few；　but
  the　majority　smoked　all　over　like　brick…kilns；　they　had　no　windows；
  and　the　walls　and　rafters　were　black　and　shiny。　　Fowls　and　horses
  live　on　one　side　of　the　dark　interior；　and　the　people　on　the　other。
  The　houses　were　alive　with　unclothed　children；　and　as　I　repassed　in
  the　evening　unclothed　men　and　women；　nude　to　their　waists；　were
  sitting　outside　their　dwellings　with　the　small　fry；　clothed　only　in
  amulets；　about　them；　several　big　yellow　dogs　forming　part　of　each
  family　group；　and　the　faces　of　dogs；　children；　and　people　were　all
  placidly　contented！　　These　farmers　owned　many　good　horses；　and
  their　crops　were　splendid。　　Probably　on　matsuri　days　all　appear　in
  fine　clothes　taken　from　ample　hoards。　　They　cannot　be　so　poor；　as
  far　as　the　necessaries　of　life　are　concerned；　they　are　only　very
  〃far　back。〃　　They　know　nothing　better；　and　are　contented；　but　their
  houses　are　as　bad　as　any　that　I　have　ever　seen；　and　the　simplicity
  of　Eden　is　combined　with　an　amount　of　dirt　which　makes　me　sceptical
  as　to　the　performance　of　even　weekly　ablutions。
  Upper　Nakano　is　very　beautiful；　and　in　the　autumn；　when　its　myriads
  of　star…leaved　maples　are　scarlet　and　crimson；　against　a　dark
  background　of　cryptomeria；　among　which　a　great　white　waterfall
  gleams　like　a　snow…drift　before　it　leaps　into　the　black　pool　below；
  it　must　be　well　worth　a　long　journey。　　I　have　not　seen　anything
  which　has　pleased　me　more。　　There　is　a　fine　flight　of　moss…grown
  stone　steps　down　to　the　water；　a　pretty　bridge；　two　superb　stone
  torii；　some　handsome　stone　lanterns；　and　then　a　grand　flight　of
  steep　stone　steps　up　a　hill…side　dark　with　cryptomeria　leads　to　a
  small　Shinto　shrine。　　Not　far　off　there　is　a　sacred　tree；　with　the
  token　of　love　and　revenge　upon　it。　　The　whole　place　is　entrancing。
  Lower　Nakano；　which　I　could　only　reach　on　foot；　is　only　interesting
  as　possessing　some　very　hot　springs；　which　are　valuable　in　cases　of
  rheumatism　and　sore　eyes。　　It　consists　mainly　of　tea…houses　and
  yadoyas；　and　seemed　rather　gay。　　It　is　built　round　the　edge　of　an
  oblong　depression；　at　the　bottom　of　which　the　bath…houses　stand；　of
  which　there　are　four；　only　nominally　separated；　and　with　but　two
  entrances；　which　open　directly　upon　the　bathers。　　In　the　two　end
  houses　women　and　children　were　bathing　in　large　tanks；　and　in　the
  centre　ones　women　and　men　were　bathing　together；　but　at　opposite
  sides；　with　wooden　ledges　to　sit　upon　all　round。　　I　followed　the
  kuruma…runner　blindly　to　the　baths；　and　when　once　in　I　had　to　go
  out　at　the　other　side；　being　pressed　upon　by　people　from　behind；
  but　the　bathers　were　too　polite　to　take　any　notice　of　my　most
  unwilling　intrusion；　and　the　kuruma…runner　took　me　in　without　the
  slightest　sense　of　impropriety　in　so　doing。　　I　noticed　that　formal
  politeness　prevailed　in　the　bath…house　as　elsewhere；　and　that
  dippers　and　towels　were　handed　from　one　to　another　with　profound
  bows。　　The　public　bath…house　is　said　to　be　the　place　in　which
  public　opinion　is　formed；　as　it　is　with　us　in　clubs　and　public…
  houses；　and　that　the　presence　of　women　prevents　any　dangerous　or
  seditious　consequences；　but　the　Government　is　doing　its　best　to
  prevent　promiscuous　bathing；　and；　though　the　reform　may　travel
  slowly　into　these　remote　regions；　it　will　doubtless　arrive　sooner
  or　later。　　The　public　bath…house　is　one　of　the　features　of　Japan。
  I。　L。　B。
  LETTER　XXXII
  A　Hard　Day's　JourneyAn　OverturnNearing　the　OceanJoyful
  ExcitementUniversal　GreynessInopportune　PolicemenA　Stormy
  VoyageA　Wild　WelcomeA　Windy　LandingThe　Journey's　End。
  HAKODATE；　YEZO；　August；　1878。
  The　journey　from　Kuroishi　to　Aomori；　though　only　22。5　miles；　was　a
  tremendous　one；　owing　to　the　state　of　the　roads；　for　more　rain　had
  fallen；　and　the　passage　of　hundreds　of　pack…horses　heavily　loaded
  with　salt…fish　had　turned　the　tracks　into　quagmires。　　At　the　end　of
  the　first　stage　the　Transport　Office　declined　to　furnish　a　kuruma；
  owing　to　the　state　of　the　roads；　but；　as　I　was　not　well　enough　to
  ride　farther；　I　bribed　two　men　for　a　very　moderate　sum　to　take　me
  to　the　coast；　and　by　accommodating　each　other　we　got　on　tolerably；
  though　I　had　to　walk　up　all　the　hills　and　down　many；　to　get　out　at
  every　place　where　a　little　bridge　had　been　carried　away；　that　the
  kuruma　might　be　lifted　over　the　gap；　and　often　to　walk　for　200
  yards　at　a　time；　because　it　sank　up　to　its　axles　in　the　quagmire。
  In　spite　of　all　precautions　I　was　upset　into　a　muddy　ditch；　with
  the　kuruma　on　the　top　of　me；　but；　as　my　air…pillow　fortunately　fell
  between　the　wheel　and　me；　I　escaped　with　nothing　worse　than　having
  my　clothes　soaked　w