Page:Scented isles and coral gardens- Torres Straits, German New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies, by C.D. Mackellar, 1912.pdf/416

324 a souvenir, must shake hands and say, “Please come again and talk more.”

Japanese all study, learn, and want to improve themselves that alone in itself is a wonderful thing. Most Europeans are entirely satisfied with themselves, don't want to learn anything, and have no idea they could be improved. Think over it, and you will understand many things.

But I spoke of the children's streets. What am I to say of the children? In those streets they swarm, all at play; so many you can scarce get through them. But, if a little one is flying a kite and the string accidentally comes across you, the quaint little bow and apology delights you. The stupidest man steps aside so as not to interfere with them, or stands smiling to watch them. As for me!— well, children anywhere know me instantly as one of themselves, and one that can be taken possession of at once. I love their queer little minds, all their quibs and pranks, their love of little secrets and mysteries, and their unbounded imaginations. They see through me, though—and I am always a victim. So in Japan I could never keep away from the children, and might have been seen sitting for hours on the ledge of a shop watching them.

Japan has many newspapers — some in Japanese, some in English and Japanese. These are well known.

But there are others, sometimes tiny leaflets only, also partly in English and partly in Japanese, which circulate only amongst themselves. I got them to collect a number of these for me, and wonderful they were. They discuss their own manners, defects, faults, ask questions on etiquette, ask to have this or that quotation from an author or poet explained or verified—all in such a naive way, and the editor answers everything.