Page:Things Japanese (1905).djvu/412

400  The drunkard belies not his true character. (In vino veritas.)

A physician breaking the rules of health. (To preach and not to practise.)

Amateur tactics cause grave wounds. (A little learning is a dangerous thing.)

Lazyboots working on a holiday. (Useless show in lieu of quiet perseverance in good.)

 Pug-dogs. The chin, or Japanese pug, is a delicate, timid little creature generally black and white, weighing no more than a small cat, and having goggle eyes that stick out like glass marbles. If, at birth, the nose is not considered sufficiently snub, it is pressed in with the finger. Doubtless this process, by stopping up some passage, induces the habit of constant sneezing with which many of these animals are afflicted:—"She looks like a pug sneezing," is a common phrase to denote one particular kind of ugly face. Owing to their extreme delicacy, the greatest care is needed in their management. Formerly, in Daimyōs' mansions, the pet pugs were under the care of special women, and were never allowed to set foot out-of-doors. Nevertheless, one—so the true story goes—could not be kept from following its lord's procession, and was therefore taken up into his august palanquin and brought to the capital, which example of fidelity coming to the Sovereign's ears, the little creature was granted