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thickest； and； selecting a house well placed for a view； asked
permission to mount upon the roof。 It chanced to be a cast…off
clothing shop； along whose front some fine； if aged； garments were
hung to catch the public eye。 The camera and I were inducted up the
ascent by the owner； while my boots； of course； waited dog…like in
the porch below。
The city made a spectacle from above。 On all sides superb paper carp
floated to the breeze； tugging at the strings that held them to the
poles quite after the manner of the real fish。 One felt as though；
by accident； he had stepped into some mammoth globe of goldfish。
The whole sky was alive with them。 Eighty square miles of finny folk
inside the city； and an untold company without。 The counterfeit
presentments were from five to ten feet long； and painted to mimic
life。 The breeze entered at the mouth and passed out somewhat less
freely at the tail； thus keeping them well bellied and constantly in
motion。 The way they rose and dove and turned and wriggled was
worthy of free will。 Indeed； they had every look of spontaneity；
and lacked only the thing itself to turn the sky into an ocean；
and Tokyo into a sea bottom with a rockery of roof。 Each fish
commemorates the birth of a boy during the year。 It would thus be
possible to take a census of the increase of the male population
yearly； at the trifling cost of scaling a housetop；a set of
statistics not without an eventual value。
While we were strolling back； Yejiro and I； we came； in the way；
upon another species of fish。 The bait； which was well designed to
captivate； bade for the moment to exceed even the angler's
anticipations。 It was a sort of un…Christmas tree with fishing…pole
branches； from which dangled articulated figures； bodied like men；
but with heads of foxes； tortoises； and other less likelybeasts；
bewitching objects in impossible evolution to a bald…pated
urchin who stood gazing at it with all his soul。 The peddler sat with
his eyes riveted on the boy； visions of a possible catch chasing
themselves through his brain。 I watched him； while the crowd behind
stared at me。 We made quite a tail of curiosity。 The opiate was
having its effect； I began to feel soporifically calm。 Then I went
up to the restaurant in the park and had lunch as quietly as
possible； in fear of friendly discovery。
Sufficiently punctual passengers being now permitted to board the
next train； I ensconced myself in a kind of parlor compartment； which；
fortunately； I continued to have all to myself； and was soon being
rolled westward across the great Musashi plain； ruminating。 My chief
quarrel with railway rules is； I am inclined to think； that they
preach to the public what they fail to practice themselves。 After
having denied me a paltry five minutes' grace at the station； the
officials proceeded to lose half an hour on the road in a most
exasperating manner。 Of course the delay was quite exceptional。
Such a thing had never happened before； and would not happen
againtill the next time。 But the phenomenal character of the
occurrence failed to console me； as it should no doubt have done。
My delay； too； was exceptionalon this line。 Nor was I properly
mollified by repeated offers of hard…boiled eggs； cakes； and oranges；
which certain enterprising peddlers hawked up and down the platforms；
when we stopped； to a rhythmic chant of their own invention。
The only consolation lay in the memory of what travel over the
Musashi plain used to be before trains hurried one； or otherwise；
into the heart of the land。 In those days the journey was done in
jinrikisha； and a question of days； not hours； it was in the doing；
two days' worth of baby carriage； of which the tediousness lay
neither in the vehicles nor in the way； but in the amount of both。
Or； if one put comparative speed above comparative comfort； he rose
before the lark； to be tortured through a summer's day in a basha；
or horse vehicle； suitable only for disembodied spirits。 My joints
ached again at the thought。 Clearly； to grumble now was to sin
against proportion。
Besides； the weather was perfect： argosies of fleecy cloud sailing
slowly across a deep blue sky； a broad plain in all its spring
freshness of color； picked out here and there with fruit trees
smothered in blossom； and bearing on its bosom the passing shadows of
the clouds above； in the distance the gradually growing forms of the
mountains； each at first starting into life only as a faint wash of
color； barely to be parted from the sky itself； pricking up from out
the horizon of field。 Then； slowly； timed to our advance； the tint
gathered substance； grew into contrasts that； deepening minute by
minute； resolved into detail； until at last the whole stood revealed
in all its majesty； foothill； shoulder； peak； one grand chromatic
rise from green to blue。
One after the other the points came out thus along the southern sky：
first the summits behind Ome； then Bukosan； like some sentinel；
half…way up the plain's long side； and then range beyond range
stretching toward the west。 Behind Bukosan peeped Cloud's Rest； the
very same outline in fainter tint； so like the double reflection
from a pane of glass that I had to shift to an open window to make
sure it was no illusion。 Then the Nikko group began to show on the
right； and the Haruna mass took form in front； and as they rose
higher and the sunbeams slanted more； gilding the motes in the heavy
afternoon air； they rimmed the plain in front into one great bowl
of fairy eau de vie de Dantzic。 Slowly above them the sun dipped to
his setting； straight ahead； burnishing our path as we pursued in
two long lines of flashing rail into the west…northwest。 Lower he
sank； luring us on； and lower yet； and then suddenly disappeared
beyond the barrier of peaks。
The train drew up； panting。 It was Takasaki； now steeped in saffron
afterglow。 The guards passed along； calling out the name and
unfastening the doors。 Everybody got out and shuffled off on their
clogs。 The baskets； Yejiro； and I followed； after a little； through
the gloaming。
It was not far to the inn。 It was just far enough； at that hour； to
put us in heart for a housing。 Indeed； twilight is the time of
times to arrive anywhere。 Any spot； be it ever so homely； seems
homelike then。 The dusk has snatched from you the silent
companionship of nature； to leave you poignantly alone。 It is the
hour when a man draws closer to the one he loves； and the hour when
most he shrinks from himself； though he want another near。 It is
then the rays of the house lights wander abroad and appear to beckon
the houseless in； and that must be； in truth； a sorry hostelry to
seem such to him。
Even Takasaki bore a look of welcome alike to the foreign and the
native stranger； which was certainly wonderful for Takasaki。 The
place used not to fancy foreigners； and its inns bandied the European
tra