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noto, an unexplored corner of japan-第6章

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make the pilgrimage seem finer that the bourne itself should not be

fine。  Large and curious architecturally for its roof; the temple is

otherwise a very ordinary structure; more than ordinarily besoiled。 

There is nothing rich about it; not much that is imposing。  Yet in

spite of poverty and dirt it speaks with a certain grandeur to the

heart。  True shrine; whose odor of sanctity is as widespread as the

breeze that wanders through its open portals; and which comes so near

the wants of the world that the very pigeons flutter in to homes

among its rafters。  The air…beats of their wings heighten the hush

they would seem to break; and only enhance the sacred quiet of the

nave;a stillness such that the coppers of the faithful fall with

exaggerated ring through the lattice of the almsbox; while the

swiftly mumbled prayers of the givers rise in all simplicity straight

to heaven。 



In and about the courtyard live the sacred doves; and he who will may

have their company for the spreading of a feast of crumbs。  And the

rush of their wings; as they descend to him from the sky; seems like

drawing some strange benediction down。 







V。 



No。



My quest still carrying me westward along the line of the new railway;

I took the train again; and in the compartment of the carriage I found

two other travelers。  They were a typical Japanese couple in middle

life; and in something above middle circumstances。  He affected

European clothes in part; while she still clung to the costume of her

ancestors。  Both were smoking;she her little pipe; and he the

fashionable cigarette。  Their mutual relations were those of substance

to shadow。  She followed him inevitably; and he trod on her feelings

regardless of them。  She had been pretty when he took her to wife;

and though worn and withered she was happy still。  As for him; he was

quite satisfied with her; as he would have been quite satisfied

without her。 





The roadbed soon left the Shinano plain; across which peered the

opposite peaks; still hooded with snow; and wound up through a narrow

valley; to emerge at last upon a broad plateau。  Three mountains

flanked the farther side in file; the last and highest of the three;

Myokosan; an extinct volcano; indeed; hardly more than the ruins of one。

Time has so changed its shape; and the snow whitens its head so

reverently; it would be possible to pass it by without a suspicion of

its wild youth。  From the plateau it rose proudly in one long sweep

from moor to shoulder; from shoulder to crag; from crag to snow; up

into the leaden sky; high into its second mile of air。  Subtly the

curve carried fancy with it; and I found myself in mind slowly

picking my way upward; threading an arete here and scaling a slope

there; with all the feelings of a genuine climb。  While I was still

ascending in this insubstantial manner; clouds fell upon the summit

from the sky; and from the summit tumbled down the ravines into the

valley; and met me at Naoyetsu in a drizzling rain。 



Naoyetsu is not an enlivening spot to be landed at in a stress of

weather; hardly satisfactory; in fact; for the length of time needed

to hire jinrikisha。  It consisted originally of a string of fishermen's

huts along the sea。  To these the building of the railway has

contributed a parallel row of reception booths; a hundred yards

in…shore; and to which of the two files to award the palm for

cheerlessness it would be hard to know。  The huts are good of a kind

which is poor; and the booths are poor of a kind which is good。

To decide between such rivals is a matter of mood。  For my part;

I hasted to be gone in a jinrikisha; itself not an over…cheerful

conveyance in a pour。 



The rain shut out the distance; and the hood and oil…paper apron

eclipsed the foreground。  The loss was not great; to judge by what

specimens of the view I caught at intervals。  The landscape was a

geometric pattern in paddyfields。  These; as yet unplanted; were

swimming in water; out of which stuck the stumps of last year's crop。 

It was a tearful sight。  Fortunately the road soon rose superior to

it; passed through a cutting; and came out unexpectedly above the

sea;a most homesick sea; veiled in rain…mist; itself a

disheartening drab。  The cutting which ushered us somewhat proudly

upon this inhospitable outlook proved to be the beginning of a pass

sixty miles long; between the Hida…Shinshiu mountains and the sea of

Japan。 



I was now to be rewarded for my venture in an unlooked…for way; for I

found myself introduced here to a stretch of coast worth going many

miles to see。 



The provinces of Hida and Etchiu are cut off from the rest of Japan

by sets of mountain ranges; impassable throughout almost their whole

length。  So bent on barring the way are the chains that; not content

with doing so in mid…course; they all but shut it at their ocean end;

for they fall in all their entirety plumb into the sea。  Following

one another for a distance of sixty miles; range after range takes

thus its header into the deep。  The only level spots are the deltas

deposited by the streams between the parallels of peak。  But these

are far between。  Most of the way the road belts the cliffs; now near

their base; now cut into the precipice hundreds of feet above the

tide。  The road is one continuous observation point。  Along it our

jinrikisha bowled。  In spite of the rain; the view had a grandeur

that compensated for much discomfort。  It was; moreover; amply

diversified。  Now we rushed out to the tip of some high cape; now we

swung round into the curve of the next bay; now we wound slowly

upward; now we slipped merrily down。  The headlands were endless; and

each gave us a seascape differing from the one we folded out of sight

behind; and a fringe of foam; curving with the coast; stretched like

a ribbon before us to mark the way。 



We halted for the night at a fishing village called No: two lines of

houses hugging the mountain side; and a single line of boats drawn

up; stern on; upon the strand; the day and night domiciles of the

amphibious strip of humanity; in domestic tiff; turning their backs

to one another; a stone's throw apart。  As our kuruma men knew the

place; while we did not; we let them choose the inn。  They pulled up

at what caused me a shudder。  I thought; if this was the best inn;

what must the worst be like!  However; I bowed my head to fate in the

form of a rafter lintel; and passed in。  A dim light; which came in

part from a hole in the floor; and in part from an ineffective lamp;

revealed a lofty; grotto…like interior。  Over the hole hung a sort of

witches' caldron; swung by a set of iron bars from the shadowy form

of a soot…begrimed rafter。  Around the kettle crouched a circle of

gnomes。 



Our entrance caused a stir; out of which one of the gnomes came forward;

bowing to the ground。  When he had lifted himself up enough to be seen;

he turned out quite human。  He instantly bustled to fetch another light;

and started to lead the strangers across the usual slippery sill and

up the nearly perpendicular stairs。  Why I was not perpetually

falling down these same stairways; or sliding gracefully or otherwise

off the corridors in a heap; will always be a mystery to me。  Yet;

with the unimportant exception of sitting down occasionally to put on

my boots; somewhat harder than I meant; I remember few such mishaps。 

It was not the surface that was unwilling; for the constant scuffle

of stocking feet has given the passageways a polish mahogany might

envy。 



The man proved anything but inhuman; and very much mine host。

How courteous he was; and in what a pleased mind with the world;

even its whims of weather; his kind attentions put me!  He really did

so little; too。  Beside numberless bows and profuse politeness;

he simply laid a small and very thin quilt upon the mats for me to

sit on; and put a feeble brazier by my side。  So far as mere comfort

went; the first act savored largely of supererogation; as the mats

were already exquisitely clean; and the second of insufficiency;

since the brazier served only to point the cold it was powerless to

chase。  But the manner of the doing so charmed the mind that it

almost persuaded the grumbling body of content。 



As mine host bowed himself out; a maid bowed herself in; with a tray

of tea and sugar…plums; and a grace that beggared appreciation。 



〃His Augustness is well come;〃 she said; as she sank on her knees and

bowed her pretty head till it touched the mats; and the voice was

only too human for heaven。  Unconsciously it made the better part of

a caress。 



〃Would his Augustness deign to take some tea?  Truly he must be very

tired;〃 and; pouring out a cup; she placed it beside me as it might

have been some beautiful rite; and then withdrew; leaving me; beside

the tea; the perfume of a presence; the sense that something

exquisite had come and gone。 



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