In a corner of the car, that was taking the San Francisco Chamber of
Commerce party to Kyoto, the heart of Japan, sat a little Japanese girl
in true Buddha style with her little toes crossed, filling her pipe from
her purse and taking the usual three puffs (that is about all these
pipes hold). She looked about fifteen, but must have been nineteen,
because, in Japan no one is allowed to smoke until that age has been
attained, and no native would think of breaking a rule.

We arrived in time for the Jidai Festival, which is held only once a
year. We saw a procession showing all the phantastic costumes worn by
the old-time tribal warriors, and it proved so interesting that we
decided not to mourn the fact that the cherry blossom celebration was
out of season. We felt much better, too, when we were reminded that all
the pilgrims, coming to feast their eyes, never get a taste of the
luscious fruit, the Japanese cherries being uneatable.

We were told that all prices were raised by the storekeepers when any
convention arrived in town. Some of us successfully resisted purchasing
cloissone, and satsuma ware, although we saw it being made and were
served with tea and coaxed to buy - "Justa leetle souvenir." But the
kimonos were too much for Mrs. Carrie Schwabacher and Louis Mooser, who,
in spite of the fact that Mrs. Rockefeller was in Kyoto bidding on some
of the same garments (which of course raised the prices even higher)
carried away the prettiest garments in the shops.

Our party could not help noticing, how much the Japanese people, even of
the lowest class, appreciate their temples and statues.

One of the party asked if anyone knew a person in San Francisco, with
the possible exception of some scholarly teacher, who could describe