On every street, and in the flowery lanes, we may see crowds of the "wee ones of Japan." In no other country is so much attention given to the entertainment of the little people; and so it is not surprising that Japan has been called "the children's paradise." All sorts of festivals are held for them, and games of every kind. are invented to give them pleasure.

On every street you will see dozens of little girls in bright colored gowns, each carrying a baby securely bound to her back. This is one of the most characteristic of all Japanese sights. Long before the baby is able to hold his head erect, he is thus cradled on the back of his sister, who, all unmindful of her sleeping burden, continues her play. The baby meanwhile gazes about at the strange sights, until, tired with seeing, he falls asleep, and his head wabbles to and fro as his little nurse bounces ball or plays hopscotch.

The custom of dressing children in garments of the same sort that are worn by their fathers and mothers seems very queer to us. Their long, loose robes and wide girdles make them appear like little men and

women.

The boys and girls of the Sunrise Land are always well behaved and courteous. In passing a group on the street no loud or angry tones will be heard, and yet they enter into their games with as much zest as the boys and girls of any other country. If we were passing a Japanese school just as the pupils were dismissed, we should be not a little surprised to be greeted by each one with a low bow. There would be no

shouting or rudeness of any kind, but everywhere the same polite manners that distinguish all the Japanese.

These children are taught many games at home, and this accounts for the absence of quarreling when they

play together on the street. They play ball, roll hoop, and fly kites with great skill.

On a fine, windy afternoon all the boys in a village will be out with their kites, and then are to be seen most astonishing feats in kite flying. These kites are made of tough paper pasted on a frame of bamboo sticks, and are usually of a rectangular shape. Sometimes a boy will be seen flying a kite made to represent a bird or some animal, or it may be in the shape of a fan. Pictures of heroes, dragons, or fantastic monsters are to be seen on the rectangular kites. Many of the kites are quite large, and some are even six feet square.

An amusing contest is frequently carried on by two boys, in which each endeavors to destroy his rival's kite. For this purpose the string, for a distance of twenty feet nearest the kite, is smeared with glue and dipped in pounded glass, by means of which it is covered with sharp teeth. Each boy struggles to get his kite in such a position as to bring the string suddenly across that of his antagonist, and thus to cut it. The kite then falls and becomes the prize of the winner.

Among the many holidays of Japan the most important is New Year's Day. It is celebrated by young and old, rich and poor, and is to all the most joyous day of the year. All business is laid aside, and the members of the family join in the festivities with which the new year is welcomed. Great preparations are made for this event. Houses are thoroughly cleaned; and in the homes of wealthy families all the mats and rugs are replaced by new ones. It is the ambition of every one to have new clothing on New Year's Day. Many

of the poor people begin early in the year to save all the money they can, so as to be able to purchase new garments for this holiday.

Japanese merchants make every effort to finish all business with the close of the year, and all accounts with storekeepers are settled at that time. The houses and shops are gaily decorated, and everywhere are to be seen the signs of festivity. This festival lasts a whole week, and the people give much of the time to visiting each other.

But the festival best loved by every Japanese girl is the "Feast of Dolls." On the day appointed, dolls of every kind - both new and old-are brought together in the homes; and even the poorest people make an effort to provide a few simple toys for the celebration of the day.

Another great festival is called the "Feast of Flags"; this is of special interest to the boys. On this day tall poles, from which float banners of curious shapes and gorgeous colors, are erected in front of every house. Many of these banners are paper bags, made in the shape of a fish, and are often four or five feet long. They soon become filled with air, and present a very lifelike appearance as they wriggle in the breeze. The fish represented is the carp, which is able to swim against the swift current and to leap over waterfalls. This is a symbol of courage which it is hoped will mark the character of every boy.

CHAPTER XIX.

OLD CITIES OF JAPAN.

For more than a thousand years Kioto, once known as the "City of Pleasure," was the home of the mikados. During all this time it was the center of art and fashion, of learning and religion.

The Japanese poets love to sing its praises, and its annals tell us much of the history of this wonderful country. It is a beautiful city, situated on a plain walled in by high mountains. On the mountain sides, in the most picturesque places, are hundreds of temples and shrines.

Kioto is noted for its temples, and there are many in the city shaded by groves of patriarchal trees. Since Tokio has been made the capital, Kioto has lost its former greatness, but it still possesses much of interest to every visitor to the Land of the Rising Sun.

The street scenes are in many ways a repetition of much that we have seen in Tokio. The streets are narrow and are kept very clean. The shops are small and all are open in front. The brilliant signboards and the paper lanterns, like those seen in Tokio, swing before each shop. The streets are crowded, but nowhere do we see quarrelsome or noisy people.

Kioto has long been noted for the weaving of silk. Here are to be seen silks of the most delicate texture, and of every color. The silk manufacture is, perhaps, the most important business in Kioto, and a large number of the people are engaged in the work.