下载辰思小说免费APP
“APlagueofImmoderateRain“——AConfidentialServant——Ito’sDiary——
Ito’sExcellences——Ito’sFaults——ProphecyoftheFutureofJapan——
CuriousQueries——SuperfineEnglish——EconomicalTravelling——TheJapanesePack-horseagain。
Iamherestill，notaltogetherbecausethetownisfascinating，butbecausetherainissoceaselessastobetruly“aplagueofimmoderaterainandwaters。“Travellerskeepcominginwithstoriesoftheimpassabilityoftheroadsandthecarryingawayofbridges。Itoamusesmeverymuchbyhisremarks。HethinksthatmyvisittotheschoolandhospitalmusthaveraisedJapaninmyestimation，andheistalkingratherbig。HeaskedmeifInoticedthatallthestudentskepttheirmouthsshutlikeeducatedmenandresidentsofTokiyo，andthatallcountrypeoplekeeptheirsopen。
Ihavesaidlittleabouthimforsometime，butIdailyfeelmoredependentonhim，notonlyforallinformation，butactuallyforgettingon。Atnighthehasmywatch，passport，andhalfmymoney，andIoftenwonderwhatwouldbecomeofmeifheabscondedbeforemorning。Heisnotagoodboy。Hehasnomoralsense，accordingtoournotions；hedislikesforeigners；hismannerisoftenverydisagreeable；andyetIdoubtwhetherIcouldhaveobtainedamorevaluableservantandinterpreter。WhenweleftTokiyohespokefairlygoodEnglish，butbypracticeandindustriousstudyhenowspeaksbetterthananyofficialinterpreterthatIhaveseen，andhisvocabularyisdailyincreasing。Heneverusesawordinaccuratelywhenhehasoncegotholdofitsmeaning，andhismemoryneverfails。HekeepsadiarybothinEnglishandJapanese，anditshowsmuchpainstakingobservation。Hereadsittomesometimes，anditisinterestingtohearwhatayoungmanwhohastravelledasmuchashehasregardsasnovelinthisnorthernregion。Hehasmadeahotelbookandatransportbook，inwhichallthebillsandreceiptsarewritten，andhedailytransliteratesthenamesofallplacesintoEnglishletters，andputsdownthedistancesandthesumspaidfortransportandhotelsoneachbill。
HeinquiresthenumberofhousesineachplacefromthepoliceorTransportAgent，andthespecialtradeofeachtown，andnotesthemdownforme。Hetakesgreatpainstobeaccurate，andoccasionallyremarksaboutsomepieceofinformationthatheisnotquitecertainabout，“Ifit’snottrue，it’snotworthhaving。“Heisneverlate，neverdawdles，nevergoesoutintheeveningexceptonerrandsforme，nevertouchessake，isneverdisobedient，neverrequirestobetoldthesamethingtwice，isalwayswithinhearing，hasagooddealoftactastowhatherepeats，andallwithanundisguisedviewtohisowninterest。Hesendsmostofhiswagestohismother，whoisawidow——“It’sthecustomofthecountry“——
andseemstospendtheremainderonsweetmeats，tobacco，andtheluxuryoffrequentshampooing。
Thathewouldtellalieifitservedhispurpose，andwould“squeeze“uptothelimitsofextortion，ifhecoulddoitunobserved，Ihavenottheslightestdoubt。Heseemstohavebutlittleheart，oranyideaofanybutviciouspleasures。Hehasnoreligionofanykind；hehasbeentoomuchwithforeignersforthat。Hisfranknessissomethingstartling。Hehasnoideaofreticenceonanysubject；butprobablyIlearnmoreaboutthingsastheyreallyarefromthisverydefect。Invirtueinmanorwoman，exceptinthatofhisformermaster，hehaslittle，ifanybelief。
HethinksthatJapanisrightinavailingherselfofthediscoveriesmadebyforeigners，thattheyhaveasmuchtolearnfromher，andthatshewilloutstripthemintherace，becauseshetakesallthatisworthhaving，andrejectstheincubusofChristianity。Patriotismis，Ithink，hisstrongestfeeling，andI
nevermetwithsuchaboastfuldisplayofit，exceptinaScotchmanoranAmerican。Hedespisestheuneducated，ashecanreadandwriteboththesyllabaries。Forforeignrankorpositionhehasnotanatomofreverenceorvalue，butagreatdealofbothforJapaneseofficialdom。Hedespisestheintellectsofwomen，butflirtsinatown-bredfashionwiththesimpletea-hou
