To remain always a ornament of Jackson Park, which I call very pretty in ’em.

Take it all together, the exhibits of Japan are about as interesting as that of any country of the globe.

In some things they go ahead of us fur.  Now in some of their meetin’-houses I am told they don’t have much of anything but a lookin’-glass a-hangin’, to show the duty and neccessity of lookin’ at your own sins.

To set for a hour and a half and examine your own self and meditate on your own shortcomin’s.

How useful and improvin’ that would be if used—­as it ort to be—­in Jonesville or Chicago!

But still the world would call it queer.

I leaned up hard on that thought, and wuz carried safe through all the queer sights I see there.

I see quite a number of the Japans there, pretty, small-bonded folks, with faces kinder yellowish brown, dark eyes sot considerable fur back in their heads, their noses not Romans by any means—­quite the reverse—­and their hair glossy and dark, little hands and feet.  Some on ’em wuz dressed like Jonesvillians, but others had their queer-shaped clothin’, and dretful ornamental.  Josiah wuz bound to have a sack embroidered like one of theirn, and some wooden shoes, and caps with tossels—­he thought they wuz dressy—­and he wanted some big sleeves that he could use as a pocket; and then sez he—­

“To have shoes that have a separate place for the big toe, what a boon for that dum old corn on that toe of mine that would be!”

But I frowned on the idee; but sez he—­

“If you mind the expense, I could take one of your old short night-gowns and color it black, and set some embroidery onto it.  I could cut some figgers out of creton—­it wouldn’t be much work.  Why,” sez he, “I could pin ’em on—­no, dum it all,” sez he, “I couldn’t set down in it, but I could glue ’em on.”

But I sez, “If you want to foller the Japans I could tell you a custom of theirn, and I would give ten cents willin’ly to see you foller it.”

“What is that?” sez he, ready, as I could see, to ornament himself, or shave his hair, or dress up his big toe, or anything.

But I sez, “It is their politeness, Josiah Allen.”

“I’d be a dum fool if I wuz in your place,” sez he.  “What do I want to foller ’em for?  I am polite, and always wuz.”

I looked coldly at him, and sez I—­

“Japans wouldn’t call their wives a dum fool no quicker than they would take their heads off.”

Sez he, conscience-struck, “I didn’t call you one.  I said I would be one if I wuz in your place—­I wuz a-demeanin’ myself, Samantha.”

Sez I, not mindin’ his persiflage, “The Japans are the politest nation on the earth; they say cheatin’ and lyin’ hain’t polite, and so they don’t want to foller ’em; they hitch principle and politeness right up in one team and ride after it.”

“Wall,” sez he, “I do and always have.”