CHILDREN AND CHILDREN’S SPORTS. 155

“Yes; to wear two swords was the privi-
lege of a class called samurai, who were both
soldiers and scholars. These gentlemen were
very ugly about bowing to foreign ideas,
but they came under at last. There are
many in the police force, and they make
good officers.”

“Oh Uncle Nat,” said Ralph, “Rick and
I have seen such heaps of children in the
streets; and there are people who get their
living by pleasing the —”

“Yes, Uncle Nat,” eagerly interrupted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rick, leaving Uncle Nat to guess the con-
clusion of Ralph’s remark; “we saw a man
telling stories; another, who would take a

*“LuOdS ASANVdVE

 

 

 

 

 

 

sort of paste, and hed make it up into

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ all sorts of funny toys, and then we saw a
man eat fire-balls —and, and—”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rick was out of breath, and Ralph came

 

 

 

 

 

to the rescue. -
“ And we saw, Uncle Nat, a doll. maker.

  

He was sitting squat on the ground, his
head shaved a good deal, and he had that
funny topknot, you know; in his hand was

 

a doll he was making, and he did not seem
to notice us one bit.”

 

 

 

 

=

“You would be much interested, boys,” i
said the doctor, who was present, “in the Feast of Dolls. At a
daughter’s birth, dolls are given her, and these the mother keeps very
choice; and then at the Feast of Dolls they are brought out and