A JINRIKISHA JOURNEY. 173

shining vcalps bobbing up and down and sporting those queer little
top-knots that amused Ralph and Rick so much.

“Oh, see!” called out Rick to Ralph.

The latter looked and saw several white-robed men under their
broad hats. In one hand they carried a little tinkling bell, and
in the other a walking-stick.

“Who are those men?” called out Rick to the doctor, whose jin-
rikisha was quite near.

“ They are pilgrims, bound for) some temple; and on such walkine-
sticks I have seen paper prayers, and those bells jingle and sum-
mon the gods to notice their petition. It is my opinion that
those gods will need quite an arousing.”

They soon passed temple-grounds, and the doctor promised to tell —
the boys about such places. Sometimes the road ran through
villages and towns, and then it stretched through the open country.
Stopping at various tea-houses or restaurants, they had an _ oppor-
tunity for several lunches, each halt attracting a throng of ambitious
sight-seers.. Several women gazed curiously from their homes at the
strangers. One of these female inspectors carried a child upon her
back—a common fashion in Japan—and the tired mother looked
as if she would be very glad when this child could walk.

“What makes the women black their teeth here im Japan,
doctor ?”

“T don’t know, Ralph. It can’t be because it makes them hand-
some. I only know that in some regions it is a sign of marriage.
Young unmarried women may do it, but according to my way of
thinking, they would never catch a husband with that bait. Married
women too remove their eyebrows. Female customs, though, as well
as male, feel the influence of European ideas. The empress Haruko,
‘I know, did discourage this tooth-blacking, eyebrow-shaving custom.”