178 ALL ABOARD FOR SUNRISE LANDS.

more consequence to prevent the spreading of the fire than to save
the house. People in Japan do not live in palaces, by any means.
- Some of these must be places of positive discomfort in cold weather.
Japan is not that fairy-land of pleasure and luxuries that we might
imagine from the talk of some.”

“No,” said Ralph ;“I meet people every day thin and bony, who
look as if they envied me every mouthful of food I took.”

“ Japan has its share of poverty,” said the doctor, “ while the people
as a whole seem comfortable.”

In the house last visited Rick executed a piece of mischief. He
wanted to see how thick might be the paper in the partitions, and
he pressed against it and pressed through it! Frightened, he left
the house without an apology to its mistress. |

“That won’t do,” he said to himself. “I am backing out in
a mean way. Besides, I have lost my sleeve-button. It is in the
road probably, and I had better hunt it up. No; I will go into the
house first.” |

He turned, and entering the house again drew its mistress up to
the ruptured partition. As he showed it, he pulled some money
out of his pocket and offered it to her. She Jaughed, and shook her
head. |

“Oh yes; take it,” persisted Rick.

She shook her head again and jabbered out a quantity of Japanese
words. Then laughing, she put her hand into the sash about her
waist — the obi—and pulled out Rick’s sleeve-button! She stooped
to the floor and signified thereby that she had picked it up there.
Rick, as he received the button, again pressed her to take the money ;
but she declined. Then he put it into the hand of a baby on her back,
and running out to his jinrikisha, was rapidly borne away.

It was in the first day’s journey that the doctor said: “There is a