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Show THE TAME DEER OF HAUL , i BTFUNGE POPULATION OF A QUEER j JAPANESE VILLAGE. Tet Deera Which luntde a TWltor'a Bedroom Bed-room and Hunt for Svcetmet They 8u :-nd a Traveler ud lteseech Him to I'rovldo Them Illncuit. As I wjis leaving Kioto on my lirst expedition expedi-tion to Uho veuerablo and romantic city of Nara, one of the most ancient capitals of the Japanese empire, I received a singular caution cau-tion from my nwrry friaad Oshikoji, I honorable Hugo's son. "Expeot strange visitors," he criod. "Prepare "Pre-pare to meet tho most wondorf ul acquaint ances you have ever encountered m ail your travels!" But I had seen bo many rare and marvelous marvel-ous things in Japan that the admonition was forgotten before lay jouruey was fairly begun. be-gun. Arriving at Kara on a bright summer afternoon, I found comfortable quarters in the upper story, of the largest Inn that the plaon contained. After res poi -ting to the landlord's salutations and accepting the wishes of his household for my health and happiness, I proceeded to make a chaiijre of dresa and otherwise put my self in order for a stroll through the beautiful temple grove for which the region is faraous. While thus engaged I was disturbed by a loud clattering on tire floor below, presently ; JoEowwd by the sound of heavy footetepa clambering Hp the rough staircase which led Id my apartment. Someliody ws making , an extremely noisy and clammy attempt to j tntrnde upon wy privacy. There was no aoor to close, for, as in many rustlo Japanese Japan-ese habitations, the rooms of the second story were reached through a uoie cue in tue uoor, to which no covering was provided. The way was ope a, and if any person choas to foroe himself upon me it would be difllcult t prerent him, except by using strong meaa-nrrn meaa-nrrn of duaUAsion. a STRAJfOK visrroa. The extraordinary ncLe grew louder and I waited for an explanation with no little curiosity. curi-osity. Imagine ny amazement when a pair f spreading antlers rose through the aper- rare, followed by tfce delicate and graceful bead of a young deer. The waraiag given in Kioto oame suddenly to my remembrance. Truly a more astonishing visitor to one's bedroom bed-room could tu it be conceived of. Struggling awkwardly to hU fet, the pretty anitual ad-Tancwd ad-Tancwd with friundiy confidence and gazed Into my face with what I took so be a look of gentle interrogation. Ilivior. however, no suyriiclon as to the purpose of his comutg, stared blankly In return, re-turn, uuui, with a tost of hU horns mad a sniff of diapvolntment, he moved to the Inspection In-spection of my boggag, which lay loosely scattered upon the matting. Fur Be vera! minutes he made hiaisalf frtfe with my wardrobe, ward-robe, pushing various obj:U about with hi nose, and apparently searching for something to his tiste, but the Investigation proved fruitless, and fixing hia big eyes reproachfully upon me, he stalked gravoly to the staircase and descended backward with oomical da-lilieration, da-lilieration, feeling his way with a security that betokened a practiced familiarity with the interior btructnre of human dwellings. On setting forth to explore the neighlior-hood neighlior-hood a liLtie later, I w;t abundantly, not to ear oppressively, supplied with the extraordinary extraor-dinary companionship of which I had been forewarned. Streets, gardens ar-J parks were thronged with deer of all sizes and ages. Wherever tho eye cou';d reach they might be counted by thousands. They seemed to con-ititute con-ititute the real population of the city, and they certainly dibpiayed far greater activity and inturwit in Jifa than their kuuun co-residents. THEIR FAVORITE F.E7HECH MEITO. Several of them tt ouco approached me with tbe samr r-ixious look of Inquiry thai tny unBiddon t,'.c-t at the inn had worn. Again I failed to comprehend, until a group i t stars surrounded me and signified by un mistakable action thut 1 was required to accompany ac-company them to a certain corner, at wb a peddler of bweut cakes was sta-tionod. : was impocsible to resist th-:r preiii? invi... tion, although thore was nothing violent in t'jeir denivastration. They closed around i:ie a::d waited patiently while 1 purohased supply of liieir favorite refreshment, and fed them o-.ie after another by hand. At various joints of thu temple grounds I was compelled l repent th La operation, and I soon learned that the sale of crisp biscuit for the consumption consump-tion of the deer was one of tho established industries in-dustries of that country. For more than one thousand years these beautiful creatures have fearlessly enjoyed the freedom of Kara in obedience to the legendary decree of a tender hearted empress em-press of ol lea ttiutsi This lady, moved to compassion by th plaintive cries of a hind whose mata had bweti destroved bv the hunt ers, signified her coinmiud that in all ages to come no doer should be wantonly slain within the environs of the Imperial court. To this day the tradition is respected, and no ma a's hand is lifted against theao harmless inhbiteata of the woods. They dwell in little lodges provide 1 by the priests, who are their authorised guardians and protectors, and thoy pasa their live in familiar association associa-tion with the citizens, whom they outnumber te i to one. All doors are open to them, and tbe idea that danger can result from this iatim-te fellowship with the race of bipeds never darkens their innocent thoughts. Their privileged existence is ooa of the happiest i.lHrtratioas of the natural simplicity and Lumanity of the Japanese people. & H, Houw In New York World. |
