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214
THE WONDERFUL CITY OF TOKIO.
"Yes," answered Fitz; "but I like the lotus seeds when
they are ripe. They are almost as good as square-nuts."
"Don't be so dreadfully prosaic," said the girl.
:f You
ought to feel some admiration for such a beautiful sight as this.
The place is perfectly glorified with the flowers."
"
I do not think the Japanese lotus is as lovely as our pondlily,"
remarked Johnnie. "Instead of the blooms floating on
the water, they grow
" Oh !
at the end of a rod-like stem."
how much better the flowers would have been made
if you had been consulted," slyly remarked Fitz,
"I think the
Japanese lotus is nice enough. You cannot eat pond-lily
seeds."
" Come," said Sallie, " we must return home. I want to
stop at the silk-weaver's on our way, to see if they have
finished my dress piece."
On ascending the hill toward the yashiki, they heard the
rattle of a loom, and upon looking into a house, from whence
the noise proceeded, saw a woman weaving a piece of bro-
cade.
:t
Why do you make such narrow stuff?" asked Sallie, "and
when will you fill my order?'
The operator smiled, paused in her occupation and replied,
" Honorable miss, ever since the first person began to weave
in Japan, we have had narrow fabrics. What would be
the good of making anything else? A kimono (garment)
takes so many yards according to the size of the person, and
we never have to waste any of the stuff in cutting out, as you
do. We could not make our clothes of your wide American
fabrics. Your piece of silk will be ready to-morrow."
She bowed good-humoredly and once more starting her
loom, sent the shuttle flying merrily.
" How the general introduction of steam will wake these