The boy travellers in the Far East : adventures of two youths ... - Library

TRAITS Ol-- JAPANESE CHARACTER. 113
]iad only a day to spare, as tliey were obliged to be at Kobe at a certain
date to meet the steamer for Shanghai. They made arrangements to be
taken to ISTara and back in that time—a distance, going and coming, of
sixty miles. They had three men to each jin-riki-sha, and they kept the
same men through the entire trip. They left the hotel at Kioto at four
o'clock in the morning, and were back again at half-past eight in the
eveuing. You couldn't do better than this with a horse, unless he were
an exceptionally good one."
Frank thought that he should not enjoy the jin-riki-sha, as he would
be constantly thinking of the poor fellows who were pulling him, and of
how mucli they were suffering on his account. lie could not bear to see
them tugging away and perspiring while he was reclining in a comfortable
seat.
" I readily understand you," Doctor Bronson answered, " as I had
the same feeling myself, and every American has it wlien he first comes
to the countrj'. He has a great deal of sympathy for the men, and
I have known some strangers to refuse to ride in a jin-riki-sha on that
account. But if you will apply reason to the matter, you will soon get
over tlie feeling. Kemember that the nran gets his living by pulling his
little carriage, and that he regards it as a great favor when you patronize
him. You do him a kindness wlien you employ him; and the more
you employ liim, tlie more will he regard you as his friend. He was
born to toil, and expects to toil as long as he lives He does not recrar(
it as a hardship, but cheerfully accepts liis
lot ; and tlio more work he obtains, the
lietter is lie satisfied. And when you pay
liim for his services, you will win his most
heart-felt affection if you add a trifle by
way of gratuity. If you give only the ex-
act wages prescribed by law, he does not
complain, and you have only to add a few
cents to make his eyes glisten with grat-
itude. In m}^ experience of laboring-men
in all parts of tlie world, I have found that
the Japanese coolie is the most patient,
and has the warmest heart, the most thank-
ful for honest pay for honest work, and
the most appreciative of the trifles that
liis employer gives him in the way of
presents."
A JAPANESE COOLIE.