A Japanese miscellany - University of Oregon

On a Bridge
old kurumaya, Heishichi, was taking me
MY to a famous temple in tiie neighborhood
of Kumamoto.
We came to a humped and venerable bridge
over the Shirakawa ; and 1 told Heishichi to halt
on the bridge, so that 1 could enjoy the view for
a moment. Under the summer sky, and steeped
in a flood of sunshine electrically white, the colors
of the land seemed almost unreally beautiful.
Below us the shallow river laughed and gurgled
over its bed of grey stones, overshadowed by ver-
dure of a hundred tints. Before us the reddish-
white road alternately vanished and re-appeared
as it wound away, through grove or hamlet,
toward the high blue ring of peaks encircling the
vast Plain of Higo. Behind us lay Kumamoto,
— a far bluish confusion of myriad roofs ; —
only the fine grey lines of its castle showing
sharp against the green of further wooded hills.
. . . Seen from within, Kumamoto is a shabby
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