KUMAMOTO, April, 1894.
DEAR NISHIDA,--You are becoming a very _indifferent_ correspondent, if
one should judge by scarcity of letters,--so I suppose I am not to hear
from you again until something extraordinary happens. So runs the world
away from a man. But never shall I be able to understand the people of
"the most Eastern East."
Well, I have been to Kompira,--in a _fune-fune_ to Tadotsu, thence
by rail to the wonderful, quaint old town. We took Kaji along. He
never cries now, and behaved so well that on all the railroads and
steamers people fell in love with him and played with him. He made the
acquaintance of many politicians, of surveyors, of some silk merchants,
of two captains, of a naval surgeon, of many gentle women, of the _miko_
at Kompira, and--I am sorry to say--of some geisha. However, that was
because he was very young, and did not know. I hope when he gets bigger
he will be more reserved with his smiles. One thing showed his good
taste: he was especially attracted by the two young _miko_, who were
really very sweet and pretty,--the prettiest I ever saw, and he made one
of them smile even during her dance. I have sent a better picture of him.
I should much rather be in a country-school again. However, so far
as I can see, the same trouble is going to find its way into all the
public schools, and stay there, until some means be devised of removing
schools altogether from the domain of politics by something like the
American system. The American system is imperfect; but it has at least
this merit,--that the leading citizens and merchants of a place can act
as boards of directors, and that the temporary officials proper cannot
meddle directly in school matters at all. Thus the school interests are
taken care of by those most directly concerned in their welfare, and not
by strangers. Each community supports its own school by a general tax.
Of course in so corrupt a country as America the pecuniary side of the
question is attended with some ugly stealing; but that is done before
the money is placed in the hands of the directors, and is done at a
serious risk. In some American States, too, the text-books are meddled
with by politicians. But I think it might be quite possible in Japan to
adopt a system of school-support, which, while removing the schools from
the power of the Kenchō to meddle with them, would also establish
something like permanency in their management and method. At present
everything is so unpermanent and unsteady that one feels the tendency is
to dissolution rather than integration.
Ever very truly yours,
LAFCADIO HEARN.
P. S. I forgot your question about the summer vacation. I have not yet
been able to decide exactly what to do, but it is at least certain that
I go to Tōkyō, and that I hope to meet you there. Should anything
prevent you from going, I may try to meet you elsewhere. I should like
to see you, and hear some more of the same wonderful things you used to
tell me,--which you will read in that much-delayed book. By the way, I
did not tell you that the publishers concluded to delay it again, on
account of what they call the trade-season. I suppose they are right,
but it is very provoking. Including the index the book makes about 700
pages, in two volumes. Meantime I have half written a philosophical book
about Japanese life.
Ever faithfully,
LAFCADIO HEARN.