Letters of Lydia Maria Child, with a biographical introduction by John G. Whittier and an appendix by Wendell Phillips.

246 LETTERS.
TO THE SAME.
BOSTON, 1878.
I have three times been to such lectures as are
given in the afternoon. One on " Japanese Ways "
entertained me much. It was by Professor Morse,
lately returned from Japan. He said he was struck
with the peculiar cleanliness of all persons, and all
places, in Japan. Their tea houses, or restaurants,
were scrupulously neat, made cheerful by a few bright
pictures of birds, or flowers, and ornamented mottoes
from Buddhist Scriptures, such as "Forgive all injuries;" " Speak ill of no one," etc. "W Vhen I came back
to our depots and restaurants," said he, "' and saw
on the walls,'Beware of pickpockets!' and coarse
pictures of pugilists, I thought that we might learn
some salutary lessons from Japan. But they are an
extremely courteous people; they are too polite to
send us missionaries."
This hit brought cordial applause.
TO 3MRS. S. B. RUSSELL.
WAYLAND, May 24, 1878.
Thanks for your affectionate, cheerful letter. I
am as pleased as a clhild with a new doll, to think you
liked my little book 1 "entirely." In this secluded
place, where people take little or no interest in anything, I have no means of knowing what effect the
book produces. My motive was good, and I tried to
write in a candid and kin(-dly spirit. I leave it to its
fate, merely hoping that it may do somewhat to enlarge the bands of human brotherhood. Personally
1 Aspirations of tle WIorld. A Ch/ain of Opals. Collected, with an
Introduction, by L. Maria Child. Boston, 1878.