He Inquires The Number Of Houses In Each Place From The Police Or
Transport Agent, And The Special Trade Of Each Town, And Notes Them
Down For Me.
He takes great pains to be accurate, and occasionally
remarks about some piece of information that he is not
Quite
certain about, "If it's not true, it's not worth having." He is
never late, never dawdles, never goes out in the evening except on
errands for me, never touches sake, is never disobedient, never
requires to be told the same thing twice, is always within hearing,
has a good deal of tact as to what he repeats, and all with an
undisguised view to his own interest. He sends most of his wages
to his mother, who is a widow - "It's the custom of the country" -
and seems to spend the remainder on sweetmeats, tobacco, and the
luxury of frequent shampooing.
That he would tell a lie if it served his purpose, and would
"squeeze" up to the limits of extortion, if he could do it
unobserved, I have not the slightest doubt. He seems to have but
little heart, or any idea of any but vicious pleasures. He has no
religion of any kind; he has been too much with foreigners for
that. His frankness is something startling. He has no idea of
reticence on any subject; but probably I learn more about things as
they really are from this very defect. In virtue in man or woman,
except in that of his former master, he has little, if any belief.
He thinks that Japan is right in availing herself of the
discoveries made by foreigners, that they have as much to learn
from her, and that she will outstrip them in the race, because she
takes all that is worth having, and rejects the incubus of
Christianity.
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