Patriotism Is, I Think, His Strongest Feeling, And I
Never Met With Such A Boastful Display Of It, Except In A Scotchman
Or An American.
He despises the uneducated, as he can read and
write both the syllabaries.
For foreign rank or position he has
not an atom of reverence or value, but a great deal of both for
Japanese officialdom. He despises the intellects of women, but
flirts in a town-bred fashion with the simple tea-house girls.
He is anxious to speak the very best English, and to say that a
word is slangy or common interdicts its use. Sometimes, when the
weather is fine and things go smoothly, he is in an excellent and
communicative humour, and talks a good deal as we travel. A few
days ago I remarked, "What a beautiful day this is!" and soon
after, note-book in hand, he said, "You say 'a beautiful day.' Is
that better English than 'a devilish fine day,' which most
foreigners say?" I replied that it was "common," and "beautiful"
has been brought out frequently since. Again, "When you ask a
question you never say, 'What the d-l is it?' as other foreigners
do. Is it proper for men to say it and not for women?" I told him
it was proper for neither, it was a very "common" word, and I saw
that he erased it from his note-book. At first he always used
fellows for men, as, "Will you have one or two FELLOWS for your
kuruma?" "FELLOWS and women." At last he called the Chief
Physician of the hospital here a FELLOW, on which I told him that
it was slightly slangy, and at least "colloquial," and for two days
he has scrupulously spoken of man and men.
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