Dodie's Dream World : Blog

Dodie's Dream World : Blog: "Wed, 09 Feb 2011
Stories and Pictures about old Japan


STORIES ABOUT JAPAN

ANNIE R BUTLER

Stories about Japan



Written around 1888, this book by Annie R Butler was published in London by The Religious Tract Society, at 56 Paternoster Row and 65 St. Paul's Churchyard.

After I have finished adding the pictures and some of the text, I will be contacting the Church Missionary Society in London to ask them if they would like to have this copy for their library.

Or if they have a good copy already, if they know of anyone who will benefit it. (At no cost obviously)

I thought I would write out the Preface for the book, that would seem the best way to explain the pictures, along with their captions.



PREFACE

These 'Stories about Japan' are meant for children.

They are a mosaic from many sources; amongst others, from J. J. Rein's learned work on Japan, Sir Edward James Reed's Japan, Miss Bird's Unbeaten Tracks in Japan, Eugene Stock's masterly resume of the history of Japan and the Japan Mission, and Coleridge's Life and Letters of Xavier; also from various American periodicals - Life and Light, Mission Dayspring, Missionary Link, Helping Hands, Little Helpers, and Children's Work for Children.

I am indebted to the Church Missionary Society, the Baptist Missionary Society, and to the Women's Board of Missins, Boston, for the gift of various back numbers of their publications which throw light upon the country, people, and missions of Japan; and to two friends who have been in that land for verbal and written information on the same subjects. I have also to thank one of these friends - a missionary for many years' experience - for her kindness in criticising the greater part of my manuscript!

A. R. B.

And so lets begin with a wonderful picture of

A Kuruma, or Jinriksha

A Kuruma, or JinrikshaUnless otherwise mentioned, the words are those of Annie R. Butler


'Land of the sun! what foot invades They pagods and thy pillared shades, Thy cavern shrines and idol stones, Thy monachs and their thousand thrones?'

- Moore

There were, so runs the story I have just been reading, in the far back ages - 'In the beginning,' as we should say - three deities dwelling in otherwise uninhabited space. Their names were the Lord of the Centre of Heaven, the Lofty Producer, and the Divine Producer.




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