oy army to play with.

10. The greatest day of the year for the girls is the Feast of Dolls. On
this day the girls give doll parties to their little friends. All the
dolls, however old, are brought out and dressed up in fine new clothes.
The Feast of Dolls is a time of great fun and laughter.

11. Jap children now play many of our games. They are very fond of
"prisoner's base," "fox and geese," and "tag." The boys love
kite-flying.

[Illustration: {Children at play}]

12. Sometimes they put glass on the strings of their kites, and with it
try to cut the strings of other boys' kites. They are very clever at
this game, and there is great laughter when a string is cut.

13. In the house, during the day, girls like to blow soap bubbles. At
dusk they are fond of hunting fire-flies, and driving them to and fro
with fans.

14. In the summer they catch grasshoppers, and keep them in small bamboo
cages. They say that the chirping of the grasshoppers brings them good
luck.

15. All Japs are polite--even boys. When a boy goes to the house of a
friend he squats on his heels. Then he places his hands on the floor,
and bows until his forehead touches his toes. This he does again and
again, and all the time he speaks very politely.

[Illustration: {Boys bowing}]

16. Jap children are taught to be very kind and helpful to their elders,
and to the poor and the weak. Yesterday I saw a little girl run from her
mother to take the hand of a blind man and lead him across the street.

17. Now, my dears, I must end this letter. To-morrow I start on my
homeward way. I shall sail across the ocean to the great land of
America. I hope you are all well, good, and happy. Your loving FATHER.

* * * * *

24. A LETTER FROM CANADA.

1. MY DEAR CHILDREN,--Look at the globe in my room and find Japan. Then
find America. You will see that a broad ocean lies between them. It is
called the Pacific Ocean. I have crossed this ocean, and I am now in the
great country of Canada.

2. I am sure that you cannot guess where I am writing this letter. I am
writing it in the train. I have already been three days in the train,
and I am only half-way across Canada.

3. I am glad to say that I am once more under the Union Jack. The whole
land of Canada is British, from sea to sea. Our flag floats above every
city.

4. The first part of my journey pleased me most. The train ran through a
beautiful country, filled with sp