from a
respectable stand. He may not do what she bids him, but that is quite a
secondary matter. He will study her interests; will remember her likes
and dislikes; will take a mental inventory of the various accessories or
bundles that she carries with her, and will never permit her to lose or
forget one of them; will run his legs off in her service, and defend her
and her property valiantly in case of need. Of course, as in all classes
there are different grades, so there are _jinrikisha_ men who seem to
have sunk so low in their calling that they have lost all feeling of
loyalty to their employer, and only care selfishly for the pittance they
gain. Such men are often found in the treaty ports, eagerly seeking for
the rich foreigner, from whom they can get an extra fee, and whom they
regard as outside of their code of morals, and hence as their natural
prey. Travelers, and even residents of Japan, have often complained of
such treatment; and it is only after long stay in Japan, among the
Japanese themselves, that one can tell what a _jinrikisha_ man is
capable of.[*322]

If you employ one _kurumaya_ for any length of time, you come to have a
real affection for him on account of his loyal, faithful, cheerful
service, such as we seldom find in this country except when inspired by
personal feeling. When you have ridden miles and miles, by night and by
day, through rain and sleet and hottest sunshine, behind a man who has
used every power of body and mind in your service, you cannot but have a
strong feeling of affection toward him, and of pride in him as well. It
is something the feeling that one has for a good saddle-horse, but more
developed. You rejoice, not only in his strength and speed, put forth so
willingly in your service; in his picturesque, dark blue costume with
your monogram embroidered on the back; in his handsomely turned ankles;
in his black, wavy hair; in his delicate hands and trim waist,--though
these are often a source of pride to you,--but his skill in divining
your wants; his use of his tongue in your service; his helping out of
your faltering Japanese with explanations which, if not elegant, have
the merit of being easily understood; his combats with extortionate
shopkeepers in your behalf; his interest in all your doings and
concerns,--remain as a pleasant memory, upon your return to a land where
no man would so far forget his manhood as to give himself so completely
and without reserve to the ser