A Japanese artist in London

Contents

CHAPTER PAGE

An Appreciation ix

Author's Preface xv

Author's Preface

Just the moment I was going to start writing this book, one of my intimate Japanese friends — ^Wakamiya — has sent me the first number of his new periodical. There was one page entitled " Human Voices and Devil Voices." I saw these words on the page: "All humans are born in this world with crying voice : the beginning of human life is Trouble. All humans go into coffins with the voice of praying: the end of human life is Repentance. . . . It is not hard to make the whole world an enemy, but it is hard indeed to make the bakers good friends. . . . Poverty is the most final weakness."

My friend has conquered me. What single word could I add to this? It is only for a few weeks that baby birds enjoy their comfortable life while they are sleeping under their mother's v\?arm breast in the nest. At this time they may desire not to meet rains, snows, and frosts all through their life. But Is there any single bird in this world which

XV xvi AUTHOR'S PREFACE

escapes the storms? So with our life. Go to the peers- and ask them their life ; they will tell you their sad life-story, which may easily make you shed your tears. Go to cabmen, ask their life-story, you may still more easily be moved to tears with their pathetic stories.

I myself have had some experiences in the last thirteen years in London. And now I have to write this out. But the readers please kindly remember I do not mean to be so conceited to be proud of my little experiences; neither do I grumble, especially before such a wonderful nation like the Britons, whose perseverance in hardship is simply marvelous. Indeed, they were my leaders all through my hard life, and I am much indebted to their encouragement.

My life is as simple and unworthy as my pictures. The matter of fact is, my publishers demanded me to write down all my experiences, so if only the readers don't yawn on my writing, my publishers and I shall be very grateful.

It was rather a difficult task for me to go on for whole book with my terribly deformed English, but my English friend has so kindly dragged me all round to reach the finishing

AUTHOR'S PREFACE xvu point. If it were a Marathon race I should not be entitled the prize like Dorando.

I think there are two kinds of life in this world — Safety in Danger, and Danger in Safety. For instance, a baby in his mother's arms is frightened by dogs on the ground. That is danger in safety. A swindler on a soft and comfortable sofa is safety in danger. My life belonged to the former.

Analysis of my life.

Discouraged? Very often.

Disappointed? Always.

Spoilt? Very much by John Bulls and John Bullesses.

In short, I have always been mentally pleasant and financially unpleasant. iBut I am told by my elder English friends that my financial unpleasantness was all through my own fault.

When I was a boy at home I was rather spoilt, because my father was very generous to the villagers. I was called the Hon. little Master of Markino. Here, in London, I have no reason whatever to be spoilt. Why are all my English friends so good to me? I must put all this down as the great generosity of the good Britons.

Chapter I

It was December 8, 1897, when I arrived here from America, where I had been some four and a half years. I was quite young, but I was far more boyish than my own age. First of all I went to Paris, where I wanted to study Art. But I had neither money nor any knowledge of the French language. I had only one recommendation letter to some one. Unfortunately this gentleman had left Paris previously, so I decided to come to London to see some of my Japanese friends. I took the night train through Dieppe and New Heaven (Haven). From the very first it seemed to me to be a New Heaven; I had such a good impression with England. Those English officers on board the Channel boats had such gentle faces; they talked to me so kindly. It was a great comfort after the desperate struggle in Paris, where I was practically dumb and deaf.

When I arrived at New Heaven I had only forty francs in my pocket, and one small bag which contained three collars, one white shirt, one necktie, two pairs of socks, a German iBible and Keigan (a Buddhist Philosophy by Colonel Torio). The custom-house officer was so surprised when I told him that it was all my possessions.

It was four or five in the morning. I went into a coffee-stall and had a cup. The man isaid it was " thruppence." I could not understand it. r gave him ten franc piece, and he gave me the change. I could not, of course, count it, but after arriving in London my Japanese friend saw the change and he said it was quite right. The English money is so difficult for foreigners to calculate. For about half-year or so I always used to give bigger coin than the price of the things I purchased, and take the change without examining it. I was never deceived. Only I had to have so many coppers in my pocket — sometimes over three shillings in coppers I

Now, coming back to my journey. I arrived at London Bridge at seven, and took another train to Greenwich, where my Japanese artist friend was staying. I had an-

MY ARRIVALj IN ENGLAND 3

other recommendation letter to the Japanese Naval Attache in London. I saw him immediately. He was only too glad to keep me as his private secretary, for at the time Japan had ordered from English shipbuilders warships and some twenty or thirty torpedo boats, and he was extraordinarily busy. The naval inspector's office was in Gloucester Terrace, so I settled myself down at 4 Milner Street in Chelsea. From ten to six I had to work at the office, then I attended at South Kensington College of Science and Art at night. My wages at the office were £5 a month ; later on £8, then £9. I learnt afterwards that all this was from the naval attache's own pocket, just to " keep me on for the sake of art study." I was quite alone in some boudoir-like room to work for the attache. My surprise there on the first day was that the landlady brought me tea and bread and butter at 4.30. I said to myself, what a kind lady she is ! The next day she brought in the tea again. So the third day I asked her if that tea was from the attache or from her, and why? She said it was the English custom to have afternoon tea. Oh, what a beautiful custom! It was really a great refreshing for me. I said, " I quite love England, only for afternoon tea alone."

At this time I began to stroll on Sunday afternoons. At first I was so frightened with London fogs. I thought, if I live in such dreadful fog I will soon become consumptive. So I bought a respirator at a drug store, and used to wear it whenever I went out. When I visited peoples they laughed at me because I got a round black mark round my mouth. Nevertheless I kept it on until some doctor told me the fog was not so injurious as I thought. (Who knows? This "dreadful fog " has become my greatest fascination, only a few years later!)

As I had been in America previously for four years, naturally I used to compare everything here with that of America; and what great contrast between the two countries — especially to a Japanese! And here I feel I need to talk about my life in America, just roughly,

I ran away from home to San Francisco on July 1893, with a hope to become a poet or a writer in English. All my friends there advised me to become an artist instead, because one cannot master a foreign language. So I entered into Hopkins' Art College. Of course I was penniless. I had to make livelihood by washing windows and dishes, or a little better thing, making sets of false teeth for some dentists. It was awfully difficult for me to pay my school tuition, seven dollars a month. I stayed there for four years, but practically I have not attended the school more than twelve months altogether. The school used to supply French breads to the students for the purpose of charcoal drawing. But I used to live on this bread. I made it as my luncheon every day. (This is the very first time that I confess the truth. Thank Heaven that the curator did not find out!)

I was rather amused with my poor life, but by no means did I feel pleasant with the way those Californians treated me. It is the worldknown fact that they hate Japanese. While I have been there four years I never went out to the parks, for I was so frightened of those savage people, who threw stones and bricks at me. Even when I was walking on the street the showers of pebbles used to fall upon me often. And I was spat on more occasionally. Of course they were very low-class peoples, but even better-class peoples had not a very nice manner to the Japanese. If I got into a tram-car and sat down on an empty seat beside some ladies, they used to glare at me with such disgusting expression, and would get up and go away to find out a seat far away from me.

Once I went into a cable car in Sutter Street. I saw my classmate young lady opposite me. I took my hat off and greeted her. She turned her face away. I could not understand why, as she used to be so intimate to me in the class-room. The next day I went to the school. As soon as she saw me she began to apologize me, saying it was not her idea at all to insult me, but she was so frightened that those other occupants of the car might be indignant with her speaking to a Japanese. Another time I experienced far worse thing. I went out with my paint-box and canvas to the beach near Cliff House. No sooner than I started to paint, several boys came to me. They were all older than myself. They broke my paint-box. They threw away all colors and brushes into the sea and tore my canvas. Then they fled away. I was such a helpless boy I could do nothing but weep on the spot for hours. I was so sad, because it took me three or four months working very hard to buy those materials.

Such was my life in America. But I had not so bad a feeling then as I should surely have if it happened now! Because America was the first foreign country I ever visited in my life, so I thought, if we Japanese go out anywhere we shall be treated like that, as an inferior race.

After such experiences I was naturally surprised with the cosmopolitan ideas of the Londoners.

I started my first sightseeing from Hyde Park and the Green Park and St. James's Park. I could not understand all those iron railings. I thought they were to divide private grounds from the public ones. But I saw many people on both sides. I so timidly walked inside the rail. Nobody shouted me. Then I went near the crowds of people with still more fear. Being quite ignorant of the English civilization I anticipated some pebble-showers every minute. I waited and waited with beating heart, but nothing happened to me at all. I walked into the crowds who were feeding birds in the lake of St. James's Park. Nobody spat on me! I ventured myself into the thickest crowds, and I was squeezed between the peoples. Nobody took any notice of me. " Hallo, hallo, what's matter?" I said in my heart. " Perhaps they don't know I am a Japanese." I took off my hat on purpose to show my black hair. Finally one man pushed me quite accidentally, and he touched his hand to his hat and apologized me very politely. I realized at last that r was in the country where I could enjoy my liberty quite freely. Fancy polite apology instead of swearing and spitting! I felt as if I had come to a paradise in this world, and I was quite melted with comfort.

Perhaps nobody could ever imagine my most grateful feeling at this moment, except those of my fellow-country friends who were in California once. Even now, after some thirteen years' stay in London, I often have nightmares of California, and wake up in midnight and wonder where I really am. When I realize that I am in London I feel so happy.

In the streets first thing I noticed was so many silk hats. Then those peoples who were walking seemed to me so gentle, and with very dignified manners. Indeed, in California you cannot walk one block without hearing swearings. Here you hear apologizing words instead.

On the bus I often sat down by the side of English lady. When other peoples got ofif there were many empty seats, but she would not bother herself to remove. In fact, it would give me more comfortable seat to be alone, but the idea of English ladies not bothering to move was far greater comfort for me.

At this time I went to a little newspaper shop to buy a box of cigarettes. The shopkeeper treated me quite same way with his countrymen. I asked him if he has seen Japanese before. He said " No." Then I asked him again if he was not curious of me? He said, " No, sir. You see, sir, we 'ave our colonies all hover the world, sir — white men, yellow men, brown men and black men are forming parts of the British nations, so I am not curious of a Japanese gentleman at all."

What a broad mind he had ! He was only a little shopkeeper, but he was worthy of being called one of the most civilized of the nations. I made a friendship with him at once, and I told him how I was treated in California. He said, "Thut ain't fair, sir! Indeed, thut ain't fair!" How sweet this word was to me ! I carried this sweet " thut ain't fair " in my head, and slept with it all night so comfortably.

As I lived in Chelsea I used to have walk on the Chelsea Embankment. It was my favorite place; so it is now too. One afternoon I made a longer promenade along the embankment to Westminster. On the way, I saw a large stone building in a peculiar shape, the Britannia on the top of the roof. It had no window. It stood dead silent like a ghost in the evening mist. I thought it must be a mausoleum of some ancient kings. But my landlady told me that it must be the Tate Gallery. " You ought to go in there one day, there are beautiful pictures; it is just the place you ought to go to."

Westminster Abbey was a great revelation to me. While I was a schoolboy in Japan, I learnt all the history of the Abbey; then Washington Irving described it so vividly in his " Sketch Book," which was my most favorite book. Generally travelers are disappointed with sightseeing if they trust books too much. But Westminster to me was the reverse. I not only realized every word that Irving said, but I found the Abbey more solemn, more dignified, and more sacred than I was imagining. Those numerous white marble statues of the great statesmen are in just the right place. They seem to tell me all that they have done. I feel myself so small and so humble before them. And those chapels and chantries of Henry VII. are something like a dream of the past history. Even now if I go there I forget all my worldly care.

To my Japanese eyes the building looks far older than its history tells. In Japan stones almost two thousand years old are not worn out like this. Perhaps it is through the English climate. But surely everything English doesn't always look older? For instance, look at the English women. First of all. Her Majesty the Queen looks so young. I cannot believe her age. Some Japanese naval officer attended a levee. He told me he had the honor to speak to Her Majesty while she was Princess of Wales. He was quite near to her, and he had the same idea with me — it was impossible to believe her age. I know several English ladies who look like their daughter's sisters. It is true what I heard in Japan. " English women are flowers all their life." I wonder is that through the climate too? My logic seems rather poor in this instance.

I have quite forgotten to tell my most important thing — my art-study at South Kensington. There I studied casts with charcoal until March of the next year, 1898, and during this time I used to go to Greenwich every Sunday to see my Japanese friend. He was studying the designs at Goldsmith Institute in New Cross. I envied him so much. He had plenty of friends at the Institute, and such a homely life at his diggings. He told me English peoples never become friends without introduction. If I only decided to attend the night class of Goldsmith Institute he would introduce me to all his English friends. Then his landlady, too, persuaded me to come to live with them. I was only too delighted. I came back to my place in Milner Street and told the landlady I was going to remove on the same day. She was so astonished, and explained me it was the English custom to give one week's notice. Here I learnt another lesson of English life. I felt myself a savage, and was ashamed so much.

But I could not control myself for a long week to wait, so I gave a full week payment to her and said, "All the same, I shall go." She would not accept that. She said, " Give me only half of that, as you did not know our custom"; and she told me with moisted eyes that she would miss me very much. In fact, I had quite comfortable life there. She had taken care of me very kindly. It was my pleasure every night when I came back from the school to see my window lit up with the firelight inside, and to find a hot bottle in my bed. I was quite sad when I shook her hand for good-bye.

But when I arrived at Mazehill Station I forgot everything, and was so excited about my new home. Everybody was surprised when I arrived at the house. They never thought I would come so soon. My bed was not even ready yet. When I told them what I had done they were all very angry with my rashness, especially because I was so poor^^ £5 a month I

Chapter II My Life In Greenwich

My new home was No, 96 Annandale Road, quite close to Mazehill Station. It was a little two-story house, a regular suburban type. My room was at the back of the house ; such a tiny room that when they put in a single bed, a wash-stand and a desk, I could hardly move. Underneath my window was a cemetery. There were, a few trees. Every morning at dawn a blackbird used to sing on the top of a tree. It was first time in my life to hear blackbirds. They have such a beautiful voice, and I was so happy to be awakened by them in the morning. My landlady told me that one of the blackbirds laid eggs on that tree, so the husband bird sang every morning to please his wife bird. Then she said, " You see, in England husbands always take great care of their wives. Even the blackbirds do so. If you marry in England you must do the same." I was so amused with that.

My Japanese friend took me to Goldsmith u

MY LIFE IN GREENWICH 16

Institute in the evenings, where I was introduced to the teachers — Mr. Marriott and Mr. Buckman in Life Class, and Mr. Firn in Design Class. I belonged to Mr. Marriott's class, and started- the life study.

On Sunday, my Japanese friend and I used to go to Plumstead and Shooter's Hill. With the latter I was quite familiar when I read Charles Dickens' " Tale of Two Cities," and I recollected that story of the Highlander as if it were really happening.

The time came when my Japanese friend had to go back to Japan, but I still stayed in the same house and enjoyed my homely life all the same. The landlord's name was Mr. Watson. He was a collector of the Prudential Life Assurance Company. He was about sixty years old, and he had such a benevolentlooking face, like that famous picture of Sir John Millais's " Victory, O Lord." He had beautiful long gray beard and whiskers. His gentle and tender eyes were sunk in his face. They were so tender, especially when he smiled. I used to call him "Moses," and made him as my model to study "the old Englishman" whenever he and I both had time. His wife was only thirty-two or thirtythree, very jolly and extraordinarily kind-hearted woman. She used to come into my room every day when I was out, and brush my clothes and make "order" inside of my drawers. First time in my life since I left home that all my socks and underwears were mended! She took a great trouble of shopping "something" especially for my suppers every day, and after hard work at the office and hard study at the school these suppers were great treats for me.

They had two daughters — Elsie and Winnie. The elder was eleven and the younger was eight. They both were very pretty girls. Elsie was very affectionate and rather shy; she used to like to read and play the piano. Winnie was rather like a Persian cat, and petted by everybody. She had such big round blue eyes like owl's, and beautiful curls of chocolate hair, and a fresh complexion. She looked really like a doll. I often tried to draw her portrait, but it was too difficult for me. She was my idol ! These two girls used to sit on my both sides, and were " so earnest to hear some stories about abroad." I used to tell them about Japan, Sandwich Islands, and America. One day I told them how beautiful

MY LIFE IN GREENWICH IT

were those California wild poppies growing on a vast field. They wanted to go there. I said, " But there is a most dangerous thing there. It is a poisonous snake called Rattlesnake. If this snake bites people, they die immediately., Only the way to escape death from this terrible snake is to cut off the part where it bit. If that snake bite my hand I would cut off my hand at once ; if it were my feet, I would cut off my feet."

The children looked at me with some curious expression. They both were quite silent for a while. Elsie broke out first. " If that snake bites your head, would you cut off your own head at once? "

I could not answer.

Winnie was very serious, and said, " Elsie, don't ask such a question. If Mr. Markino cut off his head he could not come to live with us." Elsie was quite sorry. I took both heads of these angel-like, innocent English children under my two arms, and kissed them most tenderly.

I must mention another instance to show how the younger girl was attached to me, and what a curio-comic girl she was. One evening, I was so tired and dull. The landlady said, " Mr. Markino, I suppose you have got a cold, you need some mixture." By this she meant whisky. But Winnie was listening, and immediately she ran out of doors. After a few minutes she came back and threw a little packet at me, and said, "'JEre you are!" It was a real mixture for a cold. I learnt afterwards that she went to a chemist and bought it with her own money.

Saturdays were their "great days." All other week-days I had to leave the house before they got up, so that I could reach the office in time after the train and bus journey from Mazehill to Gloucester Terrace; and they were generally in bed when I went back after the school. I had no chance to see them on those days. On Saturdays the office closed half day. I used to buy oranges or apples at Charing Cross Station and put them in my pockets. They were always waiting me at the Mazehill Station. They often waited two or three hours there when I was too busy at the office. Soon as L got ofif the train they would search all my pockets and find out " something." Then they were so happy. I used to carry Winnie on my back, while Elsie pulled my coat to guide me to home. If I

MY LIFE IN GREENWICH 19

had an early afternoon I used to take them to London to see Zoo, Parks, or some music halls. They were too frightened of traffics to cross the road ; I used to carry them in my arms, one each time, to the other side. We spent Sundays generally at Greenwich Park. They were so proud to their children friends because they had walk with a Japanese " gentleman." What a dififerent thought from those California children I

The landlady used to say to me, " Oh, Mr. Markino, please don't spoil my children so. I don't know what will become of them after all this."

At this time I wrote all my London life to some Japanese friends in San Francisco. They all envied me much.

I stayed at this most comfortable home for about a year and a half. Then that poor old Watson died. His wife was so upset. She could not survive more thaa' half a year and died, leaving those poor children alone in this world. I was obliged to remove to a new diggings at New Cross. I was no less sad than those poor children.

They had some rich relative among the English Navy. This naval officer sent them go 'A JAPANESE ARTIST IN LONDON

to a boarding-school. Since then I did not hear of them for such a long time. Just the time when "The Color of London"' was published in 1907, I found a letter addressed to my publishers, with a Canadian stamp on it. It was from Winnie. She told me in her letter that soon after she and her sister finished the school, they both went to St. John, where their aunt was. She wanted to write me so often, but did not know my address. At last, to her delight, she saw some reviews of my book in a paper, and she hurried to write to me. :

I answered her immediately, asking her if she would like some toy-books. I got her answer like this: "My dear Mr. Markino, you cannot imagine how delighted I was to hear from you after all. I am afraid you are still thinking of me as a little *Toby' in a pinafore. But remember, I am seventeen, and I believe I am a few inches taller than you now. . . ."

One of her photographs came with this letter. Indeed, she was quite a handsome young lady! How wonderful Time passes by so quick! If my art could grow up at the

MY LIFE IN GREENWICH 21

same rate as this little friend, I should be a great master, by this time!

A few weeks later I got another letter from her, saying that she had " a nice young man with a very kind heart," &c., &c. She asked my advice whether to marry or not. I persuaded her to marry. A wedding-card came to me half a year later. Alas, my own art is not in the stage of marriage yet I

Elsie, the elder girl, began to write to me too. In all her letters she expressed how happy she was in Canada. Last Christmas she sent me a beautifully bound book of Longfellow, with these words on the frontispage — " Recollecting all your kindness long, long ages ago."

Chapter III

In New Cross I lived in two places. First in

Amersham Road, arid then at St. Donald

Road. I have nothing much to say of these

two places. I had apartments, and took all

meals in my own room, so I did not see much

of the landlords or their families. The second

place was awfully cheap — i is. 6d. for a week.

At this time the Japanese Naval office was

moved to Victoria Street. I used to walk

from Charing Cross to the office way round