The temple is a gorgeous-lookin' one, but queer as anything--as anything I ever see.
But then, on the other hand, I spoze them Japans would call the Jonesville meetin'-house queer; for what is strange in one country is second nater in another.
This temple is built with one body and two wings, to represent the Phoenix--or so they say; the wood part wuz built in Japan and put up here by native Japans, brung over for that purpose.
It is elaborate and gorgeous-lookin' in the extreme, and the gorgeousness a-differin' from our gorgeousness as one star differeth from a rutabaga turnip.
Not that I mean any disrespect to Japan or the United States by the metafor, but I had to use a strong one to show off the difference.
In one wing of the temple is exhibited articles from one thousand to four thousand years old--old bronzes, and arms, and first attempts at pottery and lacquer.
Some of these illustrate arts that are lost fur back in the past--I d'no how or where, nor Josiah don't.
In the other wing are Japan productions four hundred years old, showin' the state of the country when Columbus sot out to discover their country; for it wuz stories of a wonderful island--most probable Japan--that wuz one thing that influenced Columbus strong.
In the main buildin' are sights and sights of goods from Japan at the present day.
All of the north part of the island is a marvellous show of their skill and ingenuity in landscape gardenin', and dwarf trees, and the wonderful garden effects for which they are noted.
They make a present of the temple and all of these horticultural works to Chicago.
To remain always a ornament of Jackson Park, which I call very pretty in 'em.
Take it all together, the exhibits of Japan are about as interesting as that of any country of the globe.
In some things they go ahead of us fur.

Now in some of their meetin'-houses I am told they don't have much of anything but a lookin'-glass a-hangin', to show the duty and neccessity of lookin' at your own sins.
To set for a hour and a half and examine your own self and meditate on your own shortcomin's.
How useful and improvin' that would be if used--as it ort to be--in Jonesville or Chicago! But still the world would call it queer.
I leaned up hard on that thought, and wuz carried safe through all the queer sights I see there.
I see quite a number of the Japans there, pretty, small-bonded folks, with faces kinder yellowish brown, dark eyes sot considerable fur back in their heads, their noses not Romans by any means--quite the reverse--and their hair glossy and dark, little hands and feet.

Some on 'em wuz dressed like Jonesvillians, but others had their queer-shaped clothin', and dretful ornamental.

Josiah wuz bound to have a sack embroidered like one of theirn, and some wooden shoes, and caps with tossels--he thought they wuz dressy--and he wanted some big sleeves that he could use as a pocket; and then sez he-- "To have shoes that have a separate place for the big toe, what a boon for that dum old corn on that toe of mine that would be!" But I frowned on the idee; but sez he-- "If you mind the expense, I could take one of your old short night-gowns and color it black, and set some embroidery onto it.

I could cut some figgers out of creton--it wouldn't be much work.