IhavewalkedaboutagreatdealinNiigata，andwhenwithMrs。
Fyson，whoistheonlyEuropeanladyhereatpresent，andherlittleRuth，aprettySaxonchildofthreeyearsold，wehavebeenfollowedbyanimmensecrowd，asthesightofthisfaircreature，withgoldencurlsfallingoverhershoulders，ismostfascinating。
Bothmenandwomenhavegentle，winningwayswithinfants，andRuth，insteadofbeingafraidofthecrowds，smilesuponthem，bowsinJapanesefashion，speakstotheminJapanese，andseemsalittledisposedtoleaveherownpeoplealtogether。Itismostdifficulttomakeherkeepwithus，andtwoorthreetimes，onmissingherandlookingback，wehaveseenherseated，nativefashion，inaringinacrowdofseveralhundredpeople，receivingahomageandadmirationfromwhichshewasmostunwillinglytorn。TheJapanesehaveaperfectpassionforchildren，butitisnotgoodforEuropeanchildrentobemuchwiththem，astheycorrupttheirmorals，andteachthemtotelllies。
TheclimateofNiigataandofmostofthisgreatprovincecontrastsunpleasantlywiththeregionontheothersideofthemountains，warmedbythegulf-streamoftheNorthPacific，inwhichtheautumnandwinter，withtheirstillatmosphere，bracingtemperature，andblueandsunnyskies，arethemostdelightfulseasonsoftheyear。
Thirty-twodaysofsnow-falloccuronanaverage。Thecanalsandriversfreeze，andeventherapidShinanosometimesbearsahorse。