CHAPTER VII

Summary

Next morning we came to a small town where a genuine country fair was going on. I was astonished to see so many women buying and selling. There were charred and wrinkled forms of womankind, also middle-aged peasant women, and a small proportion of young women. At these fairs one can read the life of the people.

At the entrance to the town is a lovely little temple built on a height. The temple is like a miniature palace, and is surrounded by very handsome yew and arbor vitæ trees all around. It has the look of a toy palace for some fairy princess from Liliput Land. In the square in front of this temple a noisy market was being held, a genuine small country fair.

The flight of steps which led up to the idol shrine had been taken possession of by the women. On the lowest step sat a rather pretty woman about twenty-four years of age, displaying for sale a fine black fowl. I would fain have stopped and bought it, as our stock of provisions was low, and we had not been able to get fowls in some places through which we lately passed; but I thought she would have asked six times too much for it.