Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-12-26
NO. 3O5.
MISCELLANEOUS READING.
JAPANESE LADIES.


! have not been among the South Sea Is
landers yet, or the new Zealanders, nor even
made acquaintance with the Chippewa In.
dams, but can conceive nothing more e!ab
crate in the way Of tatooing than the speci
mems supplied by the male population oi
Japan, and really to them in their ha-
bitual costume (rideltcet. girdle OF the mar
rowest possible kind the greater part Of the
body and limbs scrolled over with bright
blue dragons and lions and tigers and figures
OF men and women, some not very decent,
tattuoed INTO their skins with the IN st arts
tic and elaborate ornamentation, II Is lmpos.
sible to deny that they look remarkably like
race Of savages in their war paint. The
women seem content with the skin that ma
ture gave them in all its varying shades Of
olive, and sometimes scarcely shade at all.
have seen many rs fair as my own coun-
trywomen, and with healthy blood mantling
in their cheeks-that is when fresh washed
and before they have painted cheek and lips,
and powdered all the face and neck with
rice -four until they look like painted popin
jays done in pastry and white lead. When
they have renewed the black varnsh to the
teeth. plucked out the last hair from their
eyebrows, the Japanese matrons may Ger
tainly claim unrivalled pre-eminence in artl-
fetal ugl illness over all their sex. Their mouths
thus diSfsured are like open sepulchres, and
and whether given to "hatter with their ton
CUES" | cannot undertake IN this my novlci-
ate, to say, but they must have syrens' tongues
or 50-horse power of hattery to make those
red vanished lips utter anything which
could compensate to man or child for so much
artificial ugliness. Were it not for such per
verse ingenuity in marring natures fa'ress
work, some among them might make some
pretensions to beauty. But one might Ger
tainly search the world through without be
ing able to match the womankind Of Japan
for such total abnegation Of personal vanity
If this he n sacrifice offered on the shrine OF
conjugal fidelity, the motive is no doubt very
laudabe; but it leads to the inference, not
altogether so complimentary. that either the
men ara more dangerousor or the women weak
er than elsewhere, since such extreme mea-
sures have been found necessary TO secure
the same results. Surely something less
than the whole womanhood of Japan delib-
erutely making itself hideous, might have suf
ticed t. prove the absence Of all wish or de
sign to captivate admirers.
For my part, cannot help thinking the
husbands pay rather dear for any protection
or security it is supposed to bring, since IT
no man can lind any thing pleasing in face
so n.arred and disigured, the husband must
be Just rs badly IF if he has any sense .!
beauty in him. Perhaps custom, and that
deturmed "thef, fashion, may have brought
him to like il; but if so, where is the protec-
ton? II he can like it, 30 may others; per
,erted tnstes are infectious. OF course
shall be tolI-nay, think hear many excel
lent and exemplary English matrons saying.
with certain monitcry voice, That when
the affections are engaged (often with the
aid Of pretty mouth, white teeth, and well,
arched eyebrows) loving husband sees only
the mind and heart III the face. and loses the
indiyi lual features, and as those are worthy
Of love and admiration, so is his indifer
ence to the skin deep beauty Of the face
his loyv being something quite ire
spectye Of such graces; and more than this,
that, as matter Of experience, six months
married life serves to familiarize the ny
liest faces or take away the impression
of the tairest." ! have heard some such
discourse in time past in support of theory
which despite all my efforts, | never could
cordially accept. But loss than ever could
do 10 now after few weeks residence in ia
pan, where see the principle carried out 10
its last trightful consequences with inexora
bic logic, and whatever mans sensuoss per
ception Of the beautiful may be-and some.
at least, ars very unfortunately endowed that
way-he must ofnecessity for the whole term
Of his Tor herr existence, be condemned Ia
take NJ his abode with wanton and unmit
gated ugline,s in the face Of his cherished part
ner-LeNer from japan.