The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-02-19
Awning Star and Catholic Messenger


japanese Caypenters.-The Japanese cal
PeDters are ingenious workmen, and the
work Is done with marvellous neatness.
curious feature of their houses is, that the
timbers being dOvetailed together by man
ingenious devices and the whole wOrl
even to the rafters, is az smooth as if it ha
been polished down with sandpaper. An
the Japanese are neat people; for the
use no paint to hide any blemish of con
work or plaster of Paris gew- gaws, bu
every stick in the building is exposed
Every morning, as regular rs she cooks the
breakfast or sweeps the floor, the Japanese
housewife takes a wet cloth and scours the
whole interior of the dwelling, leaving no
part untouched, and no stain or dirt spot to
mar ats cleanly appearance. Then the Jap
aneee do not come into the house with
muddy boots. after the style of the Ameri-
can sovereign; but, having covered the
dirty sandals before stepping upon it.
stood and watched the Japenese carpenters
at their work for some minutes, and noticed
tho popularity of their movements. The
Japanese carpenter works toward him,
that is, instead of showing q plane from,
him, he reaches out, sets The plane upon
tho board, at arms length, and pulls it to-
ward him and he cuts, saws and chops in
the same way. His saws are fixed in
handles, like a butchers cleaver, and the
teeth slant or rake toward the handle. The
planes are constructed like ours, but the
wooden portion is very thin and wide. The
adze is fastened to the end of hoped
stick like the handle of one of the crooked
canes worn on the arm on our streets; and
although their tools are different from ours,
yet cannot observe that they are awk-
ward in appearance or awkwardly handled.
Japan Correspondence.
The antiquity Of Inrention.-To Noah is
attributed the invention of wine, 2247 b. C.
Ale was known at least 4O4 Il. G., and beer
is mentioned by ,Nenophon sol b. c. |
backgammon. the most ancient of our
games, was invented by Palamedes of
Greece, 1924 b. c. Chess is of later date,
and originated $50 years before the Chris
tan era. The first circus was built bv
Tarquin, Cos b. c., and theatrical repre-
sensations took place as long ago as SOP b.
-; tne nrst tragedy represented was writ
ten by Thespis, 536 b. C.. So it seems that
the anclents were not as destitute OF amuse {
ments as one would suppose. 1t is not i'm
possible that the great philosopher Socrates ;
delighted in chess; that Sophocles amused {
mas little friends by taking them to see the l
even Immortal Homer could play a fair Il
game OF backgammon AS for the must /
cal instruments, they possessed the psaltry.
Aarp, lutte and that most ancient instr1- t.
,ment, the cymbal, which is spoken of as p
!eng ago as 1880 B: c. The flute was the v
were invented by Archimedes, 220 b. C.; II
ana Nero played upon the melodious bao tt
pipe 81 A. ID. In household furniture nj
slass , was used by the Egyptians COOKERY d.
va" vas known :, ," to the Egyptians and Greeks al
locls d. ~, ~; carpets were in use 500 B. c.; sc
u water were invented l5s b. c.; sun -dials' bl
Vhlch had been in use previous to the in Xxi
entlon OF the water-clock, date $50 b. G. w
Bricks were made 2247 b. c.; the lathe was re
invented by Ialus l240 b. c. The COM pi
Ass was used by the Chinese III5B.C. Rel. ar
ows are the invention of Anacharss. 500 r. an
;: But when we think that bread made from flu
7heat was known to the Chinese 1870 wears 81
go, we must confess that it is rather stale. gr
'hese Chinese are wonderful people, and TO
}. G. MIR. P-out-she wrote dictionary CON
aiming 40,OOO characters representing J..
lords. When We read that the arts and "a
'iences OF astronomy, 1894 b. c.; sculpture n m
nd painting, 2l00 b. c.; geometery, 2O95 na
son5v uS ms.hs,t iSso b. C.; poetry, phil be
atics, geography, mensuration, geology, &c
aetalurgy, chemistry Called alchemy and GO
urgery, were all known to the ancients. al
70 almost exclaim with Solomon, "there m
nothing new under the sum- 30
1sco Figures from Nine. lie Brun,s Me-. ar
sesTs.-Among the interesting figures on W,
40 S1nvas OF Mme. lie Bruins memoirs, pc
R.OoASiuS
rast. One is Marie Antoinette, a refined ce
roman and the irresponsible victim of in We
ane reformers; and the other, Caroline ar
'onaparte, q parvenu and the natural pro- bl
act OF society remodeled by extremists. pc
lime. LIE Brun painted portraits of both til
hese women. Marie Antoinette is de- m
cribed as lovely, dignifed pei son, never in
!, resuming upon her station or ignoring ut
he conditionsOf polite intercourse. Nine
% Brun relates that she was somewhat in.
at the first aspect of the Queen l.,
n the occasion of her first sitting, but that "a ni
his sentiment soon vanished. GWhen her 49,
aajesty learned that had a GOOD voice en-
ne rarely gave me sitting without sing, IL, ,n
ng number of duets with me, for she was W. W.
fond of music" She happened as
break an appointment with the Queen r i.'
wing to lndlsposition. AT the next sitting, az az
!, a tIemor of excitement lest the Queen S sn
mould be offended, she upset her brushes ss ap
nd colors and scattered them over the i Se
Ssm she eva was about to stoop and pick M
az that she was scarcely able to do 60 pc
atnered them up herself and handed them 81,