American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-11-14

A Japanese WOoing.
My man-servant, Keii, wants to b
married tomorrow night. In the frs
| place, Japanese like, he sent a friend t,
find out IF l should be very mucl
! troubled if he should take wife"
expressed myself as to that in language
| agreeable to the Bible, human nature
and the laws of Iowa. The next inquir,
WAS, would | advance ii months wage
for the go-between fee and other Incl
dcntals? This was rather serious, con
Sidcrlng that he receives the sum o
$3.50 per calendar month and board.
himself, L must consider awhile. and in
the meantime suggested to 1.-The friend
| that he advise the keii to wait till the Is;
of November, by which time he could
save enough money, if he were careful
to have Il genuine feast, and then he
would have wages for living expenses
etc. Pretty soon Mr.. Keji himself ap
pcarcd, the friend having to his mind
proved failure, and then and there
pleaded his own cause. The case had
gone too far, he said, and he had "madc
such IL compact and solid covenant that
without great shame to himself he could
not break it, and would not | advance
him the money, and so prevent his shame
and disgrace, and complete his joy"
1t was hard to resist, but | thought it
not best to advance money just then, and
hence said that, as my wife was out, and
rs should like to consult her about it
first, / wished he would wait till her re-
turn for knowledge of what l would do.
Pretty soon Il japanese lady presented
hcrseif-a gentleman came the first time
and at once proceeded to endeavor to
interest me in the immediate marriage
of the aforenamed Keji. She thought
that if he were married he wouldn't be
running off to town, and on the contrary
would be very faithful servant. She
said that Keji, having seen the lady he
was negotiating for, was intensely de
sirous to consummate the union. And
this is the way of it:
keii is poor, in that he has no reserve
fund, hence must do this thing in a small,
quiet way. Wishing wife he learned
that friend knew of Il lady of eighteen
summers counting as the Japanese count
age, but only seventeen Us we count iD.
The friend presented the attractions of
the lady so beautifully rs to quite carry
away Mr. X, and cause him to long for
her sweet presence. "Will you do the
business for me-" was the next thing in
order. To this the response was favor
able, and so very soon the mediator
lady and the ear of her parents. (The
presence and ear of the young lady con
cerned are considered of no importance
in Japan.
In due time the bargain was closed.
Just what it is in his case do not know !;
but the advance money wanted indicates
fees of some sort to parents and mediator
or go-between. The bargain or covenant
is all made and needs only a little money
to seal it for aye. If | give it to him this
eve he will wind up the business very
soon. Then tomorrow night the media
tor, with Il Government officer, sort of
Registrar, will proceed to the house of
the bride. The contract of the parents
will be recorded with their names, etc,
then about nine o'clock p. m. the media
tor, the officer, the parent and the bride
will wend their way to MIR. kejTs room,
which is in our premises. He anXiously
waiting will at their summons hasten to
welcome them in most self -humbling and
elaborate terms and with overwhelming
bows and prostrations, all of which will
be returned in kind by the bridal party.
After some preliminaries (Which | shall
learn if l am invited to the wedding,
as l hope TO be-, the officer will
record the fact of the bringing
of the bride to Mr.. Kej's house,
together with the names of
those present as parties of the contract,
the date and hour, etc. After this there
will be as elaborate supper as Mr.. X.
can possibly provide, together with as
little Tor much) of the best saki the conn
try can distill. Disposing of the supper
and much tobacco, the go-between, the
officer, and the parents and relatives,
will return to their homes and
leave Mr.. and Mrs. Keji to come together
alone, and this will be all the more neces-
sary from the fact that they haven't eX
a word as yet, and from the fact
that she does not know him from Adam,
except by his age.
1t is strange way of wooing and
sad one too, and | hope we shall be able
to teach them better things as the years
20 by. A good spell of counting isn't IA
bad thing for two people who are to live
together for life. May the Japs live to
know chow good and pleasant it is.'
Having written the preceding, L laid
lown my pen for the night. Rcsuming
it this morning, am under the necessity
Of recording the fact that the course of
true love does not run any smoother in
, apan than it does in America. Last
evening | advanced Mr.. KS wages to the
End ofthe present month only; but the bal
ance of the sum needed was forthcoming
from the lady | mentioned yesterday.
Early this morning | met the same lady,
who informed me that her services had
been required ut the house of the bride
hat is to be; and that the consultation
lid not cease until three O'Clock this
and that even then the cove
nant was not sealed by the presentation
If the money She hopes, however, that
tonight, the conference beginning ut
eight O'Clock, all difficulties will be re
moved, and that the bride Will be forth
coming tomorrow night
The occasion of the need of that worthy
Japanese lady's services, and the delay
If the wedding, is this: Another fellow
lad his eve on that same girl, and was in
ending to negotiate for her himself,
without consulting her wishes, however,
n the least. He heard of Mr.. KS adj
rances, and FASTENED into the presence
IF the family to forcstall his rival. En-
pressing his solicitudc for the welfare
md happiness of the whole family, and
his especial anxiety in the present aspect
IF affairs relative to the daughter, and he
cause of that solicitudc and especial anN
ety having been induced to make rigid
search into the character and abilities OF
he prospective son-ln-law, and having
found that the gentlcman's name and ca
rcer woti4d not bear abundant light, he
warned them to be very cautious III their
and to draw back from the
GOV, ntnt before it was ever
too late Naturally the parents
were alarmed, and II long and general
became necessary. The
lady | have spoken of appeared in behalf
Of Mr.. X, the troubled would-be She