The Portland daily press., 1876-09-16


lips instead of with their eyelids; and men use
small folding fans while women use the large
fat ones.
In childish games and toys they excel us.
Dolls are accumulated and handed down from
one generation to another. Story books and
Mother Goose literature abound. Puns prevail
in their literature and conversation. Boyish
games are more ingenious and numerous than
among our youth. Pictorial, historical and geo.
graphical card games, lately introduced among
us have been immemorial with them.
Household superstitions are also more preva-
lent with them than with US. They never sweep
the rooms Immediately after the de parture of
an inmate, lest they sweep out the luck with
him. The bride and groom must not wear pur-
pie as it is fading color. If the cup of med
icine upset tits sign of luck. Cutting the nails
before journey presages disgrace, and they
will not cut them at night for fear that cats
claws will grow upon them. If nail clip
pings fall into the fire they fear that death
will ensue, but burning salt in the fire avetts
the danger. If an unwelcome visitor wearies
them they go to the kitchen, turn the broom
upside down and place towel over it, aud fan
it Justify which causes the bore to speedily de-
part. If smallpox prevails they post notice
on their house fronts, that the children are abb
sent, to fool the pestilence. A corpse is always
placed head to the north and the living never
sleep in that position, and even post diagrams
of the cardinal points in sleeping rooms to warn
the occupants.
Their mythology is as copious as that of wes-
tern nations. The famous Irish legend of the
humpback who was relieved of his hump by
little elves, and whose envious neighbor, imi-
tating him, receives his hump in addition to his
own, is duplicated almost literally in their folk
love. Here is a nut for some Max Muller to
crack. They have also the legend of Rip Van
Wrinkle. Their proverbs are more splentiful
than those of the Spaniards, and those familiar
to us find their counterpart. "The frog in the
well knows not the great ocean," is an ancient
one, recently revived to use against their old
fogies who are styled "frogs," by young Japan.
'Beware of beautiful woman; she is like red
pepper" is their warning to marriageable sons.
ut takes clever man to preach short SER
mon," is significant. So is this: "If you hate
any one, let him live." "Lve under your own
hat" expresses contentmeut. A Japanese
widow hints that her Mosquito net is too
large" II is curious, too, that the same word
(Ka)i is used as a name for mosquito and for
an interrogation point 1t may show their ap-
probation of an importunate questioner.
Polo is a great national game in Japan. Per-
haps Mr.. Bennett will get up an International
match game.
Our readers will conclude that the book is
admirable. The sketches of Old-J apan of a
score OF years since read like those of the fif-
teenth century, as given US by Scott in Quentin
Durward, and by Balzac, while New-Jspan of
today looks like the same picture, with food
of light let IN, showing every plague-spot, but
showing also thorough movements for regener-
alton.
Theoretical and Practical Morality. By Henry N.
Day. author of Psychology" "Logic," "Esthet-
les" cart of Discourse" etc. New York: G. P
Putnam's Sons. For sale by Loring Short & Har-
mon.
This little work was probably designed 'for
the use of schools and colleges" although that
purpose is not intimated on the title page. 1t
is at least quite well adapted to that end. 1t
is, as it purports to be, an elementary system /;
and, if one may judge from its minuteness of
detail was, in its first form, series of lectures
for the school room, in preparing which the
lecturer was under the necessity of enhancing
the scientific" character of his instructions by
the somewhat porteptous method of division
and subdivision, down to demi-semi-proposi-
tions
The plan and method of the book is well con-
veyed in this passage from the first chapter:
IF now we scrutinize this act of Regulus we
discover three elements in it,
They are ~ a person owing-Regulus; (2) a
person or persops-the Carthaginians-or at
least himself-to whom there is something due,
and (3) the act discharging what is owed-tbe
return to Carthage. We have thus
given us on the bare inspection of this act of
Regulus, the three essential elements-a per-
sonal agent owing duty, person or persons to
whom this duty IS owed, and an act discharg-
ing this duty. We use language correctly in de-
nominating these elements respectively moral
person or agent a moral end or object and a
order, in separate chapters, these several ele-
ments and the several constituents of each "
There is certain fascination in all this. So
might the preacher unfold his simple text ard
elaborate from it his three-headed discourse.
Thus:-"I 60 Sir" here we have ~ 'T," the
personal agent, the ego committing himself to
certain promise, t2) "go," the promise made,
implying action, (3) 'Sir," the personal object
to whom the promise is made.
Tho Mo IN, tba o:ta =
faithfully pursued. Duty is first divided into
three elements, and then these elements are
chopped up very fine. The results are not emil
nently satisfactory. 1t is book of infinites-
sinai definition. No new matter is brought
for the elucidation of doubtful points, no real
help is given towards better understanding of
duty and responsibility; there is no discussion
or argument it is simply, as the title page as
serts, an elementary work, bearing the relation
to ethics that the spelling hook bears to Ian
guage, or the dictionary to reading The an
cient landmarks are not disturbed; they are
only pointed out. From the existence of ''law'
the existence of personal "Law-giver" is
quietly inferred, as if the justice of that in
ference had never been called in question.
The sole sanctions of the moral law are as
sumed to be reward and punishment, as if that
had rever been doubted. The proper aim of
moral effort Is assumed to be happiness, as if
that had never been doubted The will is la
boriously described as Q) "a power" (2) "sov
ereign" (3) "free'', (D finite; but the per-
picking problems arising from the limitations
of free will with which "science of ethics"
might reasonably be expected to deal, are not
SO much as alluded to. Even the ancient
petitio principle is used to prove supernatural
Bible. We learn about God chiefly from His
express revelation, and we infer from the char
acter of God thus revealed that he would make
an express revelation of himself Hence he has
made such revelation, and it is contained in
the Bible.
1t is however, good exercise to read this little
book, and people who do not know the tradi-
tional and usual meanings of ethical words
may here find something to their advantage
1t ought also to be added that there are fire.
quent hortatory applications of the words as
defined, which may well commend the book
for Sunday reading. 1t is an interesting vol
ume, and even if it should serve no other use,