Connecticut western news., 1877-11-30

cle on the floor for foot around the lady, whose feet, though never bound like the Chinese, are delicately small. Neither opium smoking nor feet bind ing are known in the Sunrise Kingdom, a fact which diferentiates them from the people of the Middle Kingdom. For six inches or more from in front, the inner robes are made to fold backward, without exposing the white sock en- cased and sandaled elegant foot, making contrast of color, usually deep crimson and pure white. The dress is of sober tints for the streets. States, dark blues or greens, blacks and grays predomi- nate. Indoors the colors are rich and splendid, rivalling the rainbow. Only the singing girls, semi-public charac- ters, put on gay colors out doors; the lady never does, except on certain spe- cial occasions. The dress fits the figure finely from waist to shoulders. The flowing sleeves are graceful, just freeing the plump little hand with its tapering fingers. From waist to knee the dress is absurdly tight, preventing graceful motion in walking, and turning walk into a waddle. The girdle, the most important part of the dress, clasps the waist with gorgeous periphery of satin, embroidered silk or rich damask, and serves as belt aud corset. The tying of girdle is a theme for an epic poem. Its successful accomplishment makes the proud wearer the target Of congratulations. Several fashions pre- vail, but my solemn opinion is here re- corded that, though the ladies of Fukni, Kiota and Tokio do excellently, those of OZaka excel them all. l have never seen such cOuntenances expressive at once of proud satisfaction, serene hap piness and exalted sympathy for less fortunate womankind whose girdles were awry, as l have beheld on the promenade in Ozaka. The tie and pose of their girdles were simply inimitable.
 
 Sanslkrit-The Papers on which the Manu-
 scripts Written.
 The manuscripts examined have mostly been written on country paper sized with yellow arsenic and on emulsion of tamarind seeds, and then published by rubbing conch shell. A few are on white Kashmirl paper, and some on palm leaf. White arsenic is rarely used for the size, but 1 have seen few codices sized with it, the mucilage employed being acacia gum. The surface of ordinary country paper being rough, thick coating of size is necessary for easy writing, and the tamarind seed emulsion affords this admirably. The paper used for ordin- ary writing is sized with rice gruel, but such paper attracts damp and vermin of all kinds, and that great pest of litera- ture, " the silver fish" thrives luxuri- antly on it. The object of the arsenic is to keep off this insect, and it serves the purpose most efectually. No insect or worm of any kind will attack arsenic ized paper, and so far the manuscripts are perfectly secure against it's ravages. The superior appearance and cheapness of European paper has of late induced many persons to use it instead of the country arsenizized paper in writing documents but this is great mistake, as the latter is not near so durable as the former, and is liable to be rapidly de- stroyed by insects. cannot better illustrate this than by referring to some of the manuscripts in the library of the Asiatic Society. There are among them several volumes written on foolscap paper, which date from 1920 to 1880, and they already look decayel, moul- dering, and touched in several places by 1.-the silver f1sh.'' Others on John paper, which is thicker, larger and stouter, are already so far injured that the ink has faded and become in many places illegible, whereas the manu- scripts which were originally copied on arsenicized paper for the College ot Fort William in the first decade of the century, are now quite as fresh as when l first written. 1 have seen many manu- scripts in private collections which are still older and still quite as fresh. This l fact would suggest the propriety oi government records in Mofussil courts being written on arsenicized paper instead of the ordinary English foolscap which ts so rapidly destroyed both by the climate and also by white ants. Tt guard against mistake should add here that the ordinary yellow paper sold ir the bazaars is dyed with turmerick anC not all proof against the attack of insects -Ihe AthenGun.
 Mothers.
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