Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-02-22

though the country housewife often plants,
cultivates, picks, spins, weaves and makes
into clothing the cotton from her husbands
own fields A thoroughly trained and edu-
Gated Japanese wife answers the description
of the good lady given in the book of Prov
cribs. Though such n one is as rare as pre-
cous, | believe have seen and known of
such rubies in Japan
While the mother is busy at needle and
! thread, near her may be her daughters learn
ing TO write or read perhaps to sew embroi-
| der, make poetry, play on musical instru-
ments, to dance, sing, make tea in ceremoni-
| al style, tie up presents arrange curtains or
flowers or to perform one Of the many duties
and accomplishments laid down in the book
! of 'Woman's Great Study" Among many
! others, these comprise lessons in reading,
! writing, the memorizng and composing Of
! poetry, the entire ceremonial and procedure
of courtship, betrothal, marriage, wifely and
| motherly duties, the cutting and making of
! garments, care and ordering Of n household,
| complete lady's toilet moral duties and pre-
cepts the simples Of botany, the birth and
rearing of children. conduct of household nf-
fairs, festivals and religious duties, funerals
and of behavior in old age. While the great
mass of the children go to school 20 learn TO
| read write and count, many are educated at
home 10y their parents or grandparents, older
brothers or sisters. Wealthy men employ tu-
tors or governesses Nearly all japanese chill
dren can read and write. II the wife is gos-
sip or gad-about, she is off and out before the
| lncquered dishes are washed. to the well-curb,
| to exchange the news with the nursery maids,
old grannies and busy-tongued women wash
| ing their rice or rinsing their clothes. There
! she may air herself for an hour or two and
then perchance go with the baby TO the bath
house up the street TO indulge in more gos-
sip, hot water and ablutions A visit to the
temple either for picty. excitement or pleas
ure's sake may finish the morning and per
haps allow her TO arrive home in time to get
| up make-shift dinner for her husband The
children meanwhile are neglected. showing
more attention from mother earth than from
| mother woman. II she be a slrew or q vira-
! 90, husband had better not complain. or he
| Will catch something not in the bill of fare
for - japanese womans tongue can distill
more than balm and healing oil. when She
SO wills
The lazy, shiftless, untidy. gossiping wife
and careless mother, with her house in disor-
der, her children neglected. her husband hen
pccked or unhelpod. her time and her means
wasted her halr uncombcd. her bosom al
ways untdily open, her clothes crumpled,
| slovenly or soiled her dirty infant slung or
held on her back, only half supported under
her hands. in slipshod sandal. or broken clog,
is one type of the Japanese woman The ex-
| qulsltey neat, tidy. thrifty. diligent wife who
orders her household in boauty with taste and
skill. taiucstness. patience and irradiating
smile. who is "a help and cheer to her hus-
band an afTect:unata. firm and patient moth
er, vi h La and dress and foot always in or
der, whose house and garden and tabla ierv-
| Ice. or even nursery and sewing room. are al
ways tit for visitor to see who reus her
children in honor aud dignity, whether she
be rich or poor Is another type of "A japanese
woman. have seen them both
surprising We make call. as / have often
done III Fukui, upon household in the mid
die or upper class Of society. Entering
through the outer gate, past the porter's
lodge, we wait at the yestbulc and knock or
call servant. male or female appears. and
on hands and knees hears our request or takes
our card or maine. If the visitor be worthy
and the man Of the house is at home. he will
himself come out to greet us. Dofiing our
foot gear, we walk over the clean mats
through the corridor to the ample room. guilt
less OF furniture. or into the 7dSbiki (best
room in which are scroll pictures or poems
gilt paper screens sword rack. incense burn
er, and always vases and flowers. Most prob
ably the room opens out on u garden, for the
love of art and the beautiful has penetrated
10 the lower classes Ia Japan. We sit on the
floor on knees and heels 4 servant enters
bearing tray, cups and porcelain teapot in
one hand. and "A lacquered stand in the other
FIVE to four she has pretty face; five to
one she Is neatly dressed: a hundred to one
she is polite and graceful. She sets tray and
stand ON the mating. In the latter on a
square sheet of white paper folded diagonal
ly, are sweetmeats. colored candies. sugar
balls, crystalized orange slices. carames, jel-
ly, or swect-potato custard Should we drop
in uuawares. Us have often done. the good
lady quickly sends ont her maid or one of the
children, .SVb-tOSd. good reader and from
the cuufcctioutr's round the corner. or down
the street, purchases the refreshments, which
then appear with the hostess. who offers
many apologies for the delay. Conversation.
frank and preserved if you can speak the
language or have good Interpreter, follows
the weather, each others health. being the
first course of the feast of mind and friend
snip. If you are easy in manners and ad-
DIR -, and able to make yourself at home un-
der the circumstances, you will enjoy de
lightful visit. If you are icy. rigid and alien.
you Will vote a visit to Japanese house a
bore. Two descriptions of such a visit Civ
IN by two persons of differing temperament.
would vary As much rs the narratOrs them
selves. In the scores of visits, friendly. for
NAL, or official lasting for minutes or hours,
| rarely. in Fukui at least took note of heavy
time, and usually enjoyed myself very
much using the words in a natural not a
, | perunctory sense. Very rarely did ind one
ON whom | called, lacking in the gmces OF
hospitality. Almost invariably, at my request.
the gentleman would present his wife and
daughters and other children; sometimes
they would be present at his own suggestion.
In the few cases in which could not see the
ladies of the house, had reason to believe
their absence arose rather from sensitive mod
esty or unwillngncss to appear, unless il
toilet calculated TO withstand the gaze OF d
critical guest. There is no trait of character
or custom in which the Japanese are shown
to be so radically different from the Chinese
as in the freedom of their social intercourse
and in the hospitality which they extend tc
their foreign friends A Japanese gentleman
frankly and with ease, will Introduce his wife
and daughters to an American. In China
among the better classes at le st. such pro.
ceedng would be next to a m raj impossibili
ty.-- William +. Gribis, in J. me JOUrHdl.