The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-03-14
l60RWORsHIP in JPN.

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Institution, his subject being The
Magic Mirror Of Japan In Japan
there is. he said, an absence of house
walls. Interior and exterior, the houses
consisting of a roof supported on only
few posts enclosing very little but
empty space; and sliding screens
alone compartments. Why, in this
comparative absence of all that we
should call furniture, does one article
pertaining to the ladies' toilette-the
bronze mirror with its stand-hold so
prominent a position ? This mirror
is usually circular, from three inches
TO twelve inches in diameter, made
of bronze handle covered with 5am-
boo. The rejecting face is generally
more or less convex, polished with n
mercury amalgam, and the back is
beautifully ornamented with a grace
fully-executed raised design Some
for therustic population have also pol
ished letters.
The explanation Of the fact that the
mirror is almost par ereslirucs the en-
tire furniture, is found partly iu the
elaborate head dresses Of the japanese
ladies an d the painting Of their faces,
and partly from the belief that as the
sword was "the soul of the SamUuu,
so is the mirror the "soul Of woman. ~
Tttherefore constitutes the most valua-
ble Of all her possessions, and two
mirrors form a part Of the trousseau
ofeverv bride. The characteristic quail
tiles of the mirror must. it is believed
be in accordance with the constitution
of the possessor, and second sight"
is resOrted to in the selection Of
mirror. But why is the mirror so i'm
pOrtant i'm the imperial palaces, where
the court ladies, still preserving the
fashion of old days, comb back their
hair in the simplest style ? Why does
the fortune-teller, instead of looking
at a girls palm, regard the reflection
in a mirror Why, instead Of refer
ring to the book Of the recording an
gel. does the japanese Plato bring be
fore the boatman his evil deeds reflect
ed in a mirror? And why does the
mirror hold 50 important place in
Japanese temples ? The mirror ranks
far higher in japanese history than
has been supposed; IT, in fact, takes
the place of the Christian countries.
Prof. Ayrton read the myth OF the
origin of the worspip Of the mirror.
The main points an it are that when
gods alone inhabited the earth, the
sun goddess one d1y hurt her hand
with her shuttle. hgviug been sudden
Is frightened by a practical joke OF
Lrr brother Che god of tle sea. SD,
Indignantly retired tDa cave Dark
ness followed. auI tla E1IIe-- laI O..
bc aDpcasal The visest OF tlc -ar#
suggested masking lu image Uf Der
more beautiful tIlu herself The
Japaule Vulcan fashioned O. mirror
iu the shape Of tle sun, aEd aIl the
gods laughed. and shouted. "Herc i
deity who suplsses even you
rlarv" Woman curiosity could mot
stand this The goile-- peeped out
and while a7m'r.ng herself in Oh,
mirror was clugh, aud dragged out
by rice rope. The national tradi
Gons have DO that this sun goddess
lImuar1su md Kgm) sending he
adopted grandson, who was also The
great grandfather Of the first empcr-
or OF japan, to subdue the world
made him three presents: the mage
tama (the precious stone, emblemati
cal Of the spirit Of the woman), tn,
sword (emblematical of the spirit OF
mani, and the mirror (emblem OF hel
own souD. Look, she said, con
this mirror as my spirit, keep it il
the same house and on the same llool
with yourself and worship it as if yor
were worshiping my actual presence.
London Times.