Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-10-28
A JAPANESE DANDY
Enters into a Miscellaneous Chat
About Matters md Things.
New York Cor. Inter

New York Cor Inter Ocean
Near me in this audience sat a japanese.
He was clothed, not only in American style,
but in regulation evening dress. His hair
was cut and combed fastidiously, his gar
ments were as good in fit as Fifth avenue
tailor could make them, and in all but his
yellow complexion and Oriental features
he was like the rest of the dandies. He
came up with party Of New Workers, and
was himself the escort of rich merchants
daughter. 1t is curious fact that this mans
presence in the parquet of the theatre, and in
sociability with refined white folks, was BY
no means exceptional. There are many Jap
anese engaged in mercantile business here,
and as a rule they associate with cultured
people. They take readily to the language,
dress and usages of our polite society, and
make themselves so agreeable that they sell
dom meet with rebuffs on account of their
race This is in direct contrast with our
hatred OF their national next-door neighbor
the Chinese, Of whom have never seen a rep
resentative in a New York parlor. I spoke
to my japanese acquaintance about this
"Japan is higher in civilization than China,
to begin with, he said; ''but there is no such
difference between the countries as you see
in the Immigrants. Japanese who come to
this country are mainly either rich trades
men of considerable account at home or
bright young fellows sent here to be educated
We have hordes of ignorant and more or
less vicious people, but not in the extent or
proportion that is to be found in China. 1t
is from this class that your Chinese are
drawn. You see, therefore, specimens from
the top of Japan and the bottom of China
''Thatis fortunate for you japanese gentle
men who come here" I suggested.
"That is true" he assented, $50 far as it
insures US consideration in good society; but
it makes it bad for US in the streets some
times, with people who don't know Japa-
nese from a Chinaman. / have frequently
been insuited in consequence of the prejudice
against the Chinese. They don't discriminate.
What they ought to do is to look for pig
tail before they conclude that every chap
with almond eyes and yellow skin is China
man."
We discussed between acts the age Of
Aimee. He said that in Japan there was no
dislike among women to letting their ages be
known. Indeed, they display the facts as
to their age in the arrangement of their hair.
Girls from 9 to Is wear their hair interlaced
with red Grape, describing half circle round
the head, the forehead being left free, with
curl at each side. From Is to so the hair is
dressed very high on the forehead, and put
up at the back in the shape Of a fan or
butterfly, with interlacings of silver cord and
decoration of colored balls. Beyond 80
woman twists her hair round a shell pin
laced horizontally at the back of the head.
Widows also designate themselves, and
whether or not they desire to marry again.
"Here in New York" said the japanese,
''the ladies quite bewilder one as to their
age. sometimes think that they intend to
mislead on that point. No? wrong thems
Then why do the matrons comb their hair
like the maidens, and act like them, too?
You can't tell a wife from girl, if she is
stranger, nor widow from either should
think this would lead to awkward mistakes.
The first thing you know you might find
yourself flirting with married woman"
Hirsute honesty of the Japanese or any
other sort is not likely soon to prevail among
our women. Perfect candor, as to hair
would reveal bald heads, for instance, and
that is too much to expect of the sex. A
theatrical manager told me Of producing a
farce il which one character was bald
woman. 1t happened that the actress who
was cast for the part had no hair on the top
of her head. But did she avail herself of
that natural advantage? No, indeed. She
wore wig over the bare spot, as usual, and
thereon laid some palpably false badness.
This actress, you understand, was a woman.