, 1885-04-05
A JAPANESE PARTY.
THE BIRTHDAY FEAST OF A BRIGHT
LITTLE TOXIC GIRL
An Interesting Picture OF the Innocent
diversions Of a Clever People
Entertaining Amateur TheatrI-
Gals by the Little Folks

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worthy a fenatn's only child. and To take
advantage II the opportunity 70 INTRODUCES
the little lady into society. SO Mrs Imayo
forthwith sat down 10 write notes OF invita-
ton 10 all her friends To attend an entertain
ment on that day. Ono of these little notes.
traced with a tiny brush made OF mouse's
whiskers on gossamer paper and ineloaed in
a long, narrow envelops. ornamentsd with
pink cherry blossom, found its way to our
house, inviting us to be present on the happy
occasion.
On the bright morning Of the day desig-
mated we found ourselves. in compan with
a Japanese lady friend, at the door OF the
Imayo mansion. In due tins we were pre-
sentel 10 the Young heroine Of the day, u
dainty. roey-flced child, with u black fringe
OF hair hanging over her slender eye -brows,
while her back hair was done up like a
princess, and arrayed in wonderful robes.
all covered with embroidery.
We made our profound bows 10 the party,
who bowed simultaneously to the floor as we
entered and took our seats u Ia Japanese
amongst them ON the.foor, turning our eyes
expectantly toward the curtain which con-
cealed a temporary stage erected in the long
apartment While waiting for the perform
ances to begin tea and cake were handed
round, and little Miss Nona gave us a song
70 the accompaniment OF two guitars, played
by noted musicians Of the capital. She re-
tired after this and returned in a new cos
tune, looking like an escaped bird OF para
disc.
The first performances on the stage were
elaborate kinds OF dances, one OF which,
called aManzai,r is considered 30 nave such
a lucky significance that no New Years
party or birthday fete is complete without it
A very amusing comedy followed, the prin-
rinal pharoafas-z ~ xuhteb vat.. a aa-hfnw
young Toxic dandy, who strobe unsteadily
about the stage, s~houldering IA towering
branch Of q cherry tres and who paused
ever and anon to admire himself in IA mirror
which he carried in the hilt OF his sword; a
young lady in a pink dreis Is, who was evil
IDENTIFY trying 10 fascinate the dandy, and a
laxative tooth powder merchant This lat
ter character offered to show the young gen
tlemAn how they few kites in Osaka, from
whence. he said, he had just arrived. The
little man retired a moment and returned
wearing a most ridicnlou, mask, supposed
10 represent a boys face, with the eyes
turned upward.
In this mask the merchant executed a
very graceful dance, descriptive OF kite-hy-
ing, every motion Of which was perfect,
from the hosting 10 the frantic pulling in.
When the kite was pulled safely in the little
merchant exchanged his upturned eyes for
a pair Of staring optics, and stretching out
the wide, flowing sleeves of his dress began
a second dance, representing the movements
OF a kite In the air, became lodged in an i'm
aginary tree and finally fluttered In the
most natural manner 10 the floor, the dandy
and the young lady in pink looking ON mean
while lost in admiration. The dancers and
actors were all little girls from s to IL years
old, and who. by the ~liliputian preparations
Of the stage Ngara mnfa 10 TaSamhla ar-atyn
men and women. After this the stage man
ager appeared and announced that Miss I'm
ago would appear in the next performance,
which caused a great fiutter Of expectancy
among the admiring aunts and cousins OF
the infant prodigy.
Finally the curtain rose Oh a fierce bri
gand, who was piroquetting about the stage
in a very short robe and with a very long
sword, which he slashed about rather reci-
lessly. Soon a fair princess, in a magnih-
cent red robe and a gold pape crown, came
sailing in. She carried two very substan-
tiallooking paper pals on a bamboo pole
across her dainty shoulder and moved with
much difficulty, owing to her robes and
crown, to which she wGs evidently unaccus-
toned. This was Miss Imayo, in the char
acter OF the lovely and ill-used princess in
Hamamatsu-kaze. The fair creature paid
no attention TO the robber, who was squat
ting with his bach toward h-er-supposed to
be invisible, but watching her narrowly over
his shoulder. She nearly stumbled over him
twice, but went ON dancing and posturing
and filling her paper pals with imaginary
water.
Those innocent gambols, however, were
suddenly arrested by the abrupt appearance
Of the brigand, who, whatever his first in
t%entions might have been in regard to the
fine robes and gilt paper crown, was wholly
disarmod by the beauty Of the princess and
commenced making awkward but friendly
advances, which she did not seem to relish
at all She jerked her flowing sleeve from
his grasp and sent him sprawling on the
ground several times by a graceful wave of
her folded fan. Tn robber endured these
rebuffs good naturedly for a time, but
finally, becoming exasperated by continual
defeat, he whipped out his long sword and
hourished it about over her head in the
most ferocious way. The maiden, however,
did not seem in the least disconnected, but
parted the thrusts with her fan and finally
obtained possession Of the scabbard, with
which she belabored the unmannerly fellow
until he was glad TO drop his sword and run
away. The unwelcome foe being completely
vanquished the fair princess had a peaceful
dance all by herself nnd succeeded in filling
her pals without further mishaps.
A sumptuous Japanese banquet followed
this little scene and was served upon little
dishes Of lovely porcelain upou tiny tables
OF exquisite workmanship.