St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-08-15
JAPANESE WISE SAYINGS.

residence In Japan was recently dis
covered in the Stock Exchange by re-
porter. He was standing outside the
rail, erect, uncovered; and as solemn
as though assisting at the ceremonial
of some mystic and awful religious
rite. His Oriental gravity, as he
watched unmoved the furious actions
and frantic gestures OF the apparently
insane brokers, suggested the fateful
calm of the typical New ZeaIander con-
templating the London Bridge after a
reporter, whom he greeted cordially |
but nutely. as he refused to utter OF
listen to a word until both had escaped |
from the din and found themselves
in the comparative quiet of
neighboring restaurant. There, aftel |
seating himself at table and
passing his hand across his forehead in
a dazed fashion he found his voicea
voice faint and low at first, ike that OF
one who had just suffered from severe
shock or a asurgical operation.
''You can hardly imagine how a
native of Japan would be affected by
such fend's carnival as we have just
witnessed" he said, ssThe Japanese
are such great slaves to etiquette that
doubt if they could forget even in sleeE
the iron rule of conventional propriety |
They are never voluble or noisy and |
are apt at expressing in few words. |
by proverbs and epigrams, ideas thai
less conservative nations, like our own
elaborate. What, for example, could
be more appropriate TO the financial
exhaustion of some of those shouting
land perhaps sinking brokers, than the
Japanese proverb, Man may shout
when he can no longer sWim?
''tWhile the tongue works, the brain
sleeps, is another saying of theirs ex.
pressing their contempt for many.
.Worded men. Even oratory, as our
stump speakers understand the term,
lis discouraged or barely tolerated. In
deed, they are fond of eondensing and
iboiling down ideas, and, | fear, if
Japanese statesman were introduced
ito one of Mr.. Evarts' complete sem
!tences, he would call for a fan to
tscatter fog, or would gravely regard
lit as the first draft of q new CONNER
cial treaty to be read backward.
"'He is wise man who can preach
10 short sermon, and the silent man ia
often worth listening to, are Jap say
ings to the same effect. They are, also,
as a people quick at repartee; their wit
lis keen and tempered, and they can
often administer perfect snub in
brief, terse form. remember an in
istance of this. that struck me forcibly
lat the time, though had by no means
wet mastered the niceties of the Ian
guage. was lettering in Yeddo wait
ing orders, and stepped into court
!or examination room where trial was
igoing on. The case was one involving
Che possession and ownership of a GER
tain piece of property about which two
brothers had violently quarreled. The
holder, who was clearly not the rightful
owner, had assaulted and elected his
arcther, and was protesting his right
TO defend his claim. The examiners
listened very patiently to him until he
closed with the words, Even cur
NAV bark at his own gate, when q
Judge quantity voiced the universal
Judgment, as If stating an abstract
point of law, "A dog that has no gate
bites at his own risk. This was the
Ionly judgment rendered, but it was
final"
s.Are not the japanese exceedingly
polite, like the French?" asked the re-
..Scrupulously SO, and, / think, un-
Alike the French, naturally so. The
iexauisite delight of staring stranger
who dimes in public away from
Ibis dinner, so often practiced
in France and, / observe, some
times copied" -glancing at a per-
llsistent starer at the next table-''in
our own country, would not be UNDER
lstood or appreciated in Niphon, and
practical Jokes are imported into that
polite empire. Another Of their pro-
verbs. To be overpolite is to be rude,
tells the whole story of their conception
of true courtesy. Why, even their
familiar form of salutation, May to-
morrow be all you WISH if a little
'heathenish in its f1attering nomination
of you as the future clerk of the wealth.
er, il, after all, the essential oil OF
politeness and very soothing when you
know that if the weather tomorrow be
bad yea viii not be held RESPONSIBLE
Sor it. =
s.Have woman's rights gained any
footho1d in Japang"
mot vet, and one or two Of their
nroverbial phrases would seem To
indicate that Japan is cold, raw SOIL
for that doctrine to be planted in. "A
prudent wife rarely crosses her hus-
bands threshold after death q
woman can plan no deceit. Trust
your wife while your mothers eyes are
on her. and Death alone makes q
woman nnntanted. are not encourag4