Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-11-26
LOVE IN JAPAN.
How Japanese Lovers Propose to Their
Dulcienas.

How Japanese Lovers Propose to Their
DuIcienas.
Among very old-fashioned folks in
Japan a curious custom still survives.
Mr.. Kuchler omit its from his account
of marital ceremonies, probably be-
cause its rarity forbids its insertion in
any representative list of domestic OBJ
servances. Still, just as with us there
are people who build barriers of prick
ly furze about their houses to keep the
fairies off. so in Japan there are young
men and women who believe that their
conjugal bliss may be made to depend
on the growth of a plant. 1t is 4
plant called onoto. Unfortunately.
our botanical knowledge does not suf-
flee to identify it in either Latin or En-
glish. Its chief characteristic is that
it is a lusty and rapid grower, throwing
out constantly new shoots from the
root. 1t is, therefore, a fitting emblem
of the marriage state, and as such it is
regarded. A lad or lass, on going to
his or her married home, carries thither
a carefully chosen Onaoto. and this
being planted or tended, is watched
from year to year, because so long
as it shows healthy development
the permanence and prosperity of its
masters or mistress marriage state are
supposed to be assured. Very rarely, as
we have said, is the custom observed.
but like all the domestic superstitions OF
Japan, it is not without quaint pretti-
ness. We allude to it here because it
has just been .magnifed by the purple
MIST of an English traveller S fancy into
the following pretty tall tale: "In houses
wherein reside one or more daughters of
a manageable age an empty flower-pot
of an ornamental character is encircled
by ring, and suspended from the Win
dow of veranda by three light chains.
Now the Juliets of Japan are, of course,
as attractive and their Romeos as anx-
ious as those of other lands. But instead
of serenades by moonlight and other del
icate ways of making an impression, it
is etiquette for the japanese lover to APP
proach the dwelling of his lady bearing
some choice plant in his hand. which he
boldly, but let us hope reverently, pro-
ceeds to plant in the empty vase. This
takes place at a time when he is fully
assured that both mother and daughter
are at home, and / need scarcely say
that neither of them is at all con-
scious that the young man is
taking such a liberty with the flower
pot outside their window. 1t is believed
that young lover so engaged has never
been seen by his lady or her mamma in
this act of sacIilege-at any rate, my
friend tells me that during his long resi-
dence in Japan he never heard of any
one being detected in the act or inter-
fered with in any way. The fact is, this
act of placing a pretty plant in the
empty fower-pot is equivalent to a
formal proposal to the young lady who
dwells within, and this Eastern fashion
is, as l think, most delicate and HARM
less way of proposing to lady. The
youthful gardener having settled his
plant to his mind, retires, and the lady
is free to act as she pleases. If he is the
right man, she takes every care of his
gift, waters it, and tends it carefully
with her own hands, that all the world
may see, in word, the donor is accept
able as sutton. But if he is not a
favorite, or if stern parents object, the
poor plant is torn from the vase, and
the next morning lies limp and with
cred on the veranda or on the path be-
ow. In word, if you are not the
right man it is quite evident that this
phase of window gardening must be a
difficult and disappointing one to carry
on in Japan "-Japon Mall