The Penn's Grove record., 1886-10-23
JAPANESE NAPKINS.
Funny Little Mouth Wipers Made
From Rice Paper.

such nonsensel What good are they!"
were among the many EXPLANATIONS
uttered by good housewives when they
first learned that paper napkins were
being sold for table use. They pictured
to themselves squares of thin, white
paper that would break at the first at
tempt to put them to use, and sighed
over the frivolity of the Japanese for
botherlng to make such articles.
Now, however, since their value mas
become known, every picnic party
must be well supplied with these little
squares of Japanese art. Hotels and
boarding houses have begun to use
them, greatly to the delight of their
guests, and it will not be long before
restaurants, steamboats, and even pri-
vate families will have them for use.
1--WE make no p%retensions to what
is called style. We are still in that
social stratum where the article called
the napkin ring is recognized as al
missible at the dinner table. The
napkin ring is the boundary between
certain classes" says Oliver Wendell
Holmes in his most recent story, "a
Mortal Antipathy."
But the introduction of paper nap
kins will do away with this social
stratum, and instead of a clean nap
kin once a day, or twice a week, as the
rule may be, every one may be even
more fastidious than a Vanderbilt or a
Gould, and have a dainty and new nap
kin three times a day, and at a very
trihing expense.
For a family of SIX three napkins for
each one every day would make 126 a
week, which is quite al extra" In the
wash, besides the care to keep them IN
nice order.
The reporter visited a quaint little
Japanese store on Broadway, which,
strange to say, is kept by a Turk n a
youth from the Mikado land. Queer
little dolls with bald heads and bright,
black eyes peeped out from Nankin
bowls and Toxic pots; mattings and
hammocks, fans and umbrellas OF Won
derful size, spangled with impossible
Japanese ladies and gentlemen in pail
full attitudes of Japanese grace; funny
little ivory ''back scratchers, tobacco
Jars, tea sets, bamboo chairs and hund-
reds of other odd, yet useful, articles,
which the two countries have taught
us how to use for our W comfort.
filled the little place.
"Abou Ben Adhem," in a flowing
gown of soft red silk and a little cap
on the back of his broad head, sat III
the back of the shop on a square o
covered with a bright rug, Il pulled
calmly away at his long pipe, while
his Yokohama assistant fitted about
with a big sllken handkerchief flip
ping specks of dust from the thousand
articles of ric-a-brac.
The reporter asked the little Japan
ese if he sold may paper napkins.
SHOW many = ndred you wantr'
he SAID, bringit out four or live
packages. For picnic these very
nice. Sell for fif cents 100," and
he took out a soft bit of crumpled
white stuff bordered with pale blue
mandarins, each II trying to hit his
neighbor with a mushroom-like para
sol, while a big mandarin sat in the
center in seeming bliss.
1--WE sell great many Of these for
picnic. Americans say they are
funny l see no funny, but still
like they please. Here some more
fancy 81 one hundred. These good
for own dinner table,
The more expensive napkins were
not generally comical in design, ac-
cording to the japanese idea. Some
were as soft as silk, and could be
doubled up In the palm into little
balls and smoothed out again without
a break. They were in white, pink
and blue, and while the majority had
only borders of a different color about
them, many were covered with birds
and flowers, umbrellas, weeping VIII
lows, teacups and pots, and every kind
of a japanese figure.
"Do you sell many of theser"
queried the reporter.
''Oh, yesl We sell this warm time
thousands and hundreds. They go for
picnics, they go for summer resort
cottages where ladies want no trouble
with washing. They go with travel
ing parties, who like them at all times.
Then we sell them for decoration OF
parlors,"
"Do the Japanese use them?"
"Oh, yes, at all times, We have
only the rice and the bamboo for our
house. Out OF rice WI make u food,
our paper, soI1e of our wraps. Rice
makes the soft paper like this, that
does not break. Other things we
make of bamboo.
The reporter learned that scented
paper napkins, as high as fifty cents
each, are used in New York. Jay
Gould and many other men of wealth
have them for their yachts. and many
of the cottagers at Newport and Long
Branch are using them this summer.
For watermelon or berry parties,
for picnics and garden parties, they
are considered just the thing. Fine
linen is apt to become stained or get
lost, but paper napkins are sweet and
fresh, and may be thrown away when
used. The japanese expect to drive
a big trade in them next winter, and
several cargoes have been sent here.
Queer Currency.