Woodville Republican., 1888-12-01

bucJ Cut6rs DOWAuS AOW NA1A eAASAl AuAAAo
on their knees, If they are men, or drop
ping on their kness and touching their
foreheads almost to the ground, il they
are ladies. The first Japanese salutation
corresponds exactly to the Norwegian
''Tak for sidst, 80 Thank you for the
pleasure had the last time met you.
This, however, is the merest beginning
of Japanese greeting. A conversation
something after this style ensues:
II beg your pardon for my rudeness
on the last occasion"
''How can you say such thing when
It was / who failed to show you due
courtesyP"
Far from it! Ireceived lesson In
good manners from you"
''How can you condescend to come to
such q poor house as thisP"
"How can you, indeed, be SO kind as
to receive such an unimportant person
as myself under your distinguished
roofp"
All this punctured with low bows and
the sound of breath sucked rapidly in
between the teeth, expressive of great
empressement At last, amid a final
chorus of arigatos, the guests come to
anchor upon the floor. Various objects
are handed to them to entertain them,
a curiO or two, few photographs, any
thing, no matter what, for it is de
rigueur in Japanese etiquette to affect
a great interest and admiration on such
occasions Then dinner begins Il am
describing now, of course, the hospitality
we receive rather than that which tits in
our power to extend) with the produc-
tion of a lacquer tray on which is a
small bowl of the same material filled
with soup and fish-a species of bouil-
labaisse. Having drunk the soup out
OF the bowl, you eat the fish with your
chop-stieks. It is an error, by the way,
to suppose that it is difficult to acquire
the use Of this Oriental knife and fork.
Nothing is easier. After the fish comes
a lacquer dish with four or five little
heaps of food on it-a puree of chest
nuts, salmi Of some small bird or wild
fowl, few boiled lily-roots and mess
of stewed sea-weed. With the chop
sticks a small portion of each of these
is lifted in epicurian alienation. Now
sake is produced in porcelain or silver
bottle with bowl of water and a num-
Der of tiny cups, each holding table
spoonful. Sake resembles dry sherry,
and is always served warm. You never
help yourself to sake, but the servants
usually girls-squatting in an outer
ring round the diners (every body be
ing, of course, on mats on the hoor)
take care that your cupis always full.
The Japanese version of "a glass oi
wine with you, SIR" is peculiar. You
empty your cup, plunge it into the
bowl of clean water, move off your mat
and, after touching the cup to your
. forehead, offer it upon your open palm
and with low bow to the person you
desire to toast. He receives it in the
same manner, with an expression o.
appreciation, and the servant immedi
ately fills it for him. A few minutes
afterwards he returns it with similar
ceremony. With the actual drinking
there is no sentiment whatever in Ja
pan-no "Good healthr' as with us, ne
"a la Votrep' no "PrositF' no "Skaall'
the ceremony begins and ends with
the passing of the cup. Nor is there
any of the valor of those who ''gloriei
and drank deep;" you drink often il
Japan; it is impossible to ''drink deep
in an inch of liquor. And with tbs
valor disappear, too, all such legends
and poetry as have clustered about
King 0laf's drinking-horn and the
Teutonic ''Beecher" and the more gen
tie Anglo-Saxon 'Loving Cup" Ant
finally, the teetotaler may not set |
! gain in sobriety over against the los
in valor and in verse. It is just a
easy to get tipsy out Of a teaspoon a
out OF Hagon, and much more humil
iatiug.
So far the Japanese dinner is excel
{. lent. At the next course, however
most foreigners cry halt Upon tin.
wire gridiron appear several pink ant
white morsels, accompanied by various
Liliputian salads and a good-lookint
sauce. These are raw fish, exquisite il
appearance but execrable in the mouth
After them comes cakes Of many kinds
and tea, and finally, when you wish Il
retire, you give the signal by asking
for rice. ! should have said that tn,
tobacco bon." box containing
small brazier, Japanese pipe and
section Of bamboo, serving the unpleas
) antly conspicuous purpose Of combines
ash-receptacle and spittoon, is brough
+ in at an early stage, and even when Ia
} dies are present you can smoke as man.
pipes of the mild and aromatic Japanes
tobacco, each consisting Of two whifIs
Z as you choose. The feast Is prolongef
by ceaseless conversation, a thousanl
jests at which everybody rcars vii