The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-01
MISS YUM-YUM AT HOME.
Manners and Customs Characteristic of Girls
In Mikado's Land.

| Toxic Letter in New York Tribune.
| Where is there a prettier picture than the lit
| tie japanese musume as she stands greeting you
/ with smile at the door of her chaya! And
what smile she gives you'll From those dark
| the full red lips. 1t is such comforting smile;
| promissory Of tea and dainties; so kindly and
| full of good fellowship with dash of coyness
to enliven it, yet free from the stereotyped grin
| of the barmaid of civilization. You feel if
| your coming alone had caused the real pleasure
| you see; that after all you must be quite de-
| sirable person, else why should you be so well
| coined by such dainty beautyl 1t is not the
smile of one about to receive favor. but seems
| rather greeting to old friend after long alb
sence You are not beguiled by any empty
| smile. for make you little bow in as courteous
manner as to the proudest queen of Christen-
| dom and with all fitting seriousness; sit We down
| upon the steps of the vsrandah and two neat
! and comely handmadens will divest you of
your shoes and replace them with soft fur slip
| pers. Enter then the atrium where are all the
ladies of the house sitting about a large square
| box sunk in the floor half full of snowy ashes;
each with small vase of the same ashes by her
side, cup of pale tea and tiny-bowied pipe
that gives but two three puffs at each filing
You are given cushion, your tea, pipe and vase
of ashes in which you find concealed burning
lucifer-and then you are at liberty to use your
tongue to the best of your ability.
One of the classes of japanese women that in
many ways is particularly interesting, is that of
the gaisha girls. These are said to be the only
really virtuous women in Japan. They are the
famous dancing girls of the Land of the Shoguns;
of bright colors is not in civilization They are
mostly very petite and generally young, some
times not more than ten years old, yet they
have an air, dignity, certain solemn stateli
ness. that seems part of themselves, and is
heightened by their rich costumes They pose,
they walk. they use their fans they ogle, they
1irt, they go through all the first part of the
national dance Chou Nugi, Chou Kina in
way and with grace that would bring tears of
envy to the eyes of court beauty of many sea
sons. Their clothes always of the richest
stuffs and the embroidery is often rare and
costly. They take great pride in their obiis,
sashes, and frequently you little three-foot
nothing morsel of dancing femninity with an obi
so large that the upper end of the bow appears
above the head with most comica1 effect. Be
tween these delicate, attractive little creatures
and the big, coarse, obese wrestlers, there seems
to exist strange kind of admiration. Every
gaisha girl, nearly, has her favorite. and for
him she works her finest embroideries to grace
him if he be a victor or console him if he be de-
feated. 1t resent les the feeling Of the feudal
maiden who worked her knights colors and
watched him bear them well and bravely in the
merry joust
Beyond this there is no romance in the life of
a Japanese girl no love making under
stand it; and consequently the Japanese
list is rather at disadvantage For lack of
other material he falls back upon the only caste
where intrigue and adventure are possible-the
demi-monde; and here he finds plenty to inspire
his bamboo pen and curdle the blood of his
readers. He is not forced to stay his words
from any fear of bringing the blush of shame to
the most dainty cheek he can give free express
sion to his story, for in Japan woman is not
considered outcast because she has fallen
from grace nor does she lose her sef-re-
spect; it is not looked upon as in any way wrong
or immoral Sometimes young girl is
apprerticed to evil ways because so she can see
more of the world, and it is supposed, have her
wits sharpened, her experience enlarged, and.
in fact. finish her education more readily than
by staying at homeland then, being woman
of the world, she will be more likely to attract
men and make a good marriage. These girls
often do marry extremely well and become good
wives and mothers for the rest of their days.
rhn Ar,1nr tlxr
of the lower classes and give inaccurate an
idea of the real beauty of their women as the
italian woman of the tenements Goes of the
pretty flower girls of Rome and Naples The
coolies are heavy featured and rather pointedly
inclined to ell-covered bones. The others are
generally beautifully formed and without their
shoes are graceful. Their faces round, and
sometimes have the most bewitching of dimpleS
that come and go as unreasonably as the deli
cate bushes to their soft tinted olive cheeks.
Their eyes are deep hazel, with long black
lashes and beautifully penciled brows. The
nose is short and straight; the lips a dash
of rich full red that is always bisected to show
the strong white teeth. The hands and feet are |
often small and shapely, and have delicate |
pink flush. The bust is generally well developed |
even at an early age. and no corset could give |
such a graceful figure the average woman |
can boast. There is one defect that almost none |
is free from-the legs are stumpy and shapeless |
with heavy ankles and big knee joints. 1t is |
only in those who have European blood that
this defect is remedied. The halfcastes
often very lovely and would be so considered in |
any country They are generally tall and vii
1owy and have the peculiarities of the native /
softened and refined by the mixed blood.
They clean people. You might just as
sofas of modern drawing room as enter a
Japanese house without removing your
dusty boots. Society demands shoes for
mating is always spotless, the white paper
walls and vanished woodwork free from the
slightest mark and the polished floors shine like
an old English table. Even a captious old spin
ster from the wilds of New England could find
no smallest speck of dust to vent her i'll temper
upon. You might almost brush your hair with
the broom. They battle at least once day,
sometimes in cold, but generally in very hot
water. water that would make the most pious
missionary if plunged into it, use language not
approved by the strictly orthodox. The public
bath. which is very popular institution, is a
large room containing two steaming tanks; In
one the men try to parboi themselves and the
women, quite unabashed. take possession of the
other. 'Honi soft" is the motto of the place.
and it is well lived up to by all the habitues. 1t
is Adam and Eve before the apple set her lady
ship at work with her needle and thread.
The Japanese ideas of conventionality differ
somewhat pointedly from those current in
European society of the present virtuous CEN
,urv, as witness the regulation of these public
baths. At Myanoshta, the quasi-Newport of
Japan, is the immense Tujya Hotel and the
natural hot springs. The hot water is led into
arge. square wooden tubs in the lighthouses.
When you are ready for your bath you
iucted to your room-which has very frail
curtain in lieu of door-by pretty maiden who
; ready to assist at your toilet and render YOU
whatever service you need or desire or to sit
md amuse you by sprightly converse while you
slowly stew yourself into state of blissful con-
eminent. The Yums-Yums of Japan and their
athers and mothers see no more harm in such
ustoms than you see in low-cut ball Dress in
he wearing of tights by an oarsman or in a
long Branch bathing suit-in fact not so much,
or you sometimes make comments and Yum
I UNI and her family are unconscious of any
hing out of the way. They have their contra
iictions too; you might see musume as nature
made her at public bath, but she is really
more modesty clothed elsewhere than are the
tailor made girls of civilization.
Bitter DIsappoinrment.