Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-09-15

"Iiow can You condescend to come 70 such a
poor house thiss'
SLOW can you. indeed, be 50 kind as to receive
such an unimportant person as myself under your
distinguished roof"
An tails panctuated with low bows and the
sound OF breath sucked rapidly In between the
teeth. expressive OF great epsprsssemenL At last.
amid final chorus OF oIrodfos tue guests come 10
anchor upon the floor. vanous objects are handed
10 them 70 entertain them, a euro or two. few
photographs anything. no matter what for u Is
de rIgueUr In japanese etiquette % affect great
Interest and admiration on such occasions Then
dinner begins II am describing now, OF course, the
hospitality we receive, rather tnan that which u
Is IN our power 20 EXTEND with the production OF
lacquer tray on which 0 a small bowl OF the same
material nlied with soup and nsh.-a species OF
oonittdboisse. Having drunk the soup out Of the
bowl, you eat the hsh with your chop-stlcSs IL Is
an error by the way, 20 suppose that &C h diicut
10 acquire the use of this oriental knife and fork.
Nothing is easier. After the nsh comes lacquer
dish With TOUR or ive little heaps OF food on ia
PURGE OF chesthuts. saint OF some small Uird or
Wild fowl few boiled nly-roots and mess OF
stewed sea-weed. With the chop-sticks a small
portion OF each OF these Is lifted In pcurean alter
nation. Now sake Is produced in a porcelain or
silver bottle, with a bowl OF wafer ana numrer
Q. tiny cups. each holding taolespoontuL Sake
resembles dry sherry and Is always served warm
lou never help yourself 70 sake. but the ser
vants-usually girls-sQuatting In an outer ring
on mats on the oer t Ue is.t % your cur
rs always full. The japanese version OF "A
glass OF wine with you, sir, Is peculiar. You empty
YOUR cup plunge IL into the bowl OF clean water.
move on your mat, and, aner touching the cup 20
your forehead. offer it upon your open palm and
MIN low bow 10 the person you desire 10 toast.
preston OF appreciation, aud the servant imme-
didtely nils IL Tor him. few minutes afterward
actual drinking there Is no sentiment whatever In
Japan-no "Good health!- as with US, no "A la
sotre!' no "Prost!' no ''Skaalr-the ceremony
begins and ends with the passing OF the cup. Nor
is there any or the valour OF those who "gloried
ana drank Deep you drink often In Japan: 10 Is
impossible TO drink deep" In an inch OF liquor
A ha h.Zan an.
legends and poetry as have clustered about King
OARS dr1nking-horn and the Teutonic "Beecher'
ana Tue more gentle Anglo-saxan ''Loying cup"
ana finally, the teetotaller may not set again In
soorlety over against the loss In valour and In
verse. IL Is Just easy TO get tipsy OF a
spoon as out OF nagon, and much more humi-
iating.
THE TOBACCO AND THE yEsrs
So far the japanese dinner is excellent At the
next course, however. most foreigners cry halt
Upon tiny wire gridiron appear several PINK and
white morsels. accompanied by various Lilliputian
salads ana good-looklng sauce. These are raw
nsh. exquisite In appearance but execrable IN the
mouth. Alter them come cakes OF many kinds
ana Tea, and finally, when you wish 10 reJire, you
give tne signal by asking for rice. should have
said that the tobacco bon," a box containing a
small orazier japanese pipe, and a section OF
bamboo, serving the unpleasantly CONSPICUOUS
purpose OF combined ash receptacle and splttoon,
Is brought In at an early stage, and even when
ladies' are present you can smoke as many pipes OF
the mild and aromatic japanese tobacco, each
Is prolonged by ceaseleSs conversation. thousand
Jests at which everybody roars with laughter, and
an endless series OF mutual compliments delicate
In form and ia substance characterized by infinite
kindliness and merrlnent subject 70 strict and
imlnemorial rules japanese dinner Is typical OF
the japanese people. Most foreigners are de-
lighted with II as novel experience, and hasten
10 supplement H. with a beeIsteak or a dish OF
poacned eggS
One inyariable accompaniment TO such an enter
talnment here 1 have purposely ON. tied 10 men,
ton-the geishd, or girl musicians who appear
during dinner and dance TO the sdslisen and the
oitod and nf-oen-kin9. Tiny creatures from larry
land they are, so eAquisltely dressed, SO wonder
fully co4eees, so pretty and graceful and clever
and ful VI fun, true visitors from Oriental wonder
land. These and their like demand at least letter
to themselves.
Dinner brings the japanese day to a close.
The guests rise from their mats ana steal away,
not silently by any means, and as tremendously
as they entered. When the last pair OF sandals
has been resumed and the last jnrikiskd has
whirled away, our servants slide the heavy shut
tiers into their places al round the house, IN a
trice bedrooms and beds appear, and from the
waking dream OF being AT Home In Japan" one
passes by an easy transition INTO That land or other
dreams where alone every wanderer Is in truth at
home, however many thousand leagues OF sea and
land divide hum from what he loves
HENRY NORMAN.