Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-08-03
Funny Ways Of Hotels I'm Japan.

From the St. Louis Globe Democrat
There Is no gene. al dining room and no set hour
for meals at Q japanese Inn. The guest claps his
hands and orders his food at any hour OF the day
or night and IL Is brought to his room on
lacquer tray and set on tue door before him, or
at most, elevated on a table or oven. about four
inches high. In q small room opening from the
once and entrance room or the tea house two
girls were sorting the landlords new tea, just
brought ~ lfo sse county, lew Thsy sat before
floor, and from a heap OF tea at ole end
scattered little handfuls OF tea leaves out thinly
over the Lacquer top. With their deft fingers they
slid on 10 one side the smallest and finest leaves
from the tips OF the new shoots OF the Tea plant
and the larger and coarser leaves were slipped TO
the other side into a box by themselves. They
did 1t so quickly and with such sure. quick touch
that II was a pleasure 10 watch them, and TO
Judge by the coy giggling and conscious tittering
watched SO attenuvely. In another corner OF the
vestibule place two other little maids were at
work AZ what corresponds TO putting on clean
pillow cases In other countries The japanese
pillow is q wooden box with little padded roll on
Top, and at inns the pad Is covered with q fresh
bit OF soft white mulberry paper each day;
The bathroom OF japanese inn is as public and
open to the word as the Kitchen, generally with
out any door, and with glass walls or screens at
the most In passing through to the rooms back
or going up stairs one always has the bath In
view; often a large tank, where three or four can
socially dip together. From the late afternoon
until midnight or later there is always splash
open door, as the natives stand immersion Ia boil
ing water with the greatest glee, and always have
II at geyser temperature. Oiten the tub Is small
one, and then several people take turns In the
same bath water Foreigners being known 10 be
queer on the subject OF bathing, preferring 70
battle alone and unseen, aud 10 have fresh water
each time. are generally invited IA first.
The master, as they call the masculine head OF
our party, was invited 10 the bathroom at Mis-
hima at O'Clock the nrst afternoon. He found it
a doorless, glass-sded apartment, but the land
lord Quoted him by bringing In a folding screen
about three feet high ana setting IL between the
tub and the general view OF the Office, corridor,
garden and main street. A too vigorous sweep OF
the bathers arm Knocked the screen down, and
the foreigner had to drop 10 his chin In the water
and call Tor help. The two girls who were sorting
tea ran In and set the screen up as coolly and as
much without thought as a home servant would 20
In TO put up the blower on the parlor CRATE There
are narrowing stories still handed down OF the ex-
periences OF early travellers In the interior, who
had the whole tea house and town crowd TO the
bathroom OF an inn, and niled the air with their
admiration OF the beautiful white SKIN or the for
eign bather.
In the old times the bath-tub used quite as often
to be beside the doorstep and he who travelled the
country roads might see the Inhabitants IN the act
OF nearing godllness as be rode by at sundown, and
the people lost nothing that passed by.