News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-06-06
JAPAN'S LEGATION.
MINISTER MUTSU AND HIS
WIFE AT THEIR HOME.

" IE T. AL IhElh HUME.
Entertainments Made Unique With
Pretty Little Fancies of Nine
Mutsu and The Minister'S Daugh.
ter.
1t is not so very many years since
there was but one residence in Washing
ton that belonged to foreign power
that of the British Legation, which, al
the time it was built, was the largest
residence here-and whenever the rep
resentatives of foreign country have
been provided with home of their own
here it has been deemed O. compliment
and token of respect to our government.
1t was one of the first acts of the Japan
ese Government to buy house here fol
its minister, and its representatives have
always been men of culture and refine
ment, who were accorded prominent
place in the social world, and the at
taches have been among the most popu.
lar of our diplomats.
The japanese household is one of the
most interesting here, and when its
doors are thrown open to society the
curious rush pell nell for glimpse of
1t. Nine. Kulli, who presided over the
household until about q year ago, was
fond OF society, had her gowns made by
Worth and learned to speak English
while here. She was eminently Asiatic
in appearance, and it was ON account of
her failing health that the minister ask
ed to be recalled. . The minister's ward,
Miss Kuki, the daughter of Viscount
Kuki, is still here, and will remain until
| she finishes her education. She is quite
q young lady, although she is not any
larger than a fourteen year-Old girl.
The present Minister, Mr.. Mutsu, is
typical japanese, 1.-THE, slender, active,
alert, polished gentleman and deep
thinker. He is swarthy and his eyes
are black as night. He learned to speak
English i'll Japan, and while he doesn't
speak it fiuently, expresses himself very
well and understands readily. He is q
devoted husband and very proud of his
pretty wife, who has but to look as if
she desired anything to get it. He is in
favor OF the highest position for women
and advocates their advancement and
freedom. Mr.. Mutsu was appointed by
the Emperor Governor of Yokohama,
and several years afterwards political
complications arose and he was thrown
into prison, where he was confined for
four years and half. After the politi-
cal upheval he was released, honors
We're conferred upon him, and on the
recall of Minister Kuki the Emperor
made him his Minister to the United
States. During his incarnation the
cholera broke out in the prison, and his
wife greatly feared that he would be
victim to it. She then had to care for
his two little boys by former marriage
and her own infant daughter. She was
then quite young herself, and had little
more experience of life than q child. !
For the distress she endured then he is
trying to make up now by his tender
care, and his admiration for her courage
and self-reliance is unbounded.
Nine. Mutsu, although she is the
mother of a daughter taller than her
self, and has not the slightest objection
to telling her age up to the latest date,
is very young and girlish-1ooking: far
more youthful, in fact, than many
belle who has been out a season or two.
She is by far the prettiest japanese
lady ever seen IN Washington. She is
petite, with pretty, graceful figure,
and the tiniest hands and feet imagin-
able. Her skin is of that smooth, satiny
universal in Japan, and is a clear olive
in hue; her cheeks are like the damask
rose, and her eyes large and dark and
sparkling with intelligence. Her eye
brows are straight and delicately pen
ciled, and her abundant coal black hair /
is rolled back from her forehead and |
coiled on top of her head. Her teeth
are white and even, and her lips are |
full and ripe red. Her expression is .
very quiet, but when she smiles her |
whole face lights up and becomes IA
dent Unlike most Japanese, her face
is perfect oval, and in the American
dress, which she has adopted, one has
to look a second time to assure himself
that she belongs to another race. As
one of the ladies in waiting to the En-
press she became accustomed to foreign
dress and liked it.
She has excellent and refined taste in
dress. She dislikes pronounced or con-
splcuous cOlOrs, wearing soft, delicate
tints herself, and for evening prefers
white. Most of her gowns are made in
Paris, and are splendid and costly. She
has natural preference for soft silks of
course. Her diamonds are beautiful,
and the necklace she wears on state oc-
casiOns is a most curious piece of work
manship. 1t encircles her neck like
collar, and is fashioned of sprays of
flowers and leaves of diamonds that al
most conceal the setting, and almost
reaches the top of low bodice. 1t had
to be altered several times in order to
get it to fit her slender throat. She
wears 1T only on very great occasions,
such as a reception at the White House
or q state dinner. She has another neck
lace somewhat smaller that answers for
more ordinary wear. She does not often
wear decollete gowns, preferring the V
or square neck, and has her gloves reach
the shoulders.
She is a fragile, delicate little creature,
with scarcely muscle enough to lift an
ordinary chair, and looks with wonder
ON American ladies. She rarely walks
except in the garden behind the house,
and has walked on the street but once in
the daytime (then Just around the block
with a LADY,, and twice at night for
short distance with her husband. She
is fond of going out, but doesn't take
the mad delight in shopping for moth
ing that we do. She doesn't go shopping
except when she really wants something,
selects quickly what she wants and that
is the end of it.
She is exceedingly fond of music and
very often entertains her friends by
playing on the koto, japanese instru-
ment about five feet long, fatand strung
like aguitar, but with thirteen
strings. In Japan it was accustomed
to lie on the floor, but here to adapt it
to the position we assume it had to be
placed on Il stand. All its music is in
minor key and Nine. Mutsu is skillful
performer. IN playing she uses ivory
tips not unlike thimbles in picking it to
protect her fingers. She is fond of the
opera and, strange to say, likes Wag-
ner's music best of all. She does not
care at all for the light, catchy music of
comic opera, but her taste turns natu-
rally to the classic.
She has deft, nimble fingers and can
tie knot quicker than you can think.
She has also an accomplishment that
will be all the rage next winter if she
will only consent to teach it to the so
ciety girls. This is the ceremony of
offering cup of tea at court entertain
ments. 1t is done by wiping the cups
in q certain way, preparing and pour
ing the tea, then holding the cup with
both hands, also after II prescribed fash
ion, and approaching the person with a
slow, gliding movement. 1t is all so
pretty and graceful and novel and so
like scene in a play that if the society