Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-27
Upside Down.

Toxic Correspondence London Times.
1t is not necessary to put absolute faith in
the legend that, when the walters of Dial Nippon
first pnade the acquaintance of bottles and
corkscrews they were wont to twist the bottle
on the corkscrew instead of screwing the cork
screw into the cork. Nevertheless, you may
see to this day, at almost any t-of-the-way
country inn. tendency in that direction which
seems to lend somc truth to the story. The
little handmade who puzzles over the problem
OF uncorking your claret whisky has an
evident leaning. until corrected, 20 solve il
with the bottle. When your cook bakes cake
In an ordinary cake tim it is certain that
If left to himself, he will serve it bottom up
ward. and bottom sugared withal as it is that the
butler will open your tins of jam or pate ut the
bottom instead of at the top. Japanese books
begin at what We call the end. The lines are
vertical instead of horizontal the first being on
the right edge of the page: and are read
downward from the top. The place for ''foot
notes Is at the top of the page. and that for
the readers marker at the bottom. Letter
writing, like book printing, advances by verti-
cal lines from right to left, and il always on
one side of one strip of paper. which is I'M
wound from roll as the writer proceeds and
cut OFF where ne finishes. To fold the letter it
is doubled over and over from one end of the
strip to the other The postage stamp is affixed
on the closed seal-fap of the envelope instead of
exact reverse Of ours. Thus England, Lon
don Printing House Square. The Times Office,
the Editor" would be the japanese way of d.
recting this letter. People in Japan are called
by the family name first, the individual or what
we would call Christian name next and then
the honorific. Mr.. Peter Smith il in this
country ''Smith Peter Mr." The carpenter
planes and saws toward instead Of from him
the wrong way as We should say--yet his feats
of planning are extraordinary. Japanese screws
are left-handed and Japanese locks work "the
wrong way"
When travelling You fee the hotel servants
soon after your arrival instead of at departure
Arrows are launched from the left side of the
bow. Babies are carried on the back instead
of in the arms Candles are blown out with
the hand or a fan instead of by the breath
The bookkeeper enters his money figures first.
his items below them. In place of the hot food
and cold drinks in which we indulge at our
dinners and luncheons the Japanese lean to
cold food and hot drinks Sweets make their
appearance early III the repast. Your host
takes the lowest place. Crests are worn on the
clothing instead of being craven or painted on
the household goods. Horses are mounted
from the right side. where also are all the har-
ness fastenings. The name is trained over the
left side. In the stable the horse looks out
ward from his stall and is fed from bucket
instead of a manger. In house building the
roof is the first part constructed, only to be
taken to pieces again until tho substructure Is
ready for it, and the best room as well as the
garden are commonly at the back instead of ct
the front