Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1891-06-25
Yours truly,
s. SHIaEMI, Translator.

s. SHIGEMI, Translator.
"American women are better educated
as whole. Japanese women are not be-
low their American sisters in natural in
telligence, but they lack the advantage of
the latter's general schooling. The neg
lect of female education in the past, ex-
cept in the higher circles of society, in Ja-
pan is much to blame for this. Now that
the question of female education has been
stirred up of late, and the schools have
been set to going with energy, there ought
not to be in the future any disparity in
this respect between the women on both
sides of the Pacific Indeed, the young
Japanese women of to-day are already
nearing the high intellectual plane of the
American women. However, Z don't want
our young ladies to grow vain, assume
that odious I-know-it-all air, or, in other
words, to become self-conceited or affect
ed. This is apt to be the trouble with the
shallow-pated when he or she gets smst-
tering of knowledge. But l know our
gentle ladies would not fall into such an
error; they hate sciolism; / know that they
abhor being forward and pert; it is against
their nature; the strong point of the we'll
bred Japanese young ladies has hitherto
been sweet reserve and deferential reti-
cence.
IL Is WCl ChouSa 1OA oA SamCliSdh Slii
to be gay, frolicsome, even fippant; l
think I really like her untrammeled free
dom and her hearty enjoyment of it; if
must make a clean breast of what you
may already suspect, I might say I am
charmed with her ways-a little. Yet it
requires Miss Daisy Miller to have those
ways safely. If Japanese girls are to be
like American girls they have to be born
again. I haven't said that the American
girls ways are the best, nor that approve
of them altogether; have only said fan
| cy them. 1t takes a Japanese young man
| just arrived in the States some time to
adopt himself to his new social environ
ment, particularly to the ladies' society.
Coming from a country where ladies do
not assume important social duties, he is
at first bewildered by the gracious activity
of the fair members of American society.
The lady welcomes him into the house Of
fusively, the lady catechises him anent his
home and country, the lady gives him
coun sci if she be mature in age; the gen,
tlemsn's sole duty seems to consist in re-
peating occasionally, is that soP with a
faint grin to the young mans remarks,
and of opening the door for him in going
out and in coming in.
The young Japanese soon learns to fec
at ease with the elderly ladies dare say
! DuG ne has d RI0dL u6dl " ko tuEOuku Scl
before he comes to be able to keep his wits
about him and not allow himself to wan
der into mental abstraction or fall in
brown study and to become moody ant
silent, hors de combat, when thrown in
company of the usual lively Yankee girls
He has been accustomed at home to tn,
society of girls who are reserved, demur
and rather reticent toward him; the chang
is too striking; he has to learn how to TAX
American girls. That one can. handle
bevy of them and can derive amusemen
from them presupposes that one under
stands women pretty well. With his in
creasing familiarity with the language AND
the people, and his knowledge of curren
our young mans faculty of cracking
joke and convulsing the girls, and hi
ability of making them cry out, 'Oh
aren't you horridp When he has ad
vanced in his American experiences ant
begun to take delight in persihage and get
ting into fight with particular youn,
lady over knick- -knack, more for. the SAX
of fighting than for the kniok-knack
which he would gladly have given her
anyhow, our young man has gone
thought too far; he'd better stop righ
there; he is in danger.
There is one great point at which Japa
nese women suffer by comparison will
American women, and that is the superio
besuty of the latter. Hiatus valde deflen
dus Beauty is not all in all, but it is
great deal I am extremely sorry for m,
countrywomen that there is very little tha
could be done to mend the unfavorabl
contrast, hinc lilac laerimae; you canno
90 to work at it as you can in intellectua
Improvement. 1 suppose we have to la,
the blame on cur ancestors again. Ou
women shall not be held responsible TO
their natural looks, over which they hav
no control.
Mr. Charles Dudley. Warner, in celebra
ting the increasing beauty of his country
women, says lately that the accumulation
of money and consequent leisure, goot
cooking, better food and greater variet,
had something to do with it. We Nigh
learn something from this.
/, i It piques me to see a girl here every da,
with finely chisslled face, a we1l-mod
: eIled form and q superb carriage, and thel
to meet in seeking an Oriental counterpart
/ | in my Imagination with a-spare me tn
pains, my friends, you know what. LIE
me draw you . partial portrait of an ides
: American young lady. Blond eyebrow
D arohed over pair Of large liquid eyel