St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-11-12
FOR THE HOME.
JAPANESE WA Us.

ties and cOrkScTeWS they were wont
to twist the bottle on to the cork
screw instead of screwing the cork
screw into the cork. Nevertheless,
YOU may see to this day, at almost
any out-of-the-way country inn, a
tendency in that direction which
seems to lend some truth to the
story. The little handmade who
puzzles over the problem of uncOrk-
ing YOUR claret or whisky has an evil
dent leaning, until corrected, to solve
it with the bottle When your cook
bakes a cake in an ordinary cake tin,
it is as certain that, if left to himself,
he will serve it bottom upwards,
and bottom sugared withal, as it
is that the butler will open your tins
of Jam or pate at 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 hand edge OF
the page; and are read downwards
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 vertical lines
from right to left, and is always on
one side of one strip of paper, which
is unwound from roll as the writer
proceeds, and cut off where he finish
es. 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
flap of the envelope. instead of on its
face. AS for the mode of address, it
is the exact reverse of ours. Thus,
England, London, Printing House
square, The Times Office. the Editor"
would be the Japanese way of direct
ing letter to that paper. People in
Japan are called by the family name
first, the individual, or what we
should call Christian, name next, and
then the honorihc. Mr.. Peter
Smith" is in this country "Smith
Peter Mr."
The carpenter planes and saws to-
wards instead of from him - the
wrong way as we should say, yet his
feats of planning are extra ordinary.
Japanese screws are left-handed, and
Japanese locks work 1.-The wrong
way" At games of cards the dealer
deals to the right, and the play goes
round in the same direction. When
travelling you fee the hotel servant
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 fan, instead of by
the breath. The bookkeeper enters
his money figures first, his items be-
low 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 appear
ance early in 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
harness fastenings. The main is
trained over the left side. In the
stable the horse looks outward from
his stall, and is fed from bucket in
stead of manger. The sail-cloths
in Japanese craft are vertical instead
of horizontal, and laced instead of
sewn. When it is necessary to reef.
the sail is reduced laterally by unlac-
ing one or more breadths, instead of
in it's vertical dimensions, as is the
custom everywhere else. Strange,
too, in other respects are the ways
of japanese boatmen. They tow
their boats stern formost, and also
haul them up stern foremost on the
beach. In cold weather, even though
on their muscular and splendidly
shaped bodies there be hardly enough
clothing to swear by, you may at
least be sure of their taking infinite
pains to wrap up, of all features,
their noses In house-building the
roof is the first part constructed,
only to be taken to pieces again until
the substructure is ready for it; and
the best rooms, as well as the gar
den, are commonly at the back in
stead of at the front.
AS for Japanese reckoning, it is one
of those things that mo fellow can
understand at least, until he has
had some eXperience-so much does
the gesture resemble warning to be
off, instead of an invitation to adj
vance Two jinrikishas are APP
preaching one another at speed.
One of the men waves his hand to
the right or left, and you take it as
his signal of the course which the
other is to follow. But you are in
Japan, where it means, instead, the
side he himself intends to take.
Lastly, who of us that live here has
not had experience Of what [ have
heard described as the Japanese
habit of saying Yes when they ought
to say No? You ask your guest,
Twill you not take some more wine ~
or say to your friend in the street,
interrogatively, Il suppose there will
be no more rain today" In both
cases he answers in the affirmative.
He will not take more wine, and he
agrees with you about the prospects.
The Englishman, in both cases,