The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-05-19

rsis;aid, and diligent search was Intellectual to
discover it. Tbe connection and intent of the
article is thus broken and marl, bat as it is the
letter will prove Interestingly
a pretty heavily padded cassion (Znhu-
toni generally made Of SILK upon which yeu are
invited to sit And Dyftlle way, it is not an easy
thing 10 DO, to sit down upon zubuton in Japa-
nese fashion. They DO not sit down with their
knees doubled under and their legs crossed as
would seem to the foreigner to be te easiest
and most natural position to assume in sitting
down on an ordinary cushion. But the Japanese
consider that to expose the lower part of the
body when sitting is not onlr innolte but insult
ing. Their manner. is to squat down on the
knees and sit as it were their heels, their
loose dress completely covering the legs ana
feet. After the maid has seated you thus in your
room. she hurries OFF again and retlrns in few
minutes with the "Hebasfi" and the "Toboko-
bon" The former & braZier for burning char
coal and the latter a neat Iacqiered case con
tanning pipe, tobacco, matches sc. Next is
brought ii the Zen table, upon which is always
placed writing materials, and generally some
kind of light confectionery OF cakes. The Zen
is not such a writing table IS we have been ac-
customed to at home. for it is but one foot high
and about double that size in the square. Tea
and sake" are served frequently during the
evening before you retire tile foreigner can, if
he desires it, generally procure wine or import
ed beer in place OF the sake but the natives
prefer their own liquor and can seldom be in
duced to reinquish it for the imported bever-
ages. Their native liquor is distilled from rice
and is very strong utoXicant. Its abuse in
Japan is quite apparent to tie stranger and
here like every other part OF the world, it is an
evil which seems to be beyond the power of
man to resist. The time to retire having arriv-
cd the maid answers to the clapping of the
hands, which is the sommons for q servant in
. Jaronese hotel instead OF call. The bed is
ordered to be made ready. The preparation is
very simple and consists in laying down two OF
three soft thiekly padded futons mattresses to
lie upon and q like number Of lighter weight
fontons for covering. An extra one of these
silk coverlets is rolled up and serves for q pill
low Sheets and pillows such as we are accus-
toned to i'll America not in use in japan.
Your bed being completed, the polite maid
wishes you o-y0S anne a-si good night and
owing her head to the floor backs ont OF the
room closing the sliding door behind her and
leaves you to your dreams, which nothing is
likely to disturb unless it be the dreaded "gesil-
ing'' (earthquake), which are OF so frequent oc-
currence that it is always We'll to 6;lke survey
/ of the premises before retiring that in case the
necessity should require it you nay be able to
find place Of refrge.
Taken whole, the japanese hotel lacks
many OF the comforts af.l lu1suT,ies to be fuund
in the hotels of Europe and America, but il one
thing and that is the matter OF cleanliness they
furnish example well worthy Of emulation.
The food is more attractive in appearance than
it is toothsolne. ana to become familiar to it's
use is one Of the most difficult problems that ia
pan presents to the foreigner.
jfEt MY