The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1893-12-08
JAPANESE SCENES.
ODD AND INTERESTING SIGHTS SEEN
BY A TRAVELLER.

dren-Woman Is Happy In Her Position
Beautiful Dancing.
The japanese pedestrians who are not
barefoot wear wooden clogs, or pattens,
nr straw sandals. In either case they are
kept on by cord which passes between
the great toe and the others, the stock
ings being made to accommodate, like a
mitten, the great toe in place Of the
thumb. The pattens are raised two or
three inches from the ground by cross
pieces under them four inches apart, and
they make great Gathering, especially
in crossing bridge or wooden platform.
The majority Of the japanese men of the
common sort are bareheaded in the street.
The women never have any other cover
ing on the head than their elaborately
dressed hair. always very black, very
smooth and very abundant. Frequently,
though, in these days, the japanese man
who still wears the native costume sur
mounts it with derby hat, which pro-
duces a peculiar effect.
One of the first things which strike
stranger Is the manner in which the ba-
bies are carried. We see men, women
and children with babies on their backs.
1t is not uncommon to see girl of 6 or
8 years with a baby brother or sister
strapped on her shoulders. Thus incum-
bered the children walk about, play at
games, stop to look at puppet shows, and
do what they please, without appearing
to feel the burden. The babies are apt
to be asleep, and their heads swing about
until you wonder that their necks are
not broken. The children all seem to be
merry and amiable. Very seldom is one
seen either cross or noisy. l wish the
good missionaries who are beginning to
swarm in the country would send home
the secret of the excellent behavior Of
the children.
AS a rule, the young and middle aged
women are quite good looking, subject
to the peculiarities of their type. They
have smooth, round faces, often with
fresh color, liquid black eyes, exquisite
hands and we'll rounded arms. Their
feet are not so attractive, being spread
out by the use of clogs or pattens. This
footgear tends to give them ungraceful
gaits-a sort of waddle-and it is con-
sidered the correct thing to toe in. Their
costume, almost always becoming as to
materials and color, makes them look
little dumpish. This is especially the
effect of the great bow of the belt or obi
worn on the small of the back as much
as foot square. In most cases the faces
wear amiable, contented expressions.
The women of Japan are much better
treated than their sisters in other east
ern nations, but they are considered dis
tinctly inferior to the men and are
taught from their earliest childhood obe-
dience-first, to their parents; then to
their husbands, and finally to their sons
when they become the heads of their
households. But this does not appear to
weigh upon the japanese woman. She
is cheerful, docile and contente1 with
her lot, happy to serve in the station ap-
pointed her, with simple tastes and good
digestion, and politeness which never
fails. They are said to be good house
keepers, always observant of their du-
ties, but the simplicity of their house
keeping relieves them of a great meas
ure of the care which wrinkles the brow
of the New England housekeeper.
Their houses, even the best of them,
are the simplest structures imaginable,
containing almost nothing of what we
call furniture, and their dresses require
no art in their cutting and manufacture.
Thus the two great causes of worriment
from which our women suffer do not ex-
ist for these simple creatures.
We had heard so much about the gel
sha girls that we were curious to extend
our chronological investigations in this
direction. Soon after our arrival in Yo-
kohama arrangements were made by an
experienced friend for function at one
Of the best tea houses in the city. We
started at Sp. m, five of us, each in a
jinrikisha, for a ride to the place ap-
pointed, about mile from our hotel.
We went off at brisk trot, each human
nag carrying paper lantern. Through
the crowded streets, around the corners,
with sharp warnings, we Jared, and in
10 minutes brought up at our rendez-
vous. We were received with low sa-
laams, and after exchanging our boots
for soft oversocks, were conducted to a
spacious room, inclosed by paper pam
sled partitions. Here we sat down on
blk cushions about 10 inches square. At
Me side Of each was placed a bibachi,
lmall box containing live coal imbed-
led in ashes to furnish light for pipe
pr cigar.
A buxom attendant approached with
tea things, made low prostration, while
her face touched the floor, and most
gracefully served tea for US. She also
brought us fruit and cakes, every step Of
the process punctuated by low bow. To
this preparation succeeded six girls,
quite pretty, neatly dressed in soft Grape
costumes, with smiling faces. Two were
to play the samisen. sort of guitar, and
the others were the dancers. All squat
ted and Frustrated themselves before US.
Then the music struck up, the players
accompanying their instruments with
peculiar vocal effort which bore the bur-
den of the story to be illustrated in the
lance.
The dancers sprang to their places and
the fun began. Each dancer carried
fan, the managing of which was an i'm
portant part of the business. The move
nents were graceful after their kind
and perfectly innocent and decorous. 1t
was entirely different from those volup-
tuous eastern dances which caused so
much disturbance to the sensitive moral