The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-12-27
Going to School in Japan.

As marked as is the dissmiliarity of
the japanese child to our own wee one,
perhaps there are no lights in which the
former is shown that set off this dis
similitudc like the quaint rays of the
educational sun which iIlumines his
path. Behold him, then, approaching
the frail, one-story, half paper and halt
wood schoolhouse he attends repairing
thereto as one of picturesque group
of three, four or five happy youngsters,
armed with copy book, serobaG, of which
more anon, huge paper umbrella and
rice jar, the last swinging from round
little arm in gayly brocaded bag-the
avenue he is on and the schoolhouse and
surroundings all enveloped in an atnos-
phere and hue of naive and antique
quaintness. In due time he is inside the
tidy little school house with it's snowy
mating. its brighG futons-a square of
wadded silk or crepe upon which to rest
the knees, chairs being unknown luxur-
les to the un- Europeanized Japanese
cast upon the floor at regular intervals.
one for each abecedarian and one for the
teacher, and with it's many odd little
chests of drawers, miniature chiffon
niers, in which are kept the books, sero-
bans, India ink and brushes not in use
The prevailing politeness in this proven
bially well-mannered archipelago goes
methodically along hand in hand with
all concerns; in fact, the very gates of
the day swing asunder upon hinges of
etiquette, the first schoolroom rule de-
manding that the scholars should all be
assembled when their teacher arrives,
in order to bid him good rrmorning.
Familiar with the peculiar clash of his
wooden clog, the scholars range them
selves in a straight line at the first an
nouncement of his approach, and, the
first glimpse caught of him, draw in their
breath with the long, kissing sound
that has been described in previous
chapter as expressing awed regard. This
formality over, the dwarfish tutor is
saluted with absurdly long bows and a
general CHEEKY chatter of words, in which
will nearly always BIZ distinguished BILE
the exclamations of "Ohyo!"-Good
day! Irraseai"-Please deign to enter
and "Oide nasa"-Be pleased to make
your honorable entrance!
Every act and word of the above
gathering the recipient considers as an
evidence Of respectful affections and he
never fails to say so, nor to express the
sincere hope that all his little pupils are
we'll
This pretty prelude over, the school
master, squatting upon his futon-all
the students Immediately obeying his ex-
ample by dropping noiselessly upon;theirs
begins the long days work by calling
aloud the number of it's lesson in read
ing.
The art Of serving tea at that most
ceremonious of all social usages, the tea
ceremony, is, among the upper classes
throughout the country, considered to
be an Indispensable frill on the educa-
tional garment of young girl This
stilted affair simply bristles with exact
ing codes. Thera are despotic rules as
to tea bowls, which, upon this occasion
only, must be used instead of teapots:
rules as to the tea itself. which must
be powdered, and of one certain excell-
emit quality; rules as to bamboo whisks,
which are brought forward at fixed
moment, and with which the fragrant
beverage is beaten until it foams rules
as to the peculiar variety and amount of
the charcoal over which the water for the
making OF the tea is boiled; rules as all
the utensils used, which must not only
be antique, but rigidly chaste and plain
in style; and rules as to the ceremonious,
solemn performance of serving the tea
after its elaborately formal makiDg-all
of which regulations are taught by pro-
fessed lnstrctresses, most of whom are
gentlewomen IN destitute Circumstances.