The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-10-15
TWO JAPANESE MAIDS
At vassar College, and Their Later
Fortunes.


Vassar students OF 70 and 80 doubt
less remember the japanese girls Stamatz
and Singh, who were sent over by the
government along with half dozen more
little maids to be educated in America,
says the New York Sun. 1t was at the
time when japanese people were beginning
to be eager TO acquire everything that was
good in western thought and western
methods of life. The boys were encoura-
ged TO visit Europe and America and
seek degrees in the schools. The girls
to the number Of eight or ten, were sent
over at the expense of the government.
All Of these girls were Of gentle birth,
and several belonged TO the nobility. II
Is interesting to learn the result OF the
experiment from a lady who recently
visited these girls in their Japanese
homes and who writes about her visits
10 the Pail Mall Gazette. At Vassar,
Stamatz was brilliant and exclusive and
very beautiful. She took high honors in
English literature. wrote charming essays
and spoke English, with a slight accent,
of course. but her vocabulary and her use
OF 1t were flawless. She was president of
her sophomore year and was a member
OF the "ShakCspea a club always con-
fined to the girls who were first intellect
ually. Stamatz played a wonderful game
Of chess and excelled at whist.
Singh was reyer president OF anything,
but every one loved her She was invalu-
able at the fortnightly candy pulls"
splendid on a sleigh ride and she spent
half Of her time in the infirmary coddling
sick girls. She got through her examina-
lions with eminent respectabillty, spoke
very broken English. and wrote IL stiffly
but correctly. Singhi was plain, dumpy
and near-sighted. with a wee fiat nose
and In every feature broadly Japanese.
Stamatz or her return to Japan made a
brilliant marriage. Her husband was an
old man of high position. great power and
immense wealth. His wife has become
a noted hostess and speaks French and
English fiuently as well as German and
italian. She received an old-tme friend
who called upon her at home with all her
old-time graciousness, served tea and
cake from an English service. and talked
as entertaingly as ever about the books
she read in America but her face grew
listless when Vassar was mentioned.
When the college paper for which in her
student days she wrote such clever arti-
cles was spoken OF she said she believed
they sometimes sent her a copy, but she
wasn't sure She had not read a printed
page of French or English since her re-
turn to Japan Evidently she had spent
the ten years In exile because the mikado
drought II best She wore the costume
of japanese women. save that her hair
was coiled in the simple Greek fashion
anI her bronze slippers were OF Partisan
make noted European called upon the
Countess Olyama, as she Is now known,
with a Japanese gentleman. the Jap oenI
seven times TO the iloor when stainaZ
entered. Countess" the Engllshmah
said III I bow as often and as 10" as
that I shall fall down. But l am extreme
~ glad TO meet YOU She 'hllleu anu
iaade his call delightful. but she never
forgave him. SramatZ was born 10 me
purple and she loved It. She is four
Zines a mother and four times a STEP
mother.
Singh lives in funny little house
purely Japanese. and the wife OF lieu-
tenant in the navy. The jolly little Wo-
man has not changed a BIT she selz-d
her old friend by one hand, her frlehu
husband by the other. she han never
seen the husband or heard or MIN. but
she instinctiveiy knew who he must be-
and adopted him in her little mother
" way. She had forgotten most
of her imperfect English and at
first the two friends could bare
w understand each other. But she
overwhelmed the visitor with questions
about everything and everybody they
had known In their school days. She sent
for her five little children and they bob
bed queer little c0urtesies with their
queer little bodies and ran away laughing.
The only suggestions OF Europe In the
little bit Of q home were three old books
and n box OF cigars. which the hostess
brought out for the gentleman with her
gleeful laugh. But nevertheless the en-
press has founded girls college in ia"
pan, ard she (SinghD is professor OF the
piano-Chicago News.