The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-04-20
WHY JAPANESE ARE DwARFgp.
Missionary Says tho Mlkado's I'coplc
DON'T Sleep Enough.

A Missionary says tho aIlkado's reopic
Don't Sleep EaouSh.
A slight, fair young lady, with keen
gray eyes and Il bright, intelligent face,
arrived in San Francisco recently from
Boston, registering at the Occidental
hotel Is Miss Males, of Osaka, Japan.
Those who take an interest in mis-
sionary work in Japan will at once
recognize this as the wcll-l;nown Mary
Males who has done such noble work
in the remote districts of the mikado's
kingdom. Over eight pears ago she
started for japan on behalf of the
E3iscopalian church of Boston, de-
termincd to devote the best years OF her
life, and possibly all of it, to the en-
lightcnmcnt of the people in the in
terror of Japan. Speaking of her work
to n Chronicle reporter Miss Males
said: "Whcn landed in Japan in 1885
found that at Osaka and in the sur
rounding district had mammoth I'M
dcrtaking on my hands, for the twin
sisters, ignorance and vice, held full
sway. found many obstacles in my
way, but i'll time I made an impression
on the better sort of women, and before
my work entirely TO the women, and
teaching. So far from cities where
Europeans congregatc determined
that the labor of giving an English
education to those people was unneces-
stry. Moreover, there are schools ut
I'll points throughout Japan where the
ativcs can procure European educa-
ton.
II used to find the remarkable polite
ness of the Japs quite trying, and it
took Inc considerable time to perfect
myself in the various matters of Ell
quette, to violate which is an unpardon-
able sin. Here are two instances. On
entering house it is essential that the
visitor shall sit meekly on the floor near
the door until requested by the hostess
to take the seat of honor opposite the
door, which is raised a few inches from
the ground. The invitation must be
politely refused twice and accepted on
the third asking, with n show of reluc-
lance. In asking the visitor to take
tea the same performance is gone
through. Only when the cups have
been proffered the third time do you ac-
cept them. AS to the diminutive stat
ure of the Japanese, my theory is that
it is the result of insufficient sleep and
rest when children. The babies and
little ones are allowed to remain up
just as long as their parents do, and l
have seen numbcrless cases where ia
theirs and mothers who do with little
sleep themselves will keep their children
up until two and three o'clock in the
morning. When told them that it
was the custom in America 10 pack the
little ones off 10 bed carly in the even
ings they expressed great horror of
what they called such cruelty.
Notwithstanding the statements
made by various travellers, do not
think that the japanese are happy
people. How can they he when cruel
immortality forms the principal feature
of their everyday existence? TO give
his son an education or provide the
means of his advancement, a father will
unhesitatingly sell his daughter to n
life OF shame and degradation. This
sort of thing is quite the custom of the
country, and should parent be in
want the daughters will voluntarily
sacrifice themselves to provide the
means to relieve their necessities"