The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-05-10

a fierce wind blowing and as the sun
came uD the ice melted and the sail
ors chopped it from the hurricane deck
and swept it away into the sea. took
snap shot of them as we rose and
fell in the waters and it almost freezes
me in the remembrance as / look at it.
We came into the harbor here, how
ever, with the sun shining. We got a
splendid view Of Fugiyama, whose
snow-clad beauty rose 10000 feet out
Of the sea through opalescent clouds,
and rode in sampans to the shore, to
find ourselves surrounded by the queer
sights of Japan in winter. We saw the
rich Yum Yum rushing along the streets
on her wooden clogs, with only her
bright eyes showing out of the we'll
wrapped face, for all the world like the
yelled maidens of Egypt, and saw her
poorer sister caught by the wind at a
corner, and her paper umbrella torn
from her hands by the storm, while
she bent over and tried to keep her
kimona from blowing UP above her bare
knees. We Americans would freeze in
Japanese dress. The common people of
both sexes wear neither drawers nor
underclothing, and the long, warm
stockings which our maidens affect are
unknown in Japan. Both men and
women wear shoes Of white cotton,
which just clasp the ankles, and which
are kept off the ground by sandals of
straw OF wood. Above these to the
waist there is no leg covering, except
the loose silk or cotton gown known
as the kimona. This is fastened at the
front. and it is sometimes wadded. 1t
is worn by both sexes, and, as they
push their way along the streets, the
raw, cold wind of winter drags the
folds apart at the front and you can see
the amorous snow flying about the rosy
bare calves of the maiuens.
Among the poorer classes there are
many who are entirely barelegged, and
1 have been pulled through the city to-
day by jinrikisha men whose legs were
nude from their thighs to their feet
and whose only protection from the
snow On the ground was sole OF
woven straw, not much thicker than 9
fat buclSWheat cake. These SOleS OF
straw sandals are held on by straw
straps which run from the back to {
point a toes length from the front
Here they meet between the two larges
toes of the foot, and are held on by TIN
toes They are used rather as a pro
lection from slipping than as a mean!
Of keeping the feet warm, and the,
soon wear into pieces. The man hat
to-day had used up his sandals long be
fore we got to the end of our ride, ant
he went for some miles entirely bare
footed. When we stopped I noticed
him take some straw rope, almost a
thick as a clothes line, and tie piec
of it to each of his big red toes benin,
the knuckles. I asked why he did sc
and was told that he found it made hin
less liable to slip.
The rubbers of Japan are woode
stills about three inches high, which ar
used like sandals. and the common pee
pie wear mackintOshes or rain coat
made of straw, which makes them loo
.. for all the world like gigantic yellO0
birds with human faces. They hav
immense hats, sometimes shaped liE
, butter bowls and again like parasol
and a group OF country people woul
make the fortune Of a Barnum if Il
could bring them to the United States
: With the new movement all sorts {
: foreign costumes have come in, and
: saw hundreds Of the ugliest of OF
= blankets and carriage robes used e
shawls by both men and women. The
are the only colors in Japan Whic
sW ear at the rest of their surrounding
and are a blot on the picturesquenes
of the people. l note that most of th
people walk about with their mouth
open, and in the colder days many {
them cover their mouths with 4 sort {
Il pad and breathe behind this. The
seem to care nothing for the exposul
Of the chest, and the gowns of bot
sexes are decidedly decollete.
And still clothes are practically a
that keep the Japanese warm. The
don't know what a good fire is, and tt
supply Of heat which is annually L
quired in an American house is MOI
than the average Japanese family us,
in lifetime. Their houses are of TIL
wooden boards made in frames, so TIL
- the walls slide in and out of one a
other, leaving draughts at every CO
ner. There is no plaster nor lath
add to their warmth, and the inn
walls and partitions are made of pap
SO thin that they let in the light al
take the place Of windows. There
not a chimney or a fireplace in any
4 these Japanese homes, and the peol
. rely on the warmth of their blood al
~ a little box of charcoal to keep the
$. from freezing. They hover. over tn
IS warming their hands, and sit on thu
l. feet. They believe if they can keep t
m exremities warm the rest of the DO
le will take care of ITSELF They loo
IF nevertheless, healthy and happy, and
1t may be that they are right.
" Saved His Dignity