Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-07-04
Sirgiuia free gress.
Goinn 70 school In Japan.

As marked as is the dissimilarity of the
Japanese child to our own wee one, perhaps
there are no lights in which the former is
shown that set off this dissimilitude like the
quaint rays of the educational sun which il.
lumines his path. Behold him, then, APP
preaching the frail one story, halt paper and
half wood school house he attends-repair-
ing thereto as one of picturesque group of
three, four or five happy youngsters, armed
with a copy-boOk, serOban (of which more
anon, huge paper umbrella, and rice jar the
last swinging from round little arm in a
gayly brocaded bag-the avenue he is on
and the school-house and surroundings all
euyeloped in an atmosphere and hue of
natire and antique quaintnesss. In due
time he is inside the tidy little school room,
with its snowy mating, its bright tutons Ia
square of wadded silk or crepe upon which
to rest the knees, chairs being unknown lux
uries to the I'M Europeanized Japauese) cast
upon the floor at regular intervals, one for
each abecedarian and one for the teacher,
and with its many odd little chests of draw
ers, miniature chifonniers, in which are kept
the books, seroJqns India-ink, and brushes
not in use. The prevailing politeness in this
proverbially 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 school-room rule demanding that the
scholars should all be assembled when their
teacher arrives, in order to bid him good
morning in body Familiar with the Pc
culiar clash of his wooden clog, the scholars
range themselves in a straight line at the
first announcement of his approach, and, at
the first glimpse caught of him, draw in
their breath with the long Kissing sound
that has been described in a previous chap
ter as expressing awed regard. This formal
ity over, the dwarfish tutor is saluted with
absurdly low bows and a general CHEEKY clat-
ter of words, in which will nearly always be
distinguishable the EXPLANATIONS of "OhyO "
GOOD day y "LrGshai" please deign to
enter J "Oide nasa :" (Be pleased to make
your honorable entranceD
Every act and word of the above greeting
the recipient considers as an evidence of re-
spectful affection; and he never fails to say
so, nor to express the sincere hope that all
his little pupils are well.
This pretty prelude over, the school-mas-
ter, squatting upon his taton-all the stu
dents Immediately obeying his example by
dropping nOiselessly upon theirs-begins the
long day. work by calling aloud the number
ofits lesson in reading.
The art of serving tea at that most cere-
monious of all social usages, the Tea Cere-
mony, is among theupper classes throughout
the country, considered to be an indispensa-
BILE frill on the educational garment of a
young girl. This stilted affair simply bris-
ties with exacting codes. There are despotic
rules as to tea.bowls, which, upon this &C.
casion only, must be used instead of teapots ;
rules as to the tea itself, which must be
powdered, and ofone certain excellent quail
ity 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 yarie-
ty and amount of the charcoal over which the
water for the making Of the tea is boiled
rules as to all the utensils used, which must
not only be antique, but rigidIy chaste and
plain in style; and rules as to the ceremoni-
Gus, solemn performance of serving the tea
after its deliberately formal making all of
which regulations are taught by professed in
structresSes, most of whom are gentlewomen
in destitute circumstances.-HaT Ba1ar.