The evening times., 1895-08-27
JAPENEsE CHILDREN.
The Land of Toys. Dolls, Kites, Fans
and Paras0ls.

Auo AAtiW VI 1oyss Doifss hues, rams
and Parasols.
shall tell you something about Japa n
and Japa uese children, because travellers
| say it is the chldren's paradise, aud that
babies never cry there.
1 don't think that is quite so, because
that is the only language babies have and
they must speak somehow.
The Japanese do almost everything Just
opposite from what We do, and even live
opposite, aud may be that smile is born In
them. They may inherit IL from their
parents or grand parents, AMI so away back
Tor many generations, AMI may he born
with smile that they can't help any more
tlau You can a frown when things dont
please YOU. think children are about the
same the world over, aud We should get
tired OF a smile all the time, as soon as a
frown. If We always had sunshine it
would be as disagreeable to us as clouds
We want variety TO make IL pleasant
Japan is about half way around the
earth from us and in the same latitude.
You ought TO know that this would give
about the climate that we have; but be-
Ing islands, and surrounded by water,
| makes Japan little warmer than our
northern climate or about the same as
South Carolina, as they raise rice in abund-
ance and live mostly upon it. -
The chrysanthemum is the national en-
blem. The lotus, kind OF pond lily that
grows very large, they think very much
of. The birds are very pretty tell you
all these things SO that you won't be disap-
pointed as the people are right under us on
the opposite side of the earth; SO we viii
take thoughtskip right down through
theearth and see just how they live at home;
but be careful, now, for we may come
right down upon some Jap's head If he
is standing on it. He will only smile,
but won't say anything that we can under
stand. 1t Is dark, you know, but we can
see everything by the light of these beau
tiful paper lanterns. The first thing we
notice is that never varying smile. Some
think 1t is not real and sincere and think
1t doesn' mean much as they are born with
it, and can't help it. 1t is q national trait,
but we can tell better after we get more
acquainted with them.
The CLIMATE must be warmer than ours,
as you see the doors and windows of their
houses are all made of paper. Soft mats of
rice straw are used for carpets, and soft
cotton mattresses for beds. which can DE
rolled up and put away. AT meals, straw
table clothes are laid on mats and the
family sit on the floor around, Just as
we do a picnic.
You see the children are all dressed just
like their parents; plain loose garment
girried about the waist with a sash, no hooks
10 pull out, no buttons to drop off and no
pins to scratch. A strong silk cord does
all the fastening. and the garments instead
of being sewcd together like ours are basted
with a strong silk thread SO that they can
easily be taken apart to be washed. Stock
ings are made with place for the big toe.
like the thumbs in our mittens. They wear
a kind OF wooden clog in the streets. Pock-
cts are put in the large sleeves.
Handkercbiefs and napkins are made of
thin white paper as soft as silk. The slid
ing doors and partitions In their houses are
almost always pushed back SO that you can
hear and see all that is going on. The
people live and dress SO simply that the
mothers have much of their time to play
with their babies, and 1t is no wonder they
don't cry, as they have no pins to prick
them, no tables or chairs to hit their heads
and when they fan there are soft, thick
mats on the door to protect them; but the
babies have some Affections, as their
heads all have to be shayed-they don't
like 1t. but instead of crying they kick. SO
think they must be like some of our babies
after all.
Japan is the land OF toys, dolls, kites,
fans and parasols. A ltttle girl VIII some
times have over hundred dolls II would
amuse you i'll the day time to see soane ofthe
babies tied upon the backs of the mothers
while they are flying Kites. That is the |
way they carry their babies instead of in |
their arms.
" AnEng lish teacher who spent several years |
in Japan schools says that in all the time he |
was there he never heard a harsh word used |
in any family nor saw a child struck in the |
schools or IN the homes. No theft was ever
Their houses We're not locked at |
night and there are but few policemen, and
they have a large population, too, and
there would be no need OF police if il were
not for the people who go there from the
civilized countries
Now We Will wait and see the sun rise and
skip right back in time to see our beautiful
sunset. Nobody has actually ever seen a
sunrise and sunset al the same time, and
never Will, until they can see everything in
the twinkle of an eye.