The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-27
THE NEW JAPAN.

through Chester Holcombe's eyes. to
study the curious, superstitious. un-
wieldy peoples Of the Middle Kingdom
1t is now our privilege, thanks TO
Lafcadio Hearn's "Out of the East
New York: Houghton, Mifilin \
Co.; for sale in Scranton by NJ.
Norton) to catch a few equally
entertaining glimpses of the new
Japan; the Japan civilized, MILL
tant and triumphant. Mr. Hearn, In
previous book, "Glimpses of Unfamiliar
Japan" has depicted japanese life, Gus
toms and manners in elaborate detail.
His present work Is less systematic
totting down of stray facts. fancies and
traditions as these things have oc-
CURED to him, but it presents several
chapters of notable interest. We may
notice at this time one chapter only,
that treating of the position OF woman
in Japan, and of the relation of the
feminine to art.
The inability Of the Japanese to enter
into the spirit of western aesthetics
and emotions has caused many travel
ers to brand the Japanese as essential
ly materialistic people. Mr.. Hearn
dissents from this harsh judgment al
though conceding that there Is Il wide
difference between the eastern and the
western points of view. Teacher.
please tell us why there is so much
about love and marrying in English
novels;" the author was once asked by
his class In literature, composed of
young men from 10 to % years Of age,
ut seems to us very, very strange
But for his familiarity with the Japan
ese point of view in social relations. MI
Hearn admits that he would have
found himself unable to answer this
question. To these people any social
system of which filial piety Is not the
moral cement; In which children leave
their parents In order to establish
families of their own; in which 1t Is
considered not only natural but right
to love wife and child more than the
author of ones being; in which mar
riage can be decided independently of
the will of parents, by the mutual in
clination of the young people them
selves, and in which the mother-in-law
is not in vested with supreme COM
mand over the internal affairs of the
new domestic partnership appears like
a moral chaos.
To the young Japanese, marriage
seems simple, natural duty, for the
due performance of which his parents
will make all necessary arrangements
at the proper time. That foreigners
should have so much trouble about
getting married is puzzling enough to
him; but that distinguished authors
should find it necessary or desirable to
write novels and poems about such
matter-of-fact subjects, and that these
novels and poems, when written,
should be read by great numbers OF
people. puzzles him, Mr.. Hearn tells us,
infinitely more Indeed, the English
love novel, in which the amours OF the
hero and heroine supply the bulk of the
subject-matter ending with marriage
and eternal happiness in the last chap
ter. is more than strange" to the
Japanese. He uses that word through
innate politeness, but the thought
which Is in his mind is that such a
book is positively indecent. This
thought, 1t should be clearly under
stood. does not arise from any sense of
shame in love itself, but from abhor-
renee of the doctrine that with mans
marriage his duty to his parents be-
comes subordinate to his duty toward
his wife and children. To the Japanese
this doctrine seems the essence of I'M
piety and seifishness.
By reason of this belief 1t happens
that while the typical woman often
figures in japanese romance as a
heroine; as a perfect mother; as pious
daughter willing to sacrifice all for
duty; as a loyal wife, who followed her
!, husband into battle, fights by his side,
and saves his life at the cost of her
own, she never, under any circum-
stances, Is represented In the virgin
stage as a sentimental maiden, dying
or making others die for love. Neither,
we are told, does she exhibit herself in
literature as dangerous beauty, a
charmer Of men. AS In China, wooing
is utterly tabooed; for man to compli-
ment his wife or daughter Is an out
rageous impertinence; and very rarely
does a Japanese refer in any manner
to his domestic affairs, even to discuss
the prospects of his children. Never
does a beggar or an unfortunate suppli-
cate for aims in the name of his wife
and children; but he may very properly
work up sentiment of compassion by
depicting the want and misery of his
poor parents and grandparents. AS in
China, also. the emperor is supreme as
the father OF all his subjects; next
comes the Oldest surviving grandpar-
ents and next the parent. 1t Is deemed
selfish in a man to love his wife and his
child more than his emperor and his
ancestors
Mr.. Hearn scouts some cf the judg-
9rents which have been pronounced
upon japanese women by writer's like
that extraordinary prrson," Sir Ed
win Arnold, "who make their short
residence In teahouses and establish
ments Of much worse kind, and then
go home to write books about the wo-
men Of Japaa" Family life in that
country, he says, Is life OF which for
eigners see little and know ALMOST anth-
ing Invited to the hon.e uf a Japanese
friend, you may or may not see the
family. 1t will depend upon circum-
stances If you see any of them, It
will probaly be for moment only, and
in that event you will most likely see
the wife. Should you, after brief
salutation from your host, be pressed
to stay for dinner, and accept the invi-
tation, 1t is probable that the wife will
do you the honVr, as her husbands
friend, to wait upon YOU during an in
stant. You may or may not be for
mally introduced to her: but a glance
at her dress and cpiffure should he sirffi.
cient to inform you at once who she is,
and you must greet her with the most
profound respect. She will probably
impress you as deiicately refined and
very serious person, by no means wo-
man Of the rnuch-smiling and much
bowing kind. She will say extremely