The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-03-01

might be kept in statu quo for years
to come" But the fact of the matter is
European customs and European modes
of thought are fast supplanting the
habits of centuries; and he who wishes
to study true Japanese life must do Sc
before the present generation of coun-
try folk is extinct.
Some japanese customs-especially
those relating to marriage and court
ship-are amusing. A stranger not ia
miliar with them nav find himself mar
ried before he knows it. DIR. Carl
| Stangen, the German traveller, had a
funny experience in this line, of which
he says: 1T may be known to but few
that purely platonic relations with the
members of Japanese family may end
in LEGAL marriage. All that Is neces-
sary to be thrown into such predica-
ment is limited quantity of good ma
ture. You arc invited by the head of a
family to call at his house. While there
you are introduced to the daughter, in
whom, percha1ce, you take little
more than formal interest. The mother,
noticing this weakness, will at once in
vite you to visit the theater with them.
Mother and daughter dress as COR
geously as their purse permits; you find
yourself seated with them in a box;
after a few remarks about the perform
ance the girl easily finds an opportunity
to favor the guest with some trifing
present, such as fruit, or perhaps cue
Of tea. Should the guest reciprocate
by presenting gift of some kind TO the
girl-even though not cognizant of the
consequences-the act is considered
equivalent to proposal and accept
ance." Mr.. Stangen did not only pre-
sent the daughter of his hostess with a
very handsome gift, but also remem-
bered her sisters and other members of
the family, thereby making their as
surance doubly sure. Not until he no
ticed the effect OF his generosity did
his real position dawn upon him.
Flight was the Only way out of it, he
says, after describing his unconscious
wooing, land had l not succeeded in
putting many miles between myself
and my intended the next day would
have seen me married." 1t makes no
difference whether a man is already
married, or has the firm intention of
remaining a bachelor all his life, he
must make good the promise held out
to the designing damsel who has led
him astray with a tiny oriental plum or
sugared lemon. Should he happen to
be the possessor of wife previous to
his f1irtt ton he can secure a divorce
without much difficulty; but as legal
separations of this kind are not recoga
nized BY European or American courts
it behooyes foreigners to be very care
full about accepting presents, be they
ever so tri1ing, from the dusky charm
ers of Japan.
japanese wives are extremely faith
full to their husbands. Most women
color their teeth a deep black after
marriage and others pull out their
eyebrows, the object in either case
being a desire to prevent men from
making love to them. This explanation
must be taken with the proverbial
grain of salt, however, for no known
nation or tribe has been known whose
women had a desire to look unat-
tractive. Another explanation of the
origin of the custom is far more plausi-
BILE. In days gone by every nobleman
had the privilege of claiming any wom-
an whose appearance pleased him as
ais own. Married men who feared to
lose their wives through this ancient
law induced their wives to disfgure
themselves so as not tn avolce the ad-
niration of the mobiles. At first this