The morning times., 1896-05-17
Humble Wives.
Japanese Brides Disciplined for
conjugaI Dociiity.

Nob5uSdA
Yokohama, Feb. 5.-The life of a woman
of the middle class is the most striking or
the many differences between America
and Japan. Her advent in the world is
often heralded several weeks in advance
OF the event by a CANDY fla from the house
top. on the seventh day after birth her
head is shayeu aud kept partly so until
she reaches the age Of six. During infancy
she makes pretty picture with her little
bald head bobbing about while strapped
TO the back OF her Lilliputian grandmother
or elder sister-alwayS someone too Old or
too young To perform manual labor. Later
all outdoors is her playground, and heI
rope-jumping, battlcdoor and shuttlecock
and romps III the park develop an under
sized but well-knit woman.
/ True to the instincts of nature, the girl
| is more modest than the boy. She is in
variahly polite, and knows M such things
as disobedience to her elders Although
| she may inherit precocity from bright
parents, mental development is denied her
Her education is little less than the es-
sentiaI parts OF etiquette, poetry, the Va
| rious lessons of flowers and rigid rules re-
garding obedience to man. AT fourteen
| she bursts forth d full-bluomed cherry
| blossom, rosy checked, velvety eyes, with
| the least suspicion of obiquenesS and
! bright a $ day, yet dark as night.
| Like all her sisters she has an olive
| complexion and beautifully taEered FIN
| gers. While Eer race Is pleasant to look
|
J forehead is tCo Eroad aud the cheek bones
( TOO prominent to meet the rec CuiretnentS
| OF the European idea of beauty. Her teeth
| are invariably regular and OF pearly white
| ness.
Becoming accustomed to accepting the
| topsy -turvpy OF things Japanese one
! thinks nothing OF blue, that In Western
| esthetics is becoming only to blonds, he
| ing the universal color for these dainty
| bruncttcS, Her dress varies IN texture
| and desi gn according to her station in life.
| Those who can affOrd IL wear ngfiOwlng
| kimonO OF silk OF Solt-toncd Grape, which
| falls III graceful folds to the feet. and is
held ia place by cord around the waist.
! over the cord and hCldingit II IN enormous
| sash or obi ten inches wide and twelve
! feet long, wound many times around the
! waist. aud tied in an enormous bow at the
back. 1t is OF silk material. woven, with
gold thread, and is the wumHn's Chief
|
| or outer winter coat the OBJ Is the
only defect in an otherwise very becom-
ing garment, for il is apt 10 give the wearer
hunch backed appearance.
The trim little body Of the Japanese
woman has not yet been subjected to the
steel stays of her supposedly more civil
lied Western sister A thing of beauty
while sitting or kneeling, the Illusion is
| dlSpelled when She walks. With SeYera
pounds Of wood in her shoes aud her toes
| turned in, all possibility of a graceful
| carriage is preCluded. Her raven black
| tresses are every few days subjected to a
bath Of grapeseed oil and with the assist
ance of innumerable pins, combs. and wads
| are formed into several waves and mounds
| She sleeps on wooden pillow, 'nIakora,
| on which the neck alone rests, and as heI
| nerves are of iron, the hair once dressed has
a fresh appearance for several days. The
| shaving of the cheeks, nose and eyelldS are
but 4 part of the hair dressing process.
Mild tlirtationS are not one of the past
times of the Japanese maid. She may GO
to the theater, flower shows and fest
vals, but the aCquiescent chaperon of Amer
lea is here superseded by a stern father
| Her acquaintaaces are only of her own sex
! She smokes tobacco as generously as III
/ American girl chews gum, but her grace
enables her to inhale from long, slender
pipe in manner that does not strike one
as unfeminiue. While she is aware that hel
ways are not your ways, size can dis
Crininate. She sees no impTGpriety in ar
ranging her toilet, stripped to the waist
| before foreigner When seen this way she
faces Western stare with modesty. This
may not seem an appropriate term to the
mind that makes the common mistake O
| assoCiating modesty more with her raimen
than the thought that prompts her expires
sion. But in this case it is.
| Affection. position or love of money are
| little consitiefed in Japanese marriages
The fundame ntal principle of marriage
is dreadful, deep-seated fear of not
having family and allowing, in this
way, the family name TO become extinct
Centuries of Buddhism have made the
perpetuation OF family name CT vital
Importance, and mans first duty to his
ancestors No greater misfortunes can
befall a couple than to be childleSs aud to
avert 1t marriages are arranged early
in life; proving barren divorce follows,
another marriage is arranged, and so on,
until the family IS OF suffice ut size to
avoid all possibility of such a calamity
An old maid or bachelor is unknown in
Japan. The girl has no voice in the mat
ter of selecting ahusband, an absurdit y
largely responsible for the existence OF
one divorce in every three maria geS
All is arranged by the middleman, oil
"nakado," whose Importance cannot bt
overestimated. He is not only consulted
as to the adaptability of the young people
but in turn intervie VS. all the relatives
of both as to their preference, carries OF
the Courting, officiateS as master-of-cere
monies at the wedding, and finally acts as
moderator In alque stonso diScord bet weeI
husband and wife.
He is the court OF final appeal in al
family matters; has power to grant divorce
and arrange the settlement of property
and all details. He brings the young cou
pie together for the first time. the girl sub
mits to an inspection, brief conversation
follows, and if she proves satisfactor J
to her future absolute lord and master al
is well. If not the man simply leaves
With an enga cement there is an exchange
of gifts of clothing, flowers, etc.
On the wedding day the girl covers hel
face with thick rice paint, rouges hel