The record-union., 1896-06-22

her white kimono for a colored one
provided by her lover.
The house is tastefully decorated with
flowers.
The japanese we'll understand the
charm of simplicity. In all their floral
arrangements the individuality of each
plant is retained. There are no mon-
strous bouquets of inharmonious col
ors. In fact, they were as a nation far
advanced in esthetics when our ancest-
ols wore untanned skins and fed ON
acorns The lotus, the emblem of pur-
ity, is freely used; the pine, emblematic
of a faithful heart, and other shrubs
and flowers, each with its own signif-
canoe, are sparingly distributed.
In one corner of the room In which
the wedding occurs are two wooden
figures dressed as an old MAN and
woman, a rather odd manner of wishing
the bride and groom long life.
The marriage ceremony is most SIM
pie. Religion has nothing whatever to
do with it, and the law little more. 1t
partakes of the nature of an agreement,
and can be terminated by joint con-
sent. The bridegroom is seen kneel1ng
alone at one side of the room, where he
is joined by the bride, "nakado and
members of the immediate families.
They kneel facing each other, and the
bridegroom hands the bride a cup Of
| sake" a mild rice wine, from which
she sips and returns to him. Nine times
these toasts are drunk to the accompa-
niment Of string music from an adJoln-
ing room, and their meaning Is that
henceforth the husband and Wlfe-tor
| they are now legally marT1ed-Wlll
drink from the same cup, whether 1t pc
Of adversely or prosperity. The wedding
party is now joined by the relatives and
a banquet follows.
The guests departed, the bridal
chamber is sought, and again nine cups
are emptied, the husband this time be-
ing served by the bride, who makes
many low obeisances and otherwise IN
dicates her belief in her husbands su-
periority 1t is the beginning of life
of servitude, for from now on the nus
bands power is supreme. NO oscula-
ton is INDUCED in, and there are no
terms Of endearment.
Instead of wearing a ring as sign
of marriage, the woman makes herself
as hideouS and unattractiVe to other
men as possible This is easily done
by blackening the teeth and shaving the
eyebrows-a medieval mutilation now
rapidly going out of practice and only
done by those who least need it.
She also changes her coiffure and
style of her dress as an indication Of
marriage.
The honeymoon of Japanese bride
is the most unhappy period of her life.
Custom wills that she become the slave
not only to the caprice Of her husband.
but to an exacting mother-in-law as
well. After the birth Of her first child,
especially if it be a. boy, conditions
change somewhat, and she receives a
degree Of consideration.
Until recently the husband could at
will divorce himself. He had but to re-
port to the ''nakado' that his wife was
ill-tempered, barren, jealous, immoral,
disobedient, too talkative, or, in fact,
almost anything that met with his
disapproval. Concubinage was seldom
made grounds for. divorce for the
woman. She could, however, declare
herself divorced as freely as he, but by
SO doing she lost all claim to social rec
ognition, as we'll as her home and her
children. Statistics show that but one
fourth Of the divorces originate with
women. a law enacted in 1893 brings
the divorce law into close conformity
with European usages. Even before
then divorces We're confined almost ex-
clusively to the middle and lower
classes.
Not until old age does woman come
into the free reward for her many years
of hardship and patience. Her declin-
ing years are called the "Go-Inkio-
Sama," and during them every COM
fort the family purse can provide is
given her
While her lot is the least degraded Of
all Asiatic women, it is still a pitiable
ore, and made more conspicuous by the
civilization that surrounds it.
From childhood she is taught perfect
obedience, first to father, then to hus-
band and husbands parents, and when
widowed to a son. Considered an infe-
rior being, she is taken into little ac-
count outside Of household matters. AL
though tender, gentle and W0manly
there Is no romantic homage for her,
nor are her smiles ever mans incentive
to the performance of valiant deeds
But with Japan's rapid progress in
other lines the emancipation of woman
is bound to follow.
One Of Japan's proverbs reads, mot
| tc know is to be a Buddha.' "Ignor-
ance is bliss" expresses the same
thought to u.s. In it is the secret of the
contentment plainly depicted on the
faces of the women here. She has pre-
scribed privileges and demands mo
| rights. At present in her childish ways,
she is the picture OF sweet submission.
OF her Chamberlain quotes the follow
ing comparison, evidently from some
one under the spell: How sweet the
japanese woman is All the possibili-
ties Of the race for goodness seems to be
concentrated in her. 1t shakes ones
faith in some Occidental doctrines. If
this is the result of suppression and
oppression, then these are not alto