Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-02-24
LETTER FROM THE ORIENT.
Manners and Customs of the People of
Japan, Related by Miss Florence
D. Patton.
Mr.. r.. M. white, Editor of the LEDGER.

MIR. R. M. White, Editor of the LEDGER
ToKUsHIMA, JAPAN, Jan. Is, 1885,
Dear sir: You asked me to write you
somewhat OF the tfmanners and Gus.
toms" of the people in the East, and
since, just the other day, such q funny
custom took place right in front OF my
door and interested me greatly. ! will
detail it to you with the bare possioil-
ity of enlisting some others to the
pastime of reading.
About 4 O'Clock / happened to look
out of the window to see q large dray
drawn by one man pull up in front of
my next door neighbor. As it seemed
to contain all kinds of household goods
l supposed it meant new neighbors,
but when / looked out again what q
scene. There in the middle Of the
street-we have nc front yards-stood
two large iron basins, as large as q
barrel each, in which great fires were
being kindled. I thought of the time
of Nero and felt glad that the "New
Treaties'' we're not yet in force. But
my attention was riveted to that spot,
and with each development I was
more b%ewildered. As soon as the fires
were in a roaring condition a second
dray appeared on the scene Of action.
Then such IN unloading of pans, pots
and kettles, buckets, dippers, stove
wood and what not. Then I was seized
with a fear that a vender of sweet
meats was to be established right un-
der my eyes, and forever more I was
to inhale the odor of baked beans and
raw peanuts, to say nothing of the
fact that I would have to listen to said
vender crying the everlasting merits
of his wares. But before I reached
the very verge of despair / bethought
me that His Royal Highness, the Gov
ernor, was also my neighbor, inst on
the other side, and because of such
aristocracy dwelling here all the vul-
gar modes of life are prohibited from
this street. And then I was again
thankful that I had a weakness for
good society. The next fact that
greeted my strained optic nerves was
that the "master of ceremonies" had
appeared, and a person of Importance
he was, too, with his long blue robe
tied around the waist with a white rag
and his long hair twisted up i'll a knot
on the back of his head, and he step
ped high as he proceeded to fill the big
round pans with rice and placed them
one above another over these fires
until they reached ten in number.
Then a large wooden tray was brought
by several men and placed inside of
the house, but still in view. After
which another large iron pot was set
up, beside which a tripod and a basin
of water vas placed. At least 10 men
were now on hand and soon the lowest
pot of rice was removed from the fire
and emptied into the third iron basin
when Immediately five men took as
many heavy wooden mallets and be-
gan % mash this steamed rice into a
dough. Then n dipping his hands
in the water would roll it from side to
side while the other four would pound
it with their mallets, bringing them
down one after another in quick sue
| c~ession. After ten minutes of such
work the one from where he stood
deity pitched the dough into the
house on this tray, when the woman
at once made it out into loaves and
small cakes without even III addition
of salt, and 80 on with ali ten pans. On
inquiry I found that this was done to
celebrate the New Year. The large
Ioaves are given to the Idols and the
other kept for family use. This quanti-
ty would last about a year. When
eaten it is roasted a little over the
fire. I have often eaten it and was
asked once il I liked it, "because il
you do" my host said, 81 am going to
give you a lot of it." I secretly hoped
I was not very rude when I meekly
said, 81 don't like it SO very much"
FLORENCE d. PATTON.