The times., 1898-12-11
HOME LIFE IN JAPAN.
How the People Differ From, Il
Chinese


Prof. Edward s. Morse, Of Salem. en-
tertained the Hartford Art Society the
other day with a talk about the Japanese
The Courant says: He prefaeed his talk
by pointing out the distinction between
the Chinese and Japanese, and saying
that the reason why many Europeans
and Americans judge the two races are
related is because the Japanese use the
Chinese written language, as they did
not themselves discover a method of
/ transferring thought in writing. Thus
it happens that the written Chinese is
the means of communication between
peoples of Japan and the Chinese and
Korean provinces, who cannot speak any
language that can be understood by one
another. This conversation is by char
acter signs often by the rapid writing on
the palm of the hand or any convenient
plane and sometimes by quick sketchIng
of the sign in the air.
Prof. Morse's description of the japan
ese home was largely by contrasts with
the homes in this country, and he added
to the clearness of his description by lis
wonderful facility with the crayon and
blackboard. To begin with, the Japaness
house is without cellar or attic. and for
the most part without windows and has
for doors sliding screens which open the
house to the outside as well as separate
the rooms one from another. They are
simple in construction and the science Of
economy in carpentry has been reduced
to minimum. man can build S3 900
house and not have enough shavings and
debris to fill bushel basket, so nice
ly is the work calculated in advance.
This is simpiified by the fact that the e
Is basis of measurement for the mate
rial and that is the mat, which is three
feet by six feet A room Is thus an eight
mat room. a ten mat room, any
number of mats that can BE- desired. and
the lumber Is fitted in the forest to
lengths that Will make the house and its
rooms as It may be ordered The mats
are placed on the ground very tig tly to-
gether. and are covered by the ordinary
Japanese mattting with which we are all
familiar. The mats themselves are of
straw and are three to four inches thick.
and are arranged differently In the room
so as TO give an. temperance Of freshness
to each room as one enters. The rafters
and the ceiling overhead are arranged
differently in each room for the same
purnose-
The art value of the screen partitions
rately decorated, but the picture
or the motto, which is hung in a
recess in the principal room of the house.
is changed at intervals In order that there
may be something appropriate to the sea-
sons. For instance, in hot weather re-
freshing Winter scene. cool and suggest
i've. will be brought out, while in cold
weather there may be a scene of cherry
blossoms or of something to take the
mi nd FROM he nj he
The back side of the house. the kitchen
side is always on the street and the
grocer drives his bargains with the
cook through the lattice on the street
The show rooms, the family rooms, are
on the back areas and there the broad
verandah looks out on a beautiful garden
and the back areas of the street running
parallel are the better part of the houses
on that street. The effect is that look
ing down through the back areas there
is delightful prospect, always quite in
contrast with the broken fences, ash bar
reIs, and general dilapidation one sees
in a back yard view in this country.
Great care is taken with the laNatory ar
rangements and they are always refresh
ing and simple. with not a little OF the
art instinct surrounding them. The gar
dens are marvels in effect. the smallest
possible space often being used in such
a manner that the effect of distance is
gained. Some instances OF the rare ef-
fects of landscape gardening were given.
one of which related to the making of
ravine into an apparently smooth lawn
when viewed from an elevation. the effect
having been produced By the Sradation OF
trees in such manner that the tops with
their foliage were on a level with the
point of view There are many little
tricks of this sort in gardening, such as
the making of an artificial pond with the
water effeet built in of gray pebbles, the
light glistening upon them in such 4 way
that the deception was marvellous.
The Japanese are lovers of the beauti-
full. first of all. and they take the utmost
delight in those things that tend to re-
veal it and to make others enjoy it. For
instance in the Toxic directory. the
pages following the information usually
to be found in directory are not filed
with insurance, bank and mercantile ad-
vertisements. but with directions as to
where the best snow effects may be seen
in winter: where to go for the finest view
OF the cherry blossoms. when to expect
the mist on the mountain, where the I'm
est chrysanthemums. azaleas, japonicas
and other flowers are to be seen in addi-
ton to the list of museums and other
show places.
The dress of the japanese was illustrated
enee of it was commented upon Contrary
to his expectation the coIors were not
bright. but were mostly of blues and
grays and the dress of the children in
the pubic or private schools was such that
the poorest and richest were alike, that
there need be no feeling Of poverty or
shame among the poorer children The
lecturer touched upon many of the minor
social customs of the Japanese. telling OF
them in the Hveliest happiest mannet>
When his hour was over. the audience
was surprised that he had talked so long,
and would willingly have listened to a
continuance of the very pleasant. instruc-
tive address which was like a personal
talk to each individual
Professor Morse was introduced by
Charles Dudley Warner, who presented
him as one who had lived everywhere
and knew about everything. After the
lecture Professor Morse, having to go
again to the blackboard. astonished those
who remained behind by his feats with
the chalk. He took piece in each hand,
and drawing simultaneously with each.
he produced picture of a but
terfly altogether symmetrical and as
good as anyone else could make with
close attention with the right hand. In
deed all the illustrating that he did Dur
ing the lecture was with the left hand.
As the feat of drawing the butterfly nat
urally attracted much attention he was
/ urged TO show further his command of
his hands. For this he simultaneously
wrote Hartford with each hand. one time
| writing it backward and once forward
with the left hand, showing he could du-
plicate or reverse as he chose. Then he
spelled out loud "B-o-s-t-o-n'' and wrote
''B-a-n-g-e-r" Those who think that Is