The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-02-16
JAPANESE ADJUSTMENTS.
A Days Pleasure With Some Membe

OF the Fast Set
| To show how Japanese gentlemen
sometimes amuse themselves may cite
the following: While connected with
the Third Higher Middle school, when
| it occupied buildings near the Castle, in
Osaka, l was called on one afternoon by
one of my scholars, who had been sent
by gentleman to invite me to spend
the next day with him and some of his
friends in the pursuit of pleasure after
the Japanese fashion. / was told that
my host would send for me about nine
o'clock, and that my young pupil HIM
self would be in attendance to act as in
terpreter in case my knowledge of the
language was insufficient to assure me
that clear understanding of the CONVEX
sation and Of the play-the heater was
to be the scene of our frolic during much
Of the day--which would be essential to
my enjoyment. The invitation had been
accompanied by one of those pretty box
es Of sweets which the Japanese so Of
ten send in such cases.
Next morning, promptly at the hour
named. arrived a handsome jnriksha,
drawn by two men<in livery, and / was
taken to my entertainers town house,
where | met some of his friends. We
were served with cigarettes, tea, cakes
and tiny cup or two of the finest sake.
one of those which, while retaining the
native menu, have introduced many de-
tails to contribute to the comfort of for
eign guests. ! was, however, little dis
appointed. We We're shown to a large
apartment overlooking a pretty little
garden. This room was furnished more
than one usually finds such places, for
there We're hemp rugs on the floor over
the mats, the paintings on the fusuma
(the sliding panels which serve as parti-
tions between the rooms) We're eXcep-
tionally fine, and the ramma dhe carved
openwork dados) We're beautiful speci-
mems Of the cabnet-maker art. Pret-
ty lamps, with electric lights, hung
from the ceiling. We were STATED on the
small, fiat cushions which served in lieu
of chairs; small low tables of conven-
lent height were placed, one for each
person, and the first course of an elab-
crate meal was served-a cup of sake
and some comfits. Then the geisha, or
professional singing and dancing girls,
add to the entertainment. They did not
devote themselves exclusively to their
arts, for some Of them helped in serv-
ing the sake and engaged in conversa-
ton with us. | found the young wo-
man who had been detailed especially
to attend to me to be remarkably
bright person, we'll able to make me I'M
derstand her conversation and, what
was even more satisfactory, able to un-
derstand my Japanese fairly well, so
that while at the restaurant / had little
occasion to call in the aid of my inter-
prefer.
These geishas constitute such an i'm
portant factor in the amusements of
Japanese gentlemen that a few words
concerning them may not be out of
place. Like the Greek hetaerae, they
are usually sold to their trainers when
quite young Gotten at the age of seven)
by their INDECENT parents, and are care
fully educated in music, conversation
and dancing They are always hand
somely dressed. but in snowy materials
and in peculiar style with distin-
guishes them from respectable women,
who invariably wear plain clothes of
subdued colors. The life, once entered
upon, is difficult to escape from; but SO
far as the girls are personally con-
cerned no disgrace attaches to them. If
a man ransoms one and marries her she
takes his rank and station without any
stigma attaching to her | have met in
the highest japanese society women
who had been geishas for time, but who
were received as their husbands equals
without a question being asked as to
their antecedents. 1t is a curious phase
of society.
At about two p. m. the bowl of plain