The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-03-09
WHY SHE Is SERENE
NO WONDER JAPANESE WOMEN
ARE HAPPY.
Their Simple, Sensible Housekeeping
The Silly Idea of Striving Eter-
nally for Posssssions-Aanes OIL.
colts Gossip.
New York letter.

SsiAA "a O2G.
AS a matter of fact we do spend
good deal Of tins trying to keep our
houses clean, and few of us succeed
here i'll New York, anyway.
have been hearing some interest.
ing lectures about the Japanese re-
Gently. and l made a mental COMPARE
son between the tired New York
housekeeper and her Japanese coun-
terpart. and l thought the oriental had
rather the best of it in the way of do
nestle arrangements, in spite of the
fact that she is brought up to renderim-
plicit obedience to her parents and af-
terward to her husband.
No wonder the Japanese woman is
tranquil and smiling and plump. She
is tranquil because it is part of her
religion to be so. The great bronze
Buddha shows in his impressive face
what is meant to have attained Mir
vana-the death OF all desire. Although
the Japanese possess highly organized
nervous systems, it is not good form
for either a man or woman to give
way TO nerves. A Jap will suffer tor
lures Of physical pain before he will
be guilty OF bad manners.
But to go back to the housekeeping.
No wonder the hostess has time for
all the charming graces of woman
hood, to sing, play on the samisen,
embroider or arrange flowers artisti-
cally. The floor is covered with mat
ting and the shoes are remn#sd on
entering the immaculate abode Think
of that, We American mothers ta
nh, I,,,tY,
dozen times a day and neVer ...m.
Der the existence of a doorma5
Now it may be uncomf07tehla even
painful, for muscles not trained from
childhood to sit on the floor, Odt INK
of the amount of labor saved in ST
ing and polishing chairs Then the
table service-so simple. Nc silver
knives and forks to polish nor steel
ones to scour, but simply a pair OF
new white pine chop sticks, a fresh
pair every meal, slightly joined at the
ends to show that they have never
been used before. No wonder Japan
stands foremost as one of the most
scrupulousiy clean nations Of the
world
Compare the tissue paper houses of
Japan, which like q tent insures per-
feet ventilation, with a modern steam
heated apartment in New York. Some
people are not content with lace cur
tains, but have three curtains at some
windows. Heavy portieres, upholster-
ed furniture and countless ornaments
form excellent lodging places for dust
and dirt. We load our tables and cab
inets with the pottery and curios Of all
countries, until our rooms look like
old curiosity shops, and l often feel
like looking for the price tags.
But the Jap, while he may possess
many treasures, a rare bit Of clOis-
sonnne or q Satsuma vase or q lovely
blue and white Imari jardiniere, to
say nothing of bronzes, does not crowd
them all into one room. Oh, no; he
puts his cloissonne vase on its hand
some carved teak wood stand and adj
mires it for a day or week or month,
and then replaces 1t with another
treasure and feasts his eyes on that.
One Of the most artistic houses I
have ever entered belongs to Quaker
lady who loves beautiful things. 1t
is an old-fashioned wooden house in
Brooklyn, N. Y, with hall running
through the centre, a salon parlor on
the left and the dining-roen and
kitchen on the right. She has furnish
ed it tremendously with old-fashioned
mahogany furniture of the colonial
period, the style that never becomes
out of date because it is so truly
beautiful. She has gradually collect
ed one at time quaint chairs, tiny
tables, an old clock, handsome solid
buffet, charming desk. But she was
wise and kept strictly to the one style,
so the completed home looks as if it
might have descended from Puritan
ancestor. Even the knocker on the
front door is in keeping with the
quaint interior. Beautiful growing
plants are everywhere, and there is
a feeling of peace about the house
and a charm that many houses ex-
quisitely furnished, from an upholster.
ers' point of view, cannot give. And
the lady, toe, with ner white hair and
gentle manners, has something of the
charm of the Japanese woman in her
reposeful way and smile of welcome.
Mast homes are simply heteroge-
neous mass of odds and ends, contrast.
, ing styles and Earring colors. If We
could cast aside the really useless
and ugly articles In our houses, and
save only what IL artistic and har.
monious, the effect would be moro
| pleasing to the eye and infinitely less
| labor for the hands. When an art
dealer has priceless painting to sell,
he puts it in room or alcove by 1t.
self and has only dull draperies around
it, with the light thrown on the pic.
ture. The clever Jap does the same
thing.
Why do we all strain eternally for
possessions. We know they bring
more care. Some 81 US have not learn.
ed to enjoy beauty except as we in.
| dividuals possess It. We are but chill.
dren, and like children long for tribes
that we see other grown-up chill.
| dren have.
If you live in small town, and can.
not travel, and there is no art gallery
or museum, and you cannot even have
access to books and photographs, you
still have nature. Whether you live
on the prairie or in the mountains,
every day will show you some picture
that would delight aome artist. II ID
only the artistic eye that sees tbs
beauty of gray cloudy days, the plod.
ding cattle, the herd of sheep the
farmer at the plough. To appreciate
Millet. Jules Breton, Corot, Troyon
Mauve any OF the painters who paint
ed natpre-we must sec with their
eyes. The world 10 30 fall of beauty
God given, that Is is criminal in us
women not to find few minutes each
day to devote to the beautiful
AIM G7 "n~~
And He Got II.
General Wauchope had been wound
ed four times, thrice severely, before
going to south Africa. Shortly before
| he started for thp Goudnn last v.or ba