Evening journal., 1900-02-14
WHY SHE rs SERENE
NO WONDER JAPANESE WOMEN
ARE HAPPY.
Their Simple, Sensible Housekeeping
-s-The SHY Idea Of Striving Eter.
rally for Observation-Disclosures Oh
colts Gossip.
New Yorl, Lottery

an indignant husband the other night
when no found his wife tired. nervous
and croHu.
AS q matter Of fact we do spend a
good deal of time trying TO keep our
houses clean, and few OF US succeed
here IN New York. anyway.
have been hearing some interest
ing lectures about the Japanese re-
Gently, and made mental compari-
son between the tired New York
h0usekeepef and her Japanese coun-
torpart, and thought the oriental had
rather the best OF Il In the way OF do
nestle arrangements, In spite OF the
ctthat she Is brought up TO render Inn
9licit obedience 10 her parents and ar
onward 10 her husband
No wonder the Japanese woman Is
tranquil and smiling and plump. She
~ tranquil because IL Is part OF her
religion TO be so. The great bronze
Baddha shows IN his impassive face
what is meant 90 have attained MIR
vana-the Death Of all desire. Although
ghe Japanese possess highly organized
nervous systems, Il Is not good form
for either man or woman TO give
way to nerves. A Jap viii suffer tor
lures Of physical pain before he will
De guilty OF bad manners.
But to go back to the housekeeping.
No wonder the hostess has time for
yll the charming graces OF woman
hood. to Sing, play on the aamlsen,
cmhroider or arrange flowers artisti-
cally. The floor IN covered with mat
u1E and the Hnoes are removed on
entering the immaculate abode Think
OK that, go American mothers, with
boys who bring In mud and sand
dozen times q day and never remem-
bor the existence Of a doormati
Now II may be uncomfortable, even
painful, for muscles not trained from
childhood TO sit on the floor. but think
" the amount OF labor saved in dust.
az and polishing chairs. Then, the
8hle service-so simplei No silver
slives and forks TO polish nor steel
mes to sccur. but simply a pair OF
lew white pine chop sticks, fresh
salr every meal. slightly joined at the
ends to show that they have never
seen used before. No wonder Japan
stands foremost as one OF tho most
! scrupulously clean nations OF the
world.
Compare the tissue paper houses OF
Japan, which like tent insures per
feet ventilation, with n modern steam
hepted anartment 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 / often feel
like looking for the price tagN.
But the Jap, while he may possess
many treasures, a rare bit OF clois.
sonnne or a Satsuma vase or lovely
bl1e and white Imari jardlniere, 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 Il with another
treasure md feasts his eyes on that.
One OF the most artistic houses
have ever entered belongs to a Quaker
lady who loves beautiful things. Il
iH an old-fashioned wooden house in
Brooklyn. N. T.. with a hall running
through the centre, a salon parlor on
the left and the dining-room and
kitchen on the right. She has furnish-
mahogany furniture of the colonial
Period. the style that never becomes
out of date because il is so truly
beautiful. She has gradually collect
cd one at a time. quaint chairs, tiny
tables, an old clock. a handsome solid
buffet, O charming desk. But she was
wise and kept strictly 70 the one style.
30 the completed home looks as II II
might have descended from a Puritan
ancestor Even the llnocker on the
'front.' door Is Ia keeping with the
quaint interior. Beautiful GROWN.
plants are everywhere. and there is
q feeling Of peace about the house
and q charm that many houses ex-
guisitoly furnished. from an uphOlstor.
crs' point of view. cannot give. And
the lady, too, with her white hair and
gentle manners, has something of the
charm of the Japanese woman in her
ieposeful way and smile of welcome.
Mast homes are simply a heteroge-
leous mass of odds and ends, contrasts
ing styles and Earring colors. If we
could cast aside the really useless
and ugly articles in our houses, and
save only what is artistic and har.
uonious. the effect would DO more
pleasing to the eye and infinitely less
Auh0l Ali tut nrAAas WITCH III hii
/, dealer has a priceless painting to SELL
I Le puts it In q room or alcoyc by t.
self end has only dull uraperies around
( Il. with the light thrown he pic
Z tire. The clever Jap does the same
, thing.
Why do we all strain eternally for
possessions. We know they bring
more care. Some of us have not learn
ed to enjoy beauty except as We Ia
divi0uals possess It. We are but chill
dfen, and like children long for trihei
That we sec other grown-up chill
dren have.
II you live in a 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
hat would delight some artist. Il Is
only the artistic eye that sees the
beauty Of gray cloudy days. the plod
ding cattle. the herd of sheep. the
farmer at the plough. To appreciate
I FL.