Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-19

! ity about the street Tbe,. 49,
pecuhg me arrival of $50 soldiers who h.d
competed their terms of service in ~.
army. 1t seemed. and were ready to civ,
them what III America might he ,ermod
military blowout" One a. tho s,riL
ing characteristics of the crowd was tb..
large number of babies ,mo., o,.or,
Japanese woman seemed to have a babv
! On her back. and in many cases Their,
: = oaDE surplus. and there are Ian mn.
iiiotheis carving arnnnd timer brother,
On tneir backs. suggesting the littI,,
hotherS on tho E,.at oiuc Of New Yorh
WIN the;f !!lt.r charges. Sometimes IN.
'hhoN anu the little mother who is doing
! tiit carrying are not very different il,
SIC indeed. THIS carrying business is
almost game with the children. thry
pa! at II. carrier and rider reversing
roles But the subject Of Jan babies ana
tr.iiuren IS t." comprehensive for casual
, u - 'hieli , IheH are wonderful. these
little folk. possibly the most wonderful
thihs IN All Japan all manner Or cIrios
being included.
1t IS no wonder that this cnod-hl,norcd
race, which nevertheless. has as inpers
100. Is so irnd Of such babies as these or
even mat the population Of Japan shows
SO rapid an increase. some one per cent
a year: Bat there are reasons quite be
Eond the merely scni mental ones Tor this
growth. Inc state religion of japan Oh.
Shintol consists iarPelr OF ancestor wor
snip Naturally nar"nts desire numerous
offspring 50 that they III turn may b.
sure % nflHc "ri shipped and abundantly
~ inc Japanese hereafter.
~ the crowd grew larger ana larger
ana IN" baby population about the iopot
ihctedo td. there seemed to be in the gen
crai noise OF movement something lack
neg. 1t was the crying ana yowling Of
babies heard everywhere in the State.
At last one baby did try to cry ana It
seemed almost IA RELIEF. but he wa
hy.p i,.it hi fyit, rityl,4
on the crowded benches. Indeed two
babies were feeding at the same TIM
within short distance Of each other.
and Of all the crowd the Foreigners thai
Is. n-JapaneSc. were the only ones who
seemed aware Of the incident. ono o.
the two mothers mad a refined. delicate
oval face with zinc profile supported b.
the long. slender neck, 50 typical in
Japan OF refinement. Judging by her
dress. and the maid attending her she
was Of The upper class. The other mother
coarse. After all however. the most no
ticeable thing is the way the Japs have
Of not seeing what one should not see.
away for all the crowd cared.
The tram with the soldiers. however
refused to come and babies. whether car
heavy after time. This led to frequent
shifting around OF the junior heirs and 50
the process whereby the seemingly impos-
sible feat of getting the bahv on ana off
revealed Everyone at all interested in
that sort of thing wonders wnen he frs
reaches Japan. how this is done-t look
dangerous, and yet there is never a rcpor;
OF any accident. The whole secret il.
that the baby by some streak Of prccocity
IN Japan helps hi, mother to hoist him
aloft. Possibly he does this instead oi
saying the terribly clever things that
eiiSh-Spt aking fathers relate as tnr
latest Of their sons and heirs. The way
the hab| helps in Japan is this. The cluin
band which ties him on and on which IL
sits. is placed around his knees. the
mother kneels down in front of him, he
grabs her shoulders in two chubby hands.
the band Is drawn in and his highness Is
enthroned. and evidently to his entir"
s;.tisfa ction. To get the baby down the
band is united. He catches hold of IL
and is pulled around to one side
All of these various doings took place
arrived All Of this time the crowd had
waited the guard of honor had held NJ
the long bamboo poles with banners on
them. and many had gone from the water
cooler, thirsty. Yet there was never "a
compiaint--oniy patience. smiles, good
humor and cheering. Then at last the
soldier train did put in an appearance, the
crowd fell in behind the regiment and
escorted them through the streets There
was much cheering as In the States. but
there was also an entire absence of one
feature which sometimes Is in evidence
at celebrations at home There was alb
solutely no intoxicatiOn or maudlin con-
duct. Indeed. groEshops are rarity
a bout az scarce as babies are plentiful
in Japan.