The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-03
HOW THEY DINED IN JAPAN.
A Baltimore Lady Describes the
Feasts Pleasures md TOrtures.
From the Baltimore Sun.

Feast's Pleasures md TOrtures.
From the Baltimore Sun.
81 think probably the most enter
tanning experience we had in Toxic, -
said Miss Lillian Giffin, 1904 North
Charles street, not long since, in speak
ing of her travels in Japan, was a
Japanese dinner.
I'VE had been invited to dine at the
Maple Club and at the entrance a
bevy of small servants went down on
all fours in salutation, removed our
shoes, and escorted us to the dining
room, a small apartment minus chairs
table, everything. We were expected
to sit in native fashion on our heels
on the floor, which was covered with
faultlessly white mats. Our places
were marked by a circle of small. fiat
blue cushions. Sitting upon ones heels
is a difficult position for foreigners to
assume and almost impossible to main
tain. With inward misgivings, put
with a show of great ease, / subsidized
upon my cushion and for fully five min
utes my troubles seemed over. Alas!
soon numbness attacked my astonished
members, then paralysis; finally move
How long can 1 stand it? l thought
uneasily as 1 looked toward my friend
and in her eyes caught an answering
signal of distress.
"At that moment troupe of little
serving girls-musumes-ent with
the dinner. First we were served with
tiny handleless cups of tea and most
beautiful confectionery, shaped into
pink and green maple leaves and deli
ycfa rfac HAx
were works of art, but / quailed before
them, and for me that course was pure
ly ornamental. Before each of us was
then placed a lacquered table, about
a foot high, holding several dishes. l
have never been considered tall, but I
felt awkwardly so for those surround
ings, especially that dolls table and
those toy dishes.
AT first glance l did not recognize
a single acquaintance among the deli
cacies so began to take an inventory
of them. On a piece of glass were
carefully arranged thin slices of raw
FISH and a small bowl of dark sauce. A
plate was divided in halves by slice
of white and yellow cake made of
sweet and Irish potatoes. On one side
Of this barrier was a small piece of
boiled lobster. half a microscopic bird,
preserved cherries and chestnuts; on
tne OIneT TWO SuBdT-COdleu lTlSn pO-
tatoes, one white, the other red. l
next uncovered a lacquered bowl. 1t
was filled with a brown soup, in which
floated pieces of FISH. My neighbors
were eating this with chop sticks.
Tremblingly / took up the bits of wood
and tried to do likewise. With every
movement those detestable chopsticks
slipped in my fingers. worked with
desperate energy. but gradually the
few solid portions of my soup crumbled
TO nothing. For fresh material | had
20 turn to a gelatinous substance called
soy, on which rested a piece of broiled
eel.
Two little girls served sake. the rice
wine of Japan. from slender. long
necked vases. Here was a fresh trial.
The sake. which tasted much like dilut-
ed sherry. was served hot. felt proud
OF my fortitude when had swallowed
some with an unmoved countenance
There are some very elaborate ceremo-
NAL rules for drinking this wine, which,